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The work has been partly supported by Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigacion (10.13039/501100011033) grant RTI2018-093874-B-I00 (DEEP-MAPS). This work represents a contribution to CSIC Thematic Interdisciplinary Platform PTI TELEDETECT.

Analysis of institutional authors

Prieto, JfAuthor

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July 11, 2022
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Estimation of the Block Adjustment Error in UAV Photogrammetric Flights in Flat Areas

Publicated to:Remote Sensing. 14 (12): - 2022-01-01 14(12), DOI: 10.3390/rs14122877

Authors: Arevalo-Verjel, Alba Nely; Lerma, Jose Luis; Prieto, Juan F.; Carbonell-Rivera, Juan Pedro; Fernandez, Jose;

Affiliations

UCM, CSIC, Inst Geosci IGEO, Calle Doctor Severo Ochoa 7,Ciudad Univ, Madrid 28040, Spain - Author
Univ Francisco Paula Santander, Dept Construcc Civiles, Grp Invest Hidrol & Recursos Hidr HYDROS, Cucuta 540003, Colombia - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, ETSI Topog Geodesia & Cartog, Ctra Valencia Km 7, Madrid 28031, Spain - Author
Univ Politecn Valencia, Dept Ingn Cartog Geodesia & Fotogrametria, Grp Invest Fotogrametria & Laser Escaner GIFLE, Camino Vera S-N, Valencia 46022, Spain - Author
Univ Politecn Valencia, Geoenvironm Cartog & Remote Sensing Grp CGA, Camino Vera S-N, Valencia 46022, Spain - Author
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Abstract

UAV-DAP (unmanned aerial vehicle-digital aerial photogrammetry) has become one of the most widely used geomatics techniques in the last decade due to its low cost and capacity to generate high-density point clouds, thus demonstrating its great potential for delivering high-precision products with a spatial resolution of centimetres. The questions is, how should it be applied to obtain the best results? This research explores different flat scenarios to analyse the accuracy of this type of survey based on photogrammetric SfM (structure from motion) technology, flight planning with ground control points (GCPs), and the combination of forward and cross strips, up to the point of processing. The RMSE (root mean square error) is analysed for each scenario to verify the quality of the results. An equation is adjusted to estimate the a priori accuracy of the photogrammetric survey with digital sensors, identifying the best option for mu(xyz) (weight coefficients depending on the layout of both the GCP and the image network) for the four scenarios studied. The UAV flights were made in Lorca (Murcia, Spain). The study area has an extension of 80 ha, which was divided into four blocks. The GCPs and checkpoints (ChPs) were measured using dual-frequency GNSS (global navigation satellite system), with a tripod and centring system on the mark at the indicated point. The photographs were post-processed using the Agisoft Metashape Professional software (64 bits). The flights were made with two multirotor UAVs, a Phantom 3 Professional and an Inspire 2, with a Zenmuse X5S camera. We verify the influence by including additional forward and/or cross strips combined with four GCPs in the corners, plus one additional GCP in the centre, in order to obtain better photogrammetric adjustments based on the preliminary flight planning.

Keywords

AccuracyAerial close-range photogrammetryDigital elevation modelsFlight planningGcpSystemsUavUav-dap

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Remote Sensing due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2022, it was in position 31/202, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Geosciences, Multidisciplinary.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from the Field Citation Ratio (FCR) of the Dimensions source, it yields a value of: 2.01, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: Dimensions Jul 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-07-16, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 1
  • Scopus: 4

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-07-16:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 26.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 29 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 4.2.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 7 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Colombia.