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

• 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:

• 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., 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]
• 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