A Low-Cost Three-Cameras Photogrammetric System for Training Students in Physical Simulation of Shallow Landslides

Simulation of shallow landslides in a scaled-down facility has become a common methodology for investigating slope stability. Multiple parameters may be replicated under different triggering factors, which mainly include water as rainfall or seepage from an artificial basin or pipeline. Landslide simulators are important tools for scientific investigation and to test technical solutions for monitoring and mitigation, but they may also be used for training of students at different education levels. A Landslide Simulator (LS) has been established in 2016 on the Lecco Campus of Politecnico Milano, Italy, which is equipped with three different groups of geotechnical, geophysical, and imaging/ranging sensors. This paper is focused on a low-cost Three-Cameras Photogrammetric System (3CPS) recently implemented, based on industrial FLIR cameras mounted on a bar to be placed over the slope in the LS. This is applied during landslide simulation experiments for two purposes: (1) 2D Digital Image Correlation (2D-DIC); and (2) 3D Photogrammetric reconstruction. Two sets of coded targets are located on both sides of the flume to serve as ground control points. Data processing is carried out by students based on two software packages provided by the university: one popular Matlab® code for 2D-DIC, and Agisoft Metashape Professional®. A specific validation study has been developed and illustrated in the paper, together with its application to a couple of landslide simulation experiments.