UMICH UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program)

Title:

Geology in 3D: virtual reality-based manipulation of high-resolution topographic datasets for earthquake hazard analysis

Project Description:

Earthquake hazard analysis requires centimeter-scale measurements of the deformed ground surface near active faults. Some survey techniques are capable of taking billions of measurements at a time to produce a high-resolution ‘point cloud’, but many of the points collected will be from unwanted features on the landscape (i.e. not from the ground surface). The utility of these datasets is increased when geologists can visualize and interactively edit them in 3D virtual reality. In this project, the student will use existing LiDAR and photogrammetric point clouds (i) prepare the datasets for visualization in MIDEN (virtual reality); (ii) edit the point clouds to remove unwanted features (e.g., vegetation) on desktop and in MIDEN; and (iii) produce a 3D printer-ready digital elevation model (DEM). The results will be used to characterize active faults and earthquake hazard in central Utah.

Student Tasks and Responsibilities:

(1) Develop the tools to visualize and edit terrestrial Lidar and photogrammetric point clouds in MIDEN (University of Michigan virtual reality chamber)

(2) Work with UM3D lab and supervisor to implement point cloud editing tools

(3) Work with supervisor to edit vegetation out of point clouds and produce ‘bare-earth’ terrain models

(4) Attend SCALE lab seminars and report on progress to the group

(5) Produce final report on best practices and workflow for future users