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Questions and Answers
What is the minimum scale required if the measurements are 0.0125 mm and 100 mm?
What is the minimum scale required if the measurements are 0.0125 mm and 100 mm?
0.000125
If the average scale required is 1:6000 with a focal length of 152.4 mm, what is the formula to determine the flying height?
If the average scale required is 1:6000 with a focal length of 152.4 mm, what is the formula to determine the flying height?
The formula is $S = \frac{f}{H-h_{avg}}$.
Calculate the required flying height if $S = 1:6000$, $f = 152.4 mm$, and $h_{avg} = 425 m$.
Calculate the required flying height if $S = 1:6000$, $f = 152.4 mm$, and $h_{avg} = 425 m$.
The required flying height $H$ is 1340 m.
What is the relationship between photographic scale and flying height?
What is the relationship between photographic scale and flying height?
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If the average elevation of the terrain is 425 m, what adjustments need to be made to calculate the flying height?
If the average elevation of the terrain is 425 m, what adjustments need to be made to calculate the flying height?
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Why is it important to know the ground coverage of a photograph?
Why is it important to know the ground coverage of a photograph?
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What is the significance of having a focal length of 152.4 mm for aerial photography in relation to scale?
What is the significance of having a focal length of 152.4 mm for aerial photography in relation to scale?
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How can shadows assist in conducting aerial surveys?
How can shadows assist in conducting aerial surveys?
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What is the purpose of a flight map in aerial photography?
What is the purpose of a flight map in aerial photography?
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What role does GPS play in pilot navigation during aerial surveys?
What role does GPS play in pilot navigation during aerial surveys?
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How should flight lines be oriented for rectangular areas?
How should flight lines be oriented for rectangular areas?
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What is the significance of transparent flight planning templates?
What is the significance of transparent flight planning templates?
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Why is ground control important in aerial photogrammetry?
Why is ground control important in aerial photogrammetry?
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What defines a Ground Control Point (GCP) in aerial surveys?
What defines a Ground Control Point (GCP) in aerial surveys?
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How do aircraft-mounted GPS/INS systems contribute to photogrammetric surveys?
How do aircraft-mounted GPS/INS systems contribute to photogrammetric surveys?
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What factors must be considered before preparing a flight map for aerial photography?
What factors must be considered before preparing a flight map for aerial photography?
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What are the three types of control points used in photogrammetry?
What are the three types of control points used in photogrammetry?
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How does the accuracy of photogrammetric products relate to ground control?
How does the accuracy of photogrammetric products relate to ground control?
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List the main categories of efforts and materials considered in cost estimation.
List the main categories of efforts and materials considered in cost estimation.
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What factors influence the scheduling of a project phase after estimating hours?
What factors influence the scheduling of a project phase after estimating hours?
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What role does experience with similar projects play in estimating cost and scheduling?
What role does experience with similar projects play in estimating cost and scheduling?
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In the context of aerial photography, what does stereo-plotting depend on?
In the context of aerial photography, what does stereo-plotting depend on?
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Identify two labor items typically considered when estimating costs for photogrammetric projects.
Identify two labor items typically considered when estimating costs for photogrammetric projects.
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Why is flight planning necessary in drone operations?
Why is flight planning necessary in drone operations?
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How does the urgency of a project to the client affect delivery schedules?
How does the urgency of a project to the client affect delivery schedules?
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What is the significance of ground control in determining processing parameters?
What is the significance of ground control in determining processing parameters?
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What is one reason flight planning is necessary for drone operations?
What is one reason flight planning is necessary for drone operations?
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How does the altitude of a drone affect the area it covers during flight?
How does the altitude of a drone affect the area it covers during flight?
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What is Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) and why is it important in aerial imaging?
What is Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) and why is it important in aerial imaging?
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What is Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) in the context of drone flight?
What is Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) in the context of drone flight?
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Why might a hobbyist prefer a quadcopter over fixed-wing drones for certain tasks?
Why might a hobbyist prefer a quadcopter over fixed-wing drones for certain tasks?
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Explain the significance of Ground Control Points (GCPs) in creating accurate 3D models.
Explain the significance of Ground Control Points (GCPs) in creating accurate 3D models.
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What are two applications for drones in serious fields beyond hobbies?
What are two applications for drones in serious fields beyond hobbies?
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Describe the factors to consider when planning a flight for aerial photography.
Describe the factors to consider when planning a flight for aerial photography.
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In what ways can improper flight planning affect drone image capture?
In what ways can improper flight planning affect drone image capture?
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Why might a drone require GCPs despite having onboard GPS?
Why might a drone require GCPs despite having onboard GPS?
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What does it mean if a drone flight is described as having a higher resolution?
What does it mean if a drone flight is described as having a higher resolution?
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How does image overlap contribute to creating seamless mosaics or 3D models?
How does image overlap contribute to creating seamless mosaics or 3D models?
