Industries — Drone Applications

Surveying & Mapping

Capture geo-referenced aerial data with unparalleled speed, accuracy, and cost efficiency — and process it into 3D maps, terrain models, and orthomosaics.

Unparalleled Data Collection Cover large areas in a fraction of the time
Excellent Positional Accuracy Down to 1 cm RMS horizontal with PPK GPS
Low Operating Costs Fraction of the cost of manned aircraft or satellites
E400 drone surveying and mapping
PPK GPS Accuracy
3D Mapping
Photogrammetry
Drone Surveying

Why Use a Drone
for Surveying?

Unparalleled Data Collection

Cover vast areas in a fraction of the time required by traditional ground survey methods — without sacrificing resolution or detail.

Excellent Positional Accuracy

PPK-equipped drones achieve down to 1 cm RMS horizontal accuracy — matching or exceeding traditional survey-grade equipment at a fraction of the cost.

Low Operating Costs

No pilots, no charter fees, no aircraft leasing. A drone survey costs a fraction of manned aerial surveys while delivering comparable or better data quality.

Drone survey in the field
Drone survey mapping output
What Is a Drone Survey?

A drone survey uses downward-facing sensors — RGB, Multispectral, or LiDAR payloads — to capture aerial data. During an RGB survey, the ground is photographed multiple times with each image tagged with GPS coordinates.

After flight, images are processed in photogrammetry software to recreate geo-referenced 3D maps, contour lines, digital terrain models, or digital surface models for review in geospatial software.

PIX4D Agisoft Metashape ArcGIS QGIS RGB Multispectral LiDAR
Why Is a Drone the Best Option?

A drone flies at the ideal cruising speed and altitude for extremely high-resolution imagery. Airplanes and satellites fly too fast and too high to capture the same level of detail.

Drones capture imagery and GPS data simultaneously, giving you more information to create a more accurate rendering of the area — with flexibility no other platform can match.

Airplanes and satellites simply cannot match the resolution or cost-efficiency of a well-equipped survey drone at low altitude.
Survey Accuracy

How Accurate Can a
Drone Survey Be?

PPK GPS Accuracy Recommended
Horizontal (Best Case) 0.4 in (1 cm) RMS Vertical (Best Case) 1.1 in (3 cm) RMS Horizontal (Typical) < 1.57 in (4 cm) RMS Vertical (Typical) < 2.3 in (6 cm) RMS
PPK GPS is the standard for high-quality surveying drones. Event 38 PPK-capable drones use a dual-band receiver across all satellite constellations.
Standard GPS Accuracy No PPK
Raw GPS Error Up to 16 ft (5 m) Post-Processing (Best) 4.6 ft (1.4 m) RMS Post-Processing (Typical) Up to 9.8 ft (3 m) Absolute Accuracy Survey-Grade Only w/ GCPs
Standard GPS accuracy is suitable for general mapping but is not recommended for precision surveying applications requiring tight tolerances.
Accuracy Factors

What Affects
Survey Accuracy?

Quality of Equipment

Camera resolution, flight altitude, and the geolocation method all heavily influence accuracy. With high-quality equipment such as the Emlid Reach M2 and the high-resolution cameras Event 38 drones carry, these factors become a non-issue.

Satellites Overhead

The number and signal quality of satellites overhead can affect post-processing. Event 38 PPK-capable drones feature a dual-band GPS receiver that pulls signals from all satellite constellations — ensuring reliable reception even in remote locations.

Scenery of the Area

Mapping a dense forest canopy produces the same quality geotags as an urban environment, but photogrammetry software may struggle stitching imagery together when there are few distinctive shared features between images.

Accuracy Assessment

Event 38 PPK
Accuracy Assessment

Event 38 PPK accuracy assessment overview
Event 38 PPK Accuracy Assessment

Our PPK accuracy case study demonstrates real-world performance of Event 38 drones equipped with dual-band GPS receivers. The study covers horizontal and vertical accuracy results across multiple flight conditions and terrain types, giving you confidence in the data before you fly.

Read More — Download PDF
Suggested Platform

E400 Mapping

Consistent data for long-term surveying.
E400 Mapping drone
E400 Mapping — Long-Term Monitoring Tool
When you invest in a drone, you're investing in your company's future. Fly as often as needed to gather the data required to keep your projects on track.
  • Repeatable Routes Fly the same route every time for consistent data collection
  • Construction Monitoring Capture regular site photos to track progress over time
  • Erosion & Overgrowth Monitor changes that may interfere with infrastructure
  • Remote Area Coverage Safely survey locations inaccessible by ground teams
  • PPK GPS Option Down to 1 cm horizontal accuracy with dual-band receiver
Learn More About the E400
Not Sure If a Drone Is Right for You?

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Talk

Our team will help you design the right survey solution for your project. Contact Us
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