Vivien Zahs

Vivien Zahs is a doctoral candidate and researcher at the 3D Geospatial Data Processing Research Group at the Institute of Geography at Heidelberg University.

Research Interests

• 3D geodata processing and geoinformation extraction
• Geomorphic monitoring using LiDAR time series
• Laser scanning simulation
• Natural hazards and alpine processes and landscapes

Projects

• AImon5.0 - Real-time monitoring of gravitational mass movements for critical infrastructure risk management with AI-assisted 3D metrology.
• CharAct4D - Unravelling Landscape Dynamics via Automatic Characterization of Surface Activity using Geographic 4D Monitoring.
• LOKI - Airborne Observation of Critical Infrastructures (Luftgestützte Observation Kritischer Infrastrukturen)
• AHK-4D – High-resolution and high-frequency monitoring of the rock glacier Äußeres Hochebenkar (AHK) in Austria
• Multi-Directional 3D topographic change

Publications

Journals:

• Vallejo, M., Castillo, C., Zahs, V., Bubenzer, O. & Höfle, B. (2024): Classifying types of gully changes with unoccupied aircraft vehicles 3D multitemporal point clouds for training of satellite data analysis in Northwest Namibia. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. Vol. 49 (3), pp. 1135-1155.
• Zahs, V., Anders, K., Kohns, J., Stark, A. & Höfle, B. (2023): Classification of structural building damage grades from multi-temporal photogrammetric point clouds using a machine learning model trained on virtual laser scanning data.International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. Vol. 122, pp. 103406. DOI: 10.1016/j.jag.2023.103406
• Hartl, L., Zieher, T., Bremer, M., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Zahs, V., Höfle, B., Klug, C. & Cicoira, A. (2023): Multisensor monitoring and data integration reveal cyclical destabilization of Äußeres Hochebenkar Rock Glacier. Earth Surface Dynamics. Vol. 11, pp. 117-147.
• Zahs, V., Winiwarter, L., Anders, K., Bremer, M. Rutzinger, M. Potůčková, M., Höfle, B. (2022): Evaluation of UAV-borne photogrammetry and UAV-borne laser scanning for 3D topographic change analysis of an active rock glacier. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. Vol. XLIII-B2-2022, pp. 1109-1116. DOI: 10.5194/isprs-archives-XLIII-B2-2022-1109-2022.
• Zahs, V., Winiwarter, L., Anders, K., Williams, J.G., Rutzinger, M., Höfle, B. (2022): Correspondence-driven plane-based M3C2 for lower uncertainty in 3D topographic change quantification. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 183, pp. 541-559. DOI: 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2021.11.018.
• Williams, J.G., Anders, K., Winiwarter, L., Zahs, V., Höfle, B. (2021): Multi-directional change detection between point clouds. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. 172, pp. 95-113. DOI: 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2020.12.002.
• Ulrich, V., Williams, J.G., Zahs, V., Anders, K., Hecht, S., Höfle, B. (2021): Measurement of rock glacier surface change over different timescales using terrestrial laser scanning point clouds. Earth Surface Dynamics. Vol. 9, pp. 19-28. DOI: 10.5194/esurf-9-19-2021.
• Ulrich, V., Williams, J.G., Zahs, V., Anders, K., Hecht, S., Höfle, B. (2020): Disaggregating surface change mechanisms of a rock glacier using terrestrial laser scanning point clouds acquired at different time scales. Earth Surface Dynamics Discussion. DOI: 10.5194/esurf-2020-55.
• Zahs, V., Hämmerle, M., Anders, K., Hecht, S., Rutzinger, M., Sailer, R., Williams, J.G., Höfle, B. (2019): Multi-temporal 3D point cloud-based quantification and analysis of geomorphological activity at an alpine rock glacier using airborne and terrestrial LiDAR. Permafrost and Periglac Process. Vol. 30 (3), pp. 222-238.DOI: 10.1002/ppp.2004.