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What critical aspect must be considered besides area of interest when designing a drone flight plan?
What critical aspect must be considered besides area of interest when designing a drone flight plan?
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What is a common use of drones in filmmaking?
What is a common use of drones in filmmaking?
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Why might a fixed-wing drone be preferred for mapping larger areas?
Why might a fixed-wing drone be preferred for mapping larger areas?
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Study Notes
Digital Photogrammetry (GEOM 2020) - Week 5: Planning a Mapping Project - Flight & GCP
- Course: Digital Photogrammetry (GEOM 2020)
- Department: Geomatics Engineering and Land Management
- Instructor: Dr. O.O. Aladejana
- Week: 5
- Topic: Planning a Mapping Project: Flight & GCP
Outline
- Flight Planning: Crucial for effective aerial photography. Requires a meticulously planned photographic mission adhering to a flight plan (navigation map). The plan details where aerial photographs need to be taken. Important parameters are also included.
- Planning the Ground Control: Establishing points with known positions on the ground to relate aerial photographs to the ground. Essential for all photogrammetric work.
- Selecting Instruments: Choosing appropriate tools and equipment.
- Estimating Costs and Delivery Schedules: Evaluating the cost of materials, labor, and overhead, crucial for project planning and realistic timelines.
Flight Planning
- Purpose: Photography effectively fulfills its purpose when meticulously planned and executed according to a flight plan.
- Flight Plan: A flight (navigation) map specifying where aerial photographs will be taken, along with important parameters.
- Importance: Critical for success in any photogrammetric project.
Importance of Flight Planning
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Critical Components:
- Flight Plan: Locates areas to be photographed, detailing procedures.
- Specifications: Outlines how photographs are taken (e.g., camera, scale, flying height, overlap, tilt).
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Considerations:
- Costly equipment and crew involved in aerial missions.
- Limited timeframes due to weather and ground conditions.
- Risk of Poor Planning: Project delays and costly re-flights.
Flight Planning Procedures
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Factors for Determining a Flight Plan:
- Photographic end lap and side lap
- Purpose of photography
- Photo scale
- Flying height
- Ground coverage
- Weather conditions
- Season of the year
- Flight map
Photographic Overlap and Side Lap
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Importance of Overlap: Ensures stereoscopic coverage throughout the project area. The photographs must overlap in two directions:
- In the line of flight (Overlap): Needed for parallax.
- Between adjacent flights (Sidelap): Avoids missing bits.
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Standard Overlap:
- Forward (in the line of flight) overlap: 60% - 70%
- Lateral (between flight lines) overlap: 25% - 40%
Flight Line of Aerial Photography
- Stereoscopic Model: Overlap in photographs enables creation of a stereoscopic model.
- Ground Terrain Data: Successive photographs allow mapping of terrain.
- Altitude (H): Represents altitude above ground level.
Purpose of Photography
-
Metric vs. Pictorial Qualities:
- Metric: Required for topographic mapping or quantitative measurements (high precision).
- Pictorial: Essential for qualitative analysis and visualization; used for interpretation, mosaics, and photomaps; useful with wider-angle cameras (short focal length).
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Camera Types:
- Calibrated cameras with known parameters, image resolution, and scaling factors necessary.
- Fine-grained, high-resolution film or digital sensors with high pixel counts for accuracy.
- Purpose Definition: Deciding on the end goal determines equipment and execution.
B/H' Ratio
- Definition: Ratio of air base (B) of overlapping photos to average flying height (H').
- Impact of High B/H': Larger intersection angles, better accuracy in determining ground points.
- Impact of Low B/H': Smaller parallax angle, less accurate mapping.
- Importance of B/H' Ratio: Crucial for accurate topographic mapping. Use of flying height and parallax angles necessary.
Photo Scale
- Importance: Essential in planning aerial photography; generally fixed within specific project requirements.
- Topography: The scale is typically dictated by the map's required scale and vertical/horizontal accuracy.
- Photo Interpretation: The ability to see small ground features is the key factor in choosing the photo scale.
- Minimum Scale: Calculates the minimum scale based on the desired resolution.
Flying Height
- Determination: Once camera focal length and desired photo scale are set, the required flying height above average ground is automatically established.
- Formula (Sp): Focal length of the camera (f) divided by the required average photo scale, then determined and adjusted for flight altitude relative to average elevation of terrain.
- Example Calculations: Demonstrates calculating required flying height for a given project.
Ground Coverage
- Calculation: The ground surface area covered by a single photograph (calculated once camera and scale are set).
- Additional Factors: End lap and side lap allows for the area covered by a stereoscopic neat model.
- Importance: Represents approximate mapping area of each stereopair.
Weather Conditions
- Ideal Conditions: Clear skies with minimal (less than 10%) cloud cover. Overcast can be useful for particular areas, like urban areas, but clouds at or below flight level are problematic.
