Orthophotomap · Partner or pilot
Drone orthophotomap: the whole site in one image, without a figure we have not verified.
A drone orthophotomap is a composite, top-down image of a site - one that shows the works, the access roads, the use of the ground and the neighbourhood all at once. It is excellent for planning and for reaching agreement.
It is not, however, suitable for design purposes, and we do not state an accuracy in centimetres for it. Below is exactly why - and what to do when you need a product with a signature.
Two different products
The same picture, an entirely different force.
The most common misunderstanding in this service: the client sees a nice image of the site and assumes something can be settled with it. You can plan with it. You cannot settle accounts.
Indicative orthophotomap
This we do. An image for looking at, planning and comparing between dates.
- layout of the works, access roads, use of the ground
- comparison of the state between flights
- material for decisions and presentations to the investor
- a flight record with the conditions and an explicit absence of any accuracy claim
Survey product
This we do not do. A product with legal force and the professional liability of the person who signs it.
- a map for design purposes
- an as-built inventory, plot boundaries
- volumes for handover, settlement or a dispute
- any result with a declared error in centimetres
Why we do not state centimetres
Three reasons, each one enough on its own.
The manufacturer does not guarantee it
The documentation for our platform states plainly that the RTK positioning system does not guarantee the final precision of the map product. RTK improves the position of the photographs, not the error of the finished map. Those are two different things.
The camera has no mechanical shutter
Our camera records JPEG and works with an electronic shutter. With the aircraft in motion this produces distortions that no algorithm fully reverses. Metric products are made with a different class of equipment.
We have not run the validation yet
An honest figure requires independent control points, repetitions and an error report. We have planned it, but until we have the result there is nothing to state. We will say so when there is.
When someone gives you the accuracy of an orthophotomap without a control point report, it is worth asking for that report. The question settles the conversation faster than comparing prices.
When a signature is needed
A flight under the supervision of your land surveyor.
This is an arrangement that works and the one we prefer: the land surveyor gives the flight specification, places the control points and is responsible for the final product. We deliver the imagery, the mission log and the positions - the things we are good at, without stepping into someone else's licence.
You get a product with a signature, the land surveyor saves a day in the field, and we do not sell anything we cannot defend.
Questions
Five questions about this service.
Is this orthophotomap suitable for design purposes?
No. A map for design purposes is a survey product reserved for people holding a licence. Our product is an image for orientation, planning and discussion. If you need a map with legal force, the right path is a land surveyor - we can fly the mission for them to their specification.
What accuracy does your orthophotomap have?
We do not give any figure, and that is a deliberate decision. A declared accuracy requires independent control points, validation of the whole process and usually a survey network - we have not carried that out yet. The manufacturer of our equipment also does not guarantee the accuracy of the map product. A company that gives you centimetres without showing a control point report is giving you a number it has not verified itself.
So what is it actually good for?
For seeing the whole site in one image: planning the layout of the works, assessing access and use of the ground, comparing the state between dates, internal decisions and material for the investor. Everywhere orientation and comparison matter, and not a measurement carrying professional liability.
Can you calculate the volume of a stockpile from it?
We can calculate a model volume technically, but we do not sell it as a basis for settling with a contractor, for handover or as evidence in a dispute. For that you need a validated uncertainty and a land surveyor’s signature. We can fly the mission under their supervision, or carry out the measurement as a clearly marked, paid comparative pilot.
How large an area does one assignment cover?
It depends on the coverage required, the terrain and the flight zones. The limit is flying within the operator’s visual line of sight, so larger areas we split into sections flown from separate take-off positions. We state the realistic scope after assessing the feasibility of the particular plot.
The starting point for a standalone assignment: from 2,200 PLN net (working floor), quoted by scope. The size of the site, the coverage required and the flight zones change the scope enough that the price is set after the particular plot has been assessed.
Check Feasibility
Describe the site - we will tell you whether an image is enough or you need a land surveyor.
A reply within 1 business day. If your goal requires a signed survey product, we will say so straight away instead of selling an image that does not replace it.