Drones are increasingly being used to map areas, objects, and infrastructure quickly and in detail. In this Blended Learning course, you’ll learn how aerial photos are collected and processed using photogrammetry to create orthophotos, point clouds, and 3D models. You’ll also learn about the role that flight planning, ground control points, and positioning play in the accuracy and quality of drone measurements.
During this Blended Learning course, you’ll be introduced to drone surveying and photogrammetry. You’ll discover how drones are used to capture aerial images and how accurate geographic and three-dimensional information can be derived from large numbers of overlapping images.
You’ll follow the entire data chain: from flight planning and data collection to photogrammetric processing, quality control, and the use of the final products within GIS and other Geo-ICT applications.
Drones make it possible to collect geographic data about an area relatively quickly and flexibly. They are used, among other things, for terrain surveys, construction projects, infrastructure, agriculture, nature conservation, and inspections.
You will learn which components together make up a drone survey. In addition to the drone itself, the camera, GNSS receiver, flight planning, and any ground control points play an important role.
You’ll also explore when a drone survey is an appropriate surveying method and when other techniques—such as traditional surveying, 3D laser scanning, or satellite imagery—may be more suitable.
The goal is for you to view a drone survey not merely as taking aerial photos, but as a comprehensive surveying method in which planning, positioning, image quality, and processing collectively determine the quality of the final result.
Photogrammetry makes it possible to derive measurements and three-dimensional information from photographs. To do this, large numbers of overlapping photos are taken during a drone flight.
When the same object is visible in multiple photos from different positions, software can calculate the object’s position in three dimensions. You’ll learn about the basic principles behind this method and concepts such as image matching, tie points, and Structure from Motion.
You’ll learn why sufficient overlap between consecutive photos and between different flight paths is necessary to construct a reliable three-dimensional model.
This will clarify how a collection of individual aerial photos can ultimately be converted into a coherent geometric model of an area.
The quality of a drone survey is largely determined before the drone even takes off. Good flight planning is therefore essential.
You’ll learn how flight altitude, flight speed, camera settings, and overlap between photos affect the final dataset. You’ll also be introduced to Ground Sampling Distance (GSD), which indicates the area on the ground represented by a single pixel in an aerial photo.
You’ll also examine longitudinal and lateral overlap and explore why sufficient overlap is necessary for photogrammetric processing.
Through this, you’ll learn how decisions made during flight preparation directly impact resolution, accuracy, processing time, and the quality of the final product.
A photogrammetric model must not only be geometrically correct internally but also be correctly positioned within a coordinate system.
You’ll learn how the drone’s GNSS position is used to georeference photos. You’ll also be introduced to Ground Control Points (GCPs): clearly recognizable points whose positions have been precisely measured.
In addition, you’ll examine control points that can be used to independently verify the accuracy of the final model.
Modern drones with RTK or PPK positioning are also covered. You’ll explore how these techniques can improve the positioning of photos and how this affects the need for and use of Ground Control Points.
After the drone flight, photogrammetric processing begins. During this process, the individual aerial photos are automatically compared and linked together.
You’ll follow the key steps of this process. First, corresponding points are identified across different images, and the position and orientation of the cameras are reconstructed. Next, a dense point cloud is generated.
Various geographic products can be derived from this point cloud, such as Digital Surface Models (DSM), Digital Terrain Models (DTM), orthophotos, and three-dimensional models.
You will learn the differences between these products and the Geo-ICT applications for which they can be used.
A visually appealing orthophoto or 3D model is not automatically geometrically reliable. That is why quality control is an important part of a drone survey.
You’ll learn how errors can arise due to factors such as insufficient overlap, motion blur, poor lighting, vegetation, water surfaces, or insufficiently accurate positioning.
You’ll also explore how Ground Control Points and independent control points can be used to assess the accuracy of a photogrammetric result.
This course teaches you not only how to create and visualize drone products, but also how to critically evaluate them before they’re used for measurements, analyses, or decision-making.
During the Blended Learning module, you’ll work with provided drone imagery and photogrammetric datasets. You’ll go through the various steps, from flight planning and image processing to quality control and the use of the results within GIS.
You’ll work on assignments such as:
By the end of the course, you will understand how a drone survey is prepared and conducted, how photogrammetry converts overlapping aerial images into three-dimensional geographic information, and which factors determine the accuracy of the results. You will be able to distinguish between different photogrammetric products, assess their quality, and use them in surveying and other Geo-ICT applications.
You’ll receive 1-on-1 guidance. After signing up, our course coordinator will contact you to schedule your first session.
Do you have questions about the course content? Or are you unsure whether the course aligns with your learning goals or preferences? Would you prefer an in-house or private course? We’d be happy to help.
In a drone survey, a drone is used to collect photos and other measurement data of an area from the air. This allows for the quick and detailed mapping of sites, construction sites, infrastructure, and landscapes, for example.
In photogrammetry, multiple overlapping photos are taken from different positions. Software identifies the same points across different photos and uses them to calculate their three-dimensional positions. This first creates a point cloud, which can then be used to generate a 3D model, among other things.
The same objects and points must be visible in multiple photos in order to accurately calculate their positions. For this reason, drone flights are planned so that the photos overlap sufficiently both in the direction of flight and between adjacent flight paths.
Drone imagery can be used to create, among other things, orthophotos, point clouds, digital terrain and surface models, and 3D models. These products can then be used in GIS for measurements, mapping, volume calculations, inspections, and tracking changes in an area.
