Advanced Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for Rapid Surveying and Mapping: A Case Study from Maharashtra, India

Aerial photogrammetry has become increasingly popular in recent years due to advances in technology and the availability of high-resolution satellite and drone imagery. It offers a cost-effective and efficient way to collect detailed information about the ground which can help to create highly accurate and detailed maps and models. Geospatial technology is playing an increasingly important role in India’s development and growth, and its applications are expanding rapidly. This paper demonstrates the application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) as an evolving remote sensing technique in gathering rapid-high resolution spatial data at a lesser cost and in a short time. In this study, the ability of the UAV for the topographical surveying was assessed and was cross-validated with the ground control points (GCP) data in the Patgaon region, Maharashtra, India. For this study, a “VEDANSH” UAV – an indigenous quadcopter (drone) was used to collect about 289 images at a height of 100 m above the settlement area. An orthophotograph of 2.91 cm GSD covering 45.4 hectares of area was generated. By choosing ample ground control points, an absolute station accuracy of 0.00237 m RMSE was achieved. This study has also highlighted the use of a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system and advanced technology of Agisoft Meta shape Software.