Other contributions:

• Zahs, V., Höfle, B., Federer, M., Weiser, H., Tabernig, R. & Anders, K. (2024): Automatic Classification of Surface Activity Types from Geographic 4D Monitoring Combining Virtual Laser Scanning, Change Analysis and Machine Learning". EGU General Assembly 2024. Vol. EGU24, pp. 1-2.
• Zahs, V., Anders, K., Kohns, J., Stark, A. & Höfle, B. (2023): Classification of structural building damage grades from multi-temporal photogrammetric point clouds using a machine learning model trained on virtual laser scanning data. arXiv:2302.12591 [cs.CV]
• Zahs, V., Kohns, J., Meyer, F., Schorlemmer, D., Anders, K., Klonner, C., Mey, H., Oostwegel, L., Zadeh, T. & Höfle, B. (2023): LOKI – Luftgestützte Observation Kritischer Infrastrukturen. Schlussbericht. Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, 120 S. DOI: 10.2314/KXP:1885697937.
• Cicoira, A., Hartl, L., Zieher, T., Bremer, M., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Zahs, V. & Höfle, B., and Klug, C. (2022): Two destabilization phases of the Äußeres Hochebenkar Rock Glacier, TIB AV Portal. DOI: 10.5446/60175.
• Winiwarter, L., Esmorís Pena, A. M., Zahs, V., Weiser, H., Searle, M., Anders, K., and Höfle, B. (2022): Virtual Laser Scanning using HELIOS++ - Applications in Machine Learning and Forestry. EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022. DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu22-8671.
• Zahs, V., Winiwarter, L., Anders, K., Bremer, M. Rutzinger, M. Potůčková, M., Höfle, B. (2022): Evaluation of UAV-borne photogrammetry and UAV-borne laser scanning for 3D topographic change analysis of an active rock glacier. EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022. DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu22-2513.
• Kohns, J., Zahs, V., Ullah, T., Schorlemmer, D., Nievas, C., Glock, K., Meyer, F., Mey, H., Stempniewski, L., Herfort, B., Zipf, A. & Höfle, B. (2021): Innovative methods for earthquake damage detection and classification using airborne observation of critical infrastructures (project LOKI). In: EGU General Assembly 2021. Vol. EGU21 (EGU21-2712), pp. 1-2.
• Zahs, V., Herfort, B., Kohns, J., Ullah, T., Anders, K., Stempniewski, L., Zipf, A. & Höfle, B. (2021): 3D point cloud-based assessment of detailed building damage through a combination of machine learning, crowdsourcing and earthquake engineering. In: EGU General Assembly 2021. Vol. EGU21 (EGU21-1304), pp. 1-2.
• Backes, D., Smigaj, M., Schimka, M., Zahs, V., Grznárová, A., and Scaioni, M (2020): River morphology monitoring of a small-scale alpine riverbed using drone photogrammetry and lidarIn: Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLIII-B2-2020, pp. 1017-1024.

Data and Source Code Publications:

• Zahs, V., Anders, K., Kohns, J., Stark, A. & Höfle, B. (2023): Classification of structural building damage grades from multi-temporal photogrammetric point clouds using a machine learning model trained on virtual laser scanning data [Data and Source Code]. heiDATA. DOI: 10.11588/data/D3WZID
• Zahs, V., Winiwarter, L., Anders, K., Williams, J.G., Rutzinger, M., Bremer, M. & Höfle, B. (2021): Correspondence-driven plane-based M3C2 for quantification of 3D topographic change with lower uncertainty [Data and Source Code]. heiDATA. DOI:10.11588/data/TGSVUI.
• Pfeiffer, J., Höfle, B., Hämmerle, M., Zahs, V., Rutzinger, M., Scaioni, M., Lindenbergh, R., Oude Elberink, S., Pirotti, F., Bremer, M., Wujanz, D. & Zieher, T. (2019): Terrestrial laser scanning data of the Äußeres Hochebenkar rock glacier close to Obergurgl, Austria acquired during the Innsbruck Summer School of Alpine Research. PANGAEA. DOI: 10.1594/PANGAEA.902042.

Curriculum Vitae

• since 04/2020: Research assistant and doctoral candidate at the 3DGeo Research Group, Heidelberg University
• 03/2020: Master of Science in Geography (M.Sc.)
• 02/2019-09/2019: Master Studies of Geography, University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 10/2017-03/2020: Master Studies of Geography, Heidelberg University, Germany
• 10/2017: Bachelor of Science in Geography (B.Sc.). Bachelor Thesis: 3D Geomorphological Deformation Analysis at an Alpine Rock Glacier Using Airborne and Terrestrial LiDAR – A Case Study from an Active Rock Glacier in Austria. Awarded with the Dietrich Barsch Prize for Outstanding Students in Physical Geography
• 11/2017-12/2018: Student Assistant at the Heidelberg Center for the Environment, Heidelberg University, Germany
• 11/2016-03/2020: Student Assistant in the 3DGeo Research Group, GIScience, Institute of Geography, Heidelberg University, Germany
• 10/2013-10/2017: Bachelor Studies of Geography, Heidelberg University, Germany