Early detection of landslide surface deformation with 3D remote sensing
techniques, as TLS, has become a great challenge during last decade.
To improve our understanding of landslide deformation, a series of
analogue simulation have been carried out on non-rigid bodies coupled
with 3D digitizer. All these experiments have been carried out under
controlled conditions, as water level and slope angle inclination.
We were able to follow 3D surface deformation suffered by complex
landslide bodies from precursory deformation still larger failures.
These experiments were the basis for the development of a new algorithm
for the quantification of surface deformation using automatic tracking
method on discrete points of the slope surface. To validate the algorithm,
comparisons were made between manually obtained results and algorithm
surface displacement results. Outputs will help in understanding
3D deformation during pre-failure stages and failure mechanisms,
which are fundamental aspects for future implementation of 3D remote
sensing techniques in early warning systems.