- Unsuitable Conditions: Haze, smog, dust, smoke, and high winds can compromise photo clarity.
- Precautions: Use yellow filters in haze and avoid flying during high winds or adverse weather conditions.
Season of the Year
- Considerations: Deciduous trees need to be bare for a clear view of the earth, this avoids obscuring ground features.
- Photographic Timeframe: Best times are in the spring and fall due to the condition of leaves on trees.
- Shadow Considerations: Shadows can obscure details, but can sometimes be advantageous (e.g., identify tree species).
- Sun Considerations: Low-angle sun causes long shadows, making photography difficult. The ideal time is when the sun is above 30 degrees to reduce shadows and improve images.
Flight Map
- Definition: Presents project boundaries and the required flight lines needed for coverage.
- Derivation: Based on topographic maps, small-scale aerial photos (which also represent the area), or ground features.
- Piloting: Flight path along identifiable ground features ensures coverage. GPS can also be used.
- Pilot Navigation: Uses features in the area to guide flight path and ensure coverage.
Flight Line Orientation
- Rectangular Areas: North-south or east-west orientations are preferable.
- Irregular Areas: Parallel lines to project boundaries are best.
- Planning Templates: Transparent templates are used to display neat models in areas, helping to plan for the most economical coverage and to determine exposure locations.
- Artificial Targets: Useful in applications needing precise measurements.
Planning the Ground Control
- Essential Points: Relating photographs to the ground, essential in nearly all phases of photogrammetric work. Points must have known positions in a reference system.
- Ground Control Points (GCPs): Points with known real-world coordinates used in photogrammetry to register to real-world references.
Ground Control Points (GCPs)
- Definition: Points in a known position (object space).
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Uses:
- Geo-referencing products.
- Accurate parameter determination (intrinsics & extrinsics).
- Accuracy of finished photogrammetric products.
- Types for Measurement: Horizontal, vertical, and full control points.
Cost Estimation and Delivery Schedules
- Experience with similar projects: Crucial for realistic pricing on delivery.
- Categories: Considerations for labor, materials, overhead, and profit.
- Schedule: Depends on the number of instruments, people, amount of work in progress, and client urgency.
Drone Flight Planning: Principles and Practices
- Drone Capabilities: Detailed information about drone abilities useful for various purposes.
- Need for Planning: Why flight plans are necessary (e.g., safety, control).
- Principles of Flight Plan Design: How to design effective flight plans.
- Software for Drone Flight Planning: Examples of available software.
Drones (Quadcopters and Fixed-wing)
- Quadcopter (Hobbyist/Small Area): Easier to control, and useful for high-resolution mapping.
- Fixed-wing (Map Production/Large Area): Greater stability and capability of covering larger areas and useful for more production projects.
Drone Uses
- Hobbies: Aerial photography, video, filmmaking.
- Serious Applications: Orthophoto mosaics, point clouds, digital elevation models.
Why We Need Flight Planning
- Ensuring Accuracy: Planning ensures capturing the images at the right time and position.
- Drone Control: Allows for managing drones in large areas where visibility isn't apparent.
- Safety: Enables drones to fly safely under safe conditions, especially in larger areas.
Drone Flight Plan Design
- Area of Interest: Important for planning a flight path, covering all the areas necessary for the project.
- Altitude: Key element in covering larger areas and also in terms of pixel details (ground sampling distance). High altitudes imply larger areas covered, but also less detail in the resulting images.
- Overlap: Ensuring photos overlap (forward and side overlap). A precise number of overlaps allows for more precise stitching.
Ground Sampling Distance (GSD)
- Definition: Measuring the size of a pixel on the ground. Smaller GSD means more detail but more photos.
- Flight Height and Sensor: Larger flight height means a larger area coverage, but fewer pixels per area, reducing the details.
Overlap on Drone Imagery
- Good Mosaic and 3D Models: Essential to create a good seamless mosaic/3D models, need to ensure images are overlapped.
- Overlap Percentage: Critical for stitching photographs together and producing high-quality 3D models.
- Insufficient Overlap: Resulting in gaps in images that result in a lack of seamless stitching.
Ground Control Points (GCPs)
- Positioning: Used to register a set of images to standard real-world coordinates, essential for a complete mapping project.
- GCP Use: Ensures the models are correctly registered to the real world, giving precision to the resulting outputs.
Software for Flight Planning
- DroneDeploy: Automatic flight plan design.
- Drone Harmony: Provides various tools.
- PrecisionHawk: Offers features for various needs.
- Lithi: Allows various tools for project visualization.
- Height Tech: Enables various software implementations with more specialized functions.
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Description
Test your knowledge on aerial photography concepts, including scales, flying heights, and ground coverage. This quiz covers essential principles such as the relationship between photographic scale, focal lengths, and adjustments needed for terrain elevation. Dive into the significance of flight planning and the importance of GPS in aerial surveys.