Comparison of Established Water-Obstacle Reconnaissance Methods with Emerging Technical Capabilities of Sensor Suites and Their Unmanned Carrier Platforms

Abstract

This paper examines how uncrewed platforms and contemporary sensor suites may extend engineer reconnaissance of water obstacles in support of river-crossing planning. The paper combines a structured review of Czech doctrinal practice and candidate sensor-platform combinations with a field experiment carried out on a selected section of the River Svratka, using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-borne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), UAV-borne ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) control points. The combined evaluation indicates that LiDAR is highly effective for bank geometry and approach assessment, whereas GPR can complement it by indicating the longitudinal bed profile and sediment interfaces, albeit with greater interpretative uncertainty.