5.3 Applications in the Landslide Experiments
71
However, it is worth noting that a more intelligently steered instrument is desired.
The procedures for calculating the volume of soil loss involve many separate pieces
of software and subjective decisions to distinguish whether the soil loss is caused
by hydraulic erosion or gravity erosion. Hence, a surveyor’s skills are still essential
for precise measuring for most surveying tasks. One of the directions for future
research and development of the topography meter should focus on achieving capable
systems for even an unskilled surveyor to obtain the required accuracy level as well
as proper/efficient data collection or setup, including post-processing for any type of
measurement, at the same speed as the work done by a skilled surveyor.
In this study, when the topography meter was carried to the field to conduct the
site survey, the system should be adjusted to make the lasers parallel and equidistant
before the commencement of the slope behavior survey. However, the work is a bit
laborious, and it also reflects a shortcoming of the topography meter, because adjusting the internal structure of an instrument should be undertaken by the manufacturer
rather than the user. Presently we are developing a new type of topography meter, of
which the module positions are immobilized. The laser source will consist of several
units. Every unit is a box filled with a kind of rapid hardening resin and screwed on
the mainboard. The laser module is put into the box and surrounded with the resin.
Before the resin hardens, the position of the module could be modified. Nevertheless, when modules in the boxes were adjusted to be parallel and equidistant, we
could make the resin concretionary. If a module malfunctions, the module should be
replaced.
5.4 Conclusions
This chapter presents a novel topography meter based on a structural laser together
with a movable tent to observe the random gravity erosions in the field. The performance of the proposed measurement system has been demonstrated in the field
landslide experiments. The experimental results indicate that the apparatus was at a
sufficiently high accuracy, enough for the mechanism exploration of slope erosion.
The real-time digital videos of the measured surroundings recorded in the topography meter are also of inherently high value as a proof for further research. As a
result, the proposed measurement system provides an ideal solution for a wide range
of landform inspection and soil loss measurement, especially for monitoring gravity
erosion on steep slopes. In the near future, a more intelligently steered instrument
is desired that allows an unskilled operator to obtain efficient and accurate results at
the same level as those obtained by a skilled operator.
71
However, it is worth noting that a more intelligently steered instrument is desired.
The procedures for calculating the volume of soil loss involve many separate pieces
of software and subjective decisions to distinguish whether the soil loss is caused
by hydraulic erosion or gravity erosion. Hence, a surveyor’s skills are still essential
for precise measuring for most surveying tasks. One of the directions for future
research and development of the topography meter should focus on achieving capable
systems for even an unskilled surveyor to obtain the required accuracy level as well
as proper/efficient data collection or setup, including post-processing for any type of
measurement, at the same speed as the work done by a skilled surveyor.
In this study, when the topography meter was carried to the field to conduct the
site survey, the system should be adjusted to make the lasers parallel and equidistant
before the commencement of the slope behavior survey. However, the work is a bit
laborious, and it also reflects a shortcoming of the topography meter, because adjusting the internal structure of an instrument should be undertaken by the manufacturer
rather than the user. Presently we are developing a new type of topography meter, of
which the module positions are immobilized. The laser source will consist of several
units. Every unit is a box filled with a kind of rapid hardening resin and screwed on
the mainboard. The laser module is put into the box and surrounded with the resin.
Before the resin hardens, the position of the module could be modified. Nevertheless, when modules in the boxes were adjusted to be parallel and equidistant, we
could make the resin concretionary. If a module malfunctions, the module should be
replaced.
5.4 Conclusions
This chapter presents a novel topography meter based on a structural laser together
with a movable tent to observe the random gravity erosions in the field. The performance of the proposed measurement system has been demonstrated in the field
landslide experiments. The experimental results indicate that the apparatus was at a
sufficiently high accuracy, enough for the mechanism exploration of slope erosion.
The real-time digital videos of the measured surroundings recorded in the topography meter are also of inherently high value as a proof for further research. As a
result, the proposed measurement system provides an ideal solution for a wide range
of landform inspection and soil loss measurement, especially for monitoring gravity
erosion on steep slopes. In the near future, a more intelligently steered instrument
is desired that allows an unskilled operator to obtain efficient and accurate results at
the same level as those obtained by a skilled operator.