Aerial survey

The InView UAV for use in aerial survey applications.

Pteryx UAV, a civilian UAV for aerial photography and photomapping with roll-stabilised camera head

Aerial survey is a geomatics method of collecting information by using aerial photography, LiDAR or from remote sensing imagery using other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared, gamma, or ultraviolet. It can also refer to the chart or map made by analysing a region from the air. This is typically done using aeroplanes, helicopters, UAVs such as the InView Unmanned Aircraft System and in history with balloons. Aerial survey should be distinguished by satellite imagery technologies because of its better resolution, quality and atmospheric conditions. Today, aerial survey is often recognized as a synonym for aerophotogrammetry, part of photogrammetry where the camera is placed in the air. Measurements on aerial images are provided by photogrammetric technologies and methods.

Aerial surveys can provide information on many things not visible from the ground.

terms used in areal survey

• exposure station or air station

  the position of the optical centre of the camera at the moment of exposure.

• flying height

  the eleveation of the exposure station above the datom (mean sea level).

• altitude

  the vertical distance of the aircraft above the earth surface.

• tilt

  the angle between the aerial camera and the line of flight.

• tip

  the angle between the aerial camera and the horizontal axis perpendicular to the line of flight.

• principal point

  the point of intersection of the optical axis of the areal camera with the photographical plane

• isocentre

  the point on the areal photograph in which the bisector of the angle of tilt meets the photograph.

• nadir point

  the image of the nadir, i.e. the point on the areal photograph where a plumbline dropped from the front nodal point pierces the photograph.

• scale

  ratio of the focal length of the camera objective and the distance of the exposure station from the ground

Aerial surveys are used for:

• Archaeology
• Fishery surveys
• Hydrocarbon exploration
• Land survey
• Mining
• Monitoring wildlife and insect populations, called aerial census or sampling.
• Monitoring vegetation and ground cover
• Reconnaissance
• Used in Transportation Projects in conjunction with Ground Surveys(Roadway, Bridge, Interstate)

Aerial survey uses a measuring camera where the elements of the interior orientation are known, but a camera that has much larger focal length and film and more lenses are used.

External links

• Farseek Map Studio: Mapping software for aerial surveys..
• Aerial survey of raptors in Swaziland
• GIS and remote sensing for archeology
• The Sky's Eyes: Remote Sensing in Archaeology
• www.AerialArchaeology.com Unmanned aerial reconnaissance tools for archaeologists, geologists, and geographers
• Aerial survey, mapping and disaster relief in Africa