Estimation of the Block Adjustment Error in UAV Photogrammetric Flights in Flat Areas
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Arévalo Verjel, Alba Nely | 2022-06-16
UAV-DAP (unmanned aerial vehicle-digital aerial photogrammetry) has become one of
the most widely used geomatics techniques in the last decade due to its low cost and capacity
to generate high-density point clouds, thus demonstrating its great potential for delivering highprecision products with a spatial resolution of centimetres. The questions is, how should it be applied
to obtain the best results? This research explores different flat scenarios to analyse the accuracy of this
type of survey based on photogrammetric SfM (structure from motion) technology, flight planning
with ground control points (GCPs), and the combination of forward and cross strips, up to the point
of processing. The RMSE (root mean square error) is analysed for each scenario to verify the quality
of the results. An equation is adjusted to estimate the a priori accuracy of the photogrammetric
survey with digital sensors, identifying the best option for µxyz (weight coefficients depending on the
layout of both the GCP and the image network) for the four scenarios studied. The UAV flights were
made in Lorca (Murcia, Spain). The study area has an extension of 80 ha, which was divided into
four blocks. The GCPs and checkpoints (ChPs) were measured using dual-frequency GNSS (global
navigation satellite system), with a tripod and centring system on the mark at the indicated point.
The photographs were post-processed using the Agisoft Metashape Professional software (64 bits).
The flights were made with two multirotor UAVs, a Phantom 3 Professional and an Inspire 2, with a
Zenmuse X5S camera. We verify the influence by including additional forward and/or cross strips
combined with four GCPs in the corners, plus one additional GCP in the centre, in order to obtain
better photogrammetric adjustments based on the preliminary flight planning.
LEER