Height Measurement Apparatus And Method

A height measurement apparatus for measuring the height of an object visible in a plurality of non-synchronous aerial images captured from a moving platform, the apparatus comprising:

• an identification section adapted to identify the object in each of a pair of images comprising first and second images;
• a motion compensation section adapted to calculate the motion-compensated location of the object in the second image by correcting the actual location in the second image by the proper displacement of the object between the pair of images due to the object's own motion;
• an effective-synchronous displacement calculation section adapted to calculate the effective-synchronous displacement of the object as the displacement with respect to the background between the motion-compensated location of the object in the second image and the location of the object in the first image;
• and
• a height calculation section adapted to calculate the height of the object using the effective synchronous displacement, the altitude of the platform, and the distance travelled by the platform between capturing the pair of images.