Investigation of the effect of UAV flight altitude in map production

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are used in many areas because of their low cost and high resolution. Although the existing maps obtained from classical measurements meet sufficient accuracy, they are no longer preferred because they require a lot of time. On the other hand, UAVs are effectively used in base map production thanks to their high spatial resolution and location accuracy. In this study, orthophotos were produced using UAV images obtained from different flight altitudes (50, 80 and 120 meters). The level of detail was determined by comparing the produced orthophotos with the observations made on the land. In addition, position accuracies at different heights were determined. In order to increase location accuracy, Ground Control Points (GCP) have been established homogeneously distributed over the land. As a result of the study, it was seen that low-altitude flights show higher levels of detail and provide greater location accuracy. However, less area was visualized in low-altitude flights. In high-altitude flights, it has been observed that large buildings can be easily viewed, but small objects cannot be detected. At the end of the study, it was seen that a more sensitive base map is produced when the vector drawings obtained from high-altitude and low-altitude flights are combined.