Measuring river surface flow with image analysis

By in Software

Fujita Ichiro, a Professor on the Graduate School of Engineering in Kobe University, has evolved a bit of software that can measure the glide fee of rivers the usage of photograph analysis. The software program is called KU-STIV (Kobe College Area-Time photo Velocimetry). This era makes it simpler to obtain accurate facts about river drift quotes that can be utilized in strategies for flood threat control.

Japan is hit by way of flood-associated failures almost each yr — one of the most current examples occurred in September 2015 while the Kinugawa River collapsed its banks, sending a wall of water into the close by city of Joso. Correct statistics for rainfall and river glide charge are vital elements in growing flood chance control techniques. Thanks to developments in radar generation, rainfall measurements have turn out to be pretty specific. However, measuring the float fee of rivers remains executed the use of the technique of losing a stick-fashioned flow inside the river and estimating the float charge from the glide’s velocity through a phase of the river. When excessive flooding takes place this method becomes difficult to conduct due to the dangers involved, and there are a developing quantity of cases in which drift rates can’t be measured at the height of a flood.

The KU-STIV device developed by Professor Fujita makes use of video pictures taken from cameras and drones to degree the river float rate. The device superimposes “searching strains“ (every among 10 and 20 meters long) on pictures of the river as size standards. It calculates the waft velocity from the time it takes water floor functions and floating matter at the surface of the river to pass these traces, then analyses distribution to not directly calculate the river glide charge. Floor float measurements taken using this gadget had been very much like those taken using acoustic current meters (ADCPs) and it may be used to measure river float costs quicker and extra appropriately than the installed approach.

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KU-STIV has already been adopted by using many river experts and River Places of work in Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism, and businesses in Hyogo Prefecture have begun adapting the gadget for river commentary cameras. An English-language version of the system is likewise to be had, and currently Ghana researchers invited by the Japan Global Cooperation Company (JICA) are being trained to use the technology. “We’re aiming to conform this system for actual-time calculations, and at the identical time we need to establish this as the same old approach for measuring river go with the flow rate both within Japan and remote places“ commented Professor Fujita.