Aerial survey

Aerial Camera used during WWII for military purposes by the US Army against enemy's submarines
The InView UAV for use in aerial survey applications
Pteryx UAV, a civilian for aerial photography and photomapping with roll-stabilized camera head

Aerial survey is a method of collecting geomatics or other imagery data using airplanes, helicopters, UAVs, balloons, or other aerial methods. Typical data collected includes aerial photography, Lidar, remote sensing (using various visible and invisible bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared, gamma, or ultraviolet) and geophysical data (such as aeromagnetic surveys and gravity measurements). It can also refer to a chart or map made by analyzing a region from the air. Aerial survey should be distinguished from satellite imagery technologies because of its better resolution, quality, and resistance to atmospheric conditions that can negatively impact and obscure satellite observation. Today, aerial survey is often recognized as a synonym for aerophotogrammetry, a part of photogrammetry where the camera is airborne. Measurements on aerial images are provided by photogrammetric technologies and methods.[1]

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

  1. ^ A. Sechin. Digital Photogrammetric Systems: Trends and Developments. GeoInformatics. #4, 2014, pp. 32-34.