Comparing SfM and LiDAR

Nice paper by Cawood et al. (2017) comparing the accuracy of outcrop mapping using traditional methods, terrestrial LiDAR, terrestrial SfM, and airborne SfM.

• Terrestrial SfM: 446 images from 20 camera positions, issues with occlusion = parts of the outcrop are not visible
• Airborne SfM: 202 images, 6.24 mm resolution, no issues with occlusion.

Overall, SfM worked better than LiDAR (and of course does not require any specialized hardware). Issues arise from occlusion, different lighting, and low-contrast surfaces.