Enhanced Deformation Monitoring in Virtual Reality using Remote Sensing Data in Airport Runway Management

Deformation monitoring in airport runways is a key task in airport management and operations requiring prompt intervention and actions to maintain surface regularity. The technological advancement in this area has been dramatic. Terrestrial and aerial remote sensing can provide accurate and dense deformation data [1]. In the past decade, the use of satellite observations for airport monitoring has grown due to the advantage of accurate results with high temporal and spatial resolution [2]. However, the satellite remote sensing data are still deployed conventionally to users through bi-dimensional maps and charts, therefore limiting the level of interaction of end-users and impacting the decision-making process. Immersive technologies can fill this gap [3] by enhancing the visualization and communication of information from satellites in spatial environments [4], enabling a better understanding of surface deformations in runways.

This research explores the design of a Virtual Reality (VR) tool for visualizing multi-temporal deformations at Runway 3 of the ‘Leonardo Da Vinci Airport’ in Fiumicino, Rome, Italy. The protocol encompasses the use of high-resolution data acquired during November 2016 to December 2019 and processed using the Permanent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) technique. The tool is developed in Unity 3D with the following key design goals:

• Cross-validation with two or more VR headsets allowing for multi-user collaborative analysis.
• 3-dimensional interactive visualizations that allow for scalability in visualizing data at the millimeter level as well as isolating sections of interest to stakeholders.
• Analysis of historical structural data using machine learning to predict future deformations and highlight potential risks.

Using satellite remote sensing, we combined sub-millimeter information on the displacements of the pavement runway with the total station to provide a holistic digital model of the physical site. The system can provide an efficient infrastructure modelling and assessment solution, which will allow researchers and engineering professionals to a) create digital 3D snapshots of a physical site for later assessment, b) track positional data on existing displacements, and c) inform the decision-making process regarding locations for early and potential future interventions.

 

References

[1] Bianchini Ciampoli et al. Displacement Monitoring in Airport Runways by Persistent Scatterers SAR Interferometry. Remote Sensing. 2020; 12(21):3564.

[2] Gagliardi, et al. Testing Sentinel-1 SAR Interferometry Data for Airport Runway Monitoring: A Geostatistical Analysis. Sensors. 2021; 21(17):5769.

[3] Wang, Peng, et al. “A Critical Review of the Use of Virtual Reality in Construction Engineering Education and Training.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 15, no. 6, June 2018, p. 1204.

[4] Luleci, Furkan, et al. “Structural Health Monitoring of a Foot Bridge in Virtual Reality Environment.” Procedia Structural Integrity, vol. 37, 2022, pp. 65–72.

Acknowledgments: Sincere thanks to the following for their support: Lord Faringdon Charitable Trust, The Schroder Foundation, Cazenove Charitable Trust, Ernest Cook Trust, Sir Henry Keswick, Ian Bond, P. F. Charitable Trust, Prospect Investment Management Limited, The Adrian Swire Charitable Trust, The John Swire 1989 Charitable Trust, The Sackler Trust, The Tanlaw Foundation, and The Wyfold Charitable Trust.