Comparative Analysis of UAS Photogrammetric Accuracy: Influence of Flight Altitude on Accuracy and Operational Efficiency in Urban Mapping

Abstract

Abstract. UAS photogrammetry has become an efficient solution for acquiring high-resolution geospatial data for urban mapping, environmental monitoring, and 3D modelling. However, mission planning still involves a trade-off between data quality and operational efficiency, particularly regarding flight altitude, which directly affects ground sample distance (GSD), point cloud density, and positional accuracy. This study evaluates the influence of flight altitude through a controlled comparison of two urban photogrammetric surveys: a low-altitude flight at 61.2 m (GSD = 1.56 cm/pix, 420 images) and a higher-altitude flight at 121 m (GSD = 3.11 cm/pix, 116 images). Both surveys used RGB cameras with equivalent image resolution mounted on different platforms, which constitutes an experimental limitation, while overlap and processing parameters were kept constant. The results show that the lower-altitude flight produced denser data and better geometric performance, with lower reprojection error and lower check point RMSE. In contrast, the higher-altitude flight provided greater operational efficiency, covering a larger area with fewer images and lower computational demand. These findings indicate that both strategies are technically viable but suited to different objectives: lower altitudes favour geometric detail and positional accuracy, whereas higher altitudes improve productivity and area coverage. Therefore, flight altitude should be selected according to project requirements, balancing geometric quality and operational efficiency.