Measuring river floor go with the flow with photo evaluation

Fujita Ichiro, a Professor at the Graduate faculty of Engineering in Kobe college, has advanced a piece of software that can degree the drift fee of rivers the usage of picture analysis. The software is known as KU-STIV (Kobe college space-Time picture Velocimetry). This technology makes it less complicated to gain correct data about river flow costs that may be used in strategies for flood risk management.

Japan is hit by way of flood-associated screw ups nearly each yr -- one of the most latest examples befell in September 2015 whilst the Kinugawa River collapsed its banks, sending a wall of water into the nearby city of Joso. accurate statistics for rainfall and river go with the flow rate are important elements in growing flood danger management techniques. way to tendencies in radar generation, rainfall measurements have come to be especially precise. however, measuring the float price of rivers is still finished the usage of the old school technique of losing a stick-fashioned glide inside the river and estimating the float rate from the waft's velocity via a segment of the river. whilst excessive flooding takes place this method will become difficult to behavior due to the risks concerned, and there are a growing number of instances in which float costs can not be measured at the height of a flood.

The KU-STIV device advanced via Professor Fujita uses video footage taken from cameras and drones to measure the river waft rate. The device superimposes "searching strains" (each between 10 and 20 meters long) on footage of the river as dimension requirements. It calculates the go with the flow speed from the time it takes water floor functions and floating depend on the surface of the river to go these traces, then analyses distribution to indirectly calculate the river go with the flow price. floor drift measurements taken the usage of this machine have been very just like those taken the use of acoustic modern-day meters (ADCPs) and it is able to be used to degree river waft fees faster and more adequately than the hooked up approach.

KU-STIV has already been followed via many river specialists and River workplaces in Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, shipping and Tourism, and companies in Hyogo Prefecture have begun adapting the device for river remark cameras. An English-language model of the gadget is also to be had, and lately Ghana researchers invited by the Japan global Cooperation company (JICA) are being trained to apply the technology. "we are aiming to adapt this machine for actual-time calculations, and on the equal time we want to set up this as the usual method for measuring river glide fee each within Japan and distant places" commented Professor Fujita.