Argus Software

Standard post-processing of raw video data involves all activities that are necessary to enable a quantitative interpretation of the video data. The Argus system provides a standard environment to do so, named the Argus Runtime Environment. The key component of this environment is the Argus database of meta-information on the video data. This database is being filled by Deltares (to ensure a unique embedding in the worldwide Argus network) and contains all information that is necessary for quantitive image interpretation (i.e. site & station characteristics, type of image processor, cameras and lenses, geometry solutions, meta-information on tides and waves, etc).

Standard post-processing

The Argus Runtime Environment (ARE) features the following tools for standard image post-processing:

  • geo-referencing of oblique video imagery
  • Argus database management
  • image rectification and merging (panoramic and plan view)
  • generation of movies (oblique images & merges)
  • inclusion and use of support data (tide and wave data)

Advanced post-processing

Dedicated image analysis is the advanced analysis of video data to meet the specific goals of a video monitoring project. The ARE offers a suite of operational analysis tools that are available for use by third parties, such as:

  • shoreline mapping and shoreline analysis
  • quantification volumetric changes (erosion/sedimentation) at the intertidal beach bathymetry
  • quantification of breaker bar dynamics and breaker variability
  • quantification of alongshore flow velocities, swash run-up and other nearshore phenomena.

Present-day research aims at the development of sophisticated tools for automated shoreline mapping and for the estimation of subtidal bed elevation. These tools have shown good performance on a single site, but have not been ground-truthed yet over a variety of sites.