Mapping
Orthophotos and DTM/DSM
Georeferenced orthophotos and digital terrain and surface models for survey, planning and development work.
Service · Aerial capture
Drone photogrammetry services for surveying large areas and complex structures.
Drone photogrammetry measures a site or a building from hundreds of overlapping aerial photographs and returns it at real scale and in real coordinates. We deliver a georeferenced orthophoto (GeoTIFF), DTM/DSM, contour lines, point cloud and 3D model or mesh, with the point cloud and deliverables in open formats. Accuracy is about 5 cm, or 2–3 cm with the flight supported by ground control points. We fly from Madrid across Spain and the rest of Europe, as an operator registered with AESA, the Spanish aviation authority, with licensed pilots.
GSDResolution set per project
GCPGround control points and GNSS RTK
AESARegistered operator and licensed pilots
3DOrthophoto, mesh and point cloud
Fast coverage where the ground rules.
Photogrammetry reconstructs a site or a building from overlapping photographs: the software cross-references hundreds of images taken from the drone and computes the 3D position of every detail, producing models at real scale and in real coordinates. It is the quickest way to cover large areas, roofs and hard-to-reach zones without scaffolding or road closures. The principles are covered in what is photogrammetry.
Construction
Progress monitoring
Progress control, volume measurement and earthworks calculation from repeat flights on a fixed cycle.
Inspection
Roofs and façades
Inspection of roofs, warehouse coverings and façades with no access equipment, at high image resolution.
Coverage and density at another scale.
With a photogrammetric drone we cover up to 400 ha in a single day, at 5 cm accuracy (2–3 cm when the flight is supported with ground control points).
+9.7 Mpoints/ha, against 20–60 points/ha with conventional surveying
20–80×more ground per day: 400 ha/day against 5–20 ha/day for a two-person team
| Measure | Conventional surveying | Photogrammetric drone |
|---|---|---|
| Point density | 20–60 points/ha | About 9,700,000 points/ha (970 pts/m²) |
| Points captured per day | 800–1,000 | About 3.9 billion |
| Output (two-person team) | 5–20 ha/day | 400 ha/day |
| Vertical accuracy | 2–3 cm | ~5 cm (2–3 cm with GCPs) |
| Additional product | Field sketch | 3.2 cm/px orthophoto, DSM, 3D mesh, obliques |
Drone photogrammetry or drone LIDAR: which to choose
Drone photogrammetry is faster and cheaper, and fits urban areas better, where flight permissions are simpler and there is no vegetation to see through. Besides geometry, it gives you imagery: an orthophoto and the real texture of the model.
Where dense vegetation has to be penetrated, or the ground has too little visual texture, the alternative is drone LIDAR: it measures with a laser rather than photographs, at a higher operating cost.
Not sure? Tell us what has to be measured and we will say which suits, or whether it pays to combine both in the same flight.
Drone photogrammetry over an industrial warehouse.
Photogrammetric flight with ground control points over an industrial warehouse. On this kind of project we combine photogrammetry with drone LIDAR where there are roofs or raised areas under vegetation, as at the Retamares water tank for Canal de Isabel II.
Results ready for your discipline.
We process the flight and hand over technical products matched to each use, combinable with ground-based capture.
Photogrammetric products
- High-resolution georeferenced orthophoto (GeoTIFF).
- Textured 3D model (OBJ, FBX) and mesh.
- Dense point cloud (LAS, LAZ) and contour lines.
Technical production
- Area and volume measurement.
- Drawings and mapping in DWG / SHP for GIS.
- Combined with drone LIDAR or terrestrial laser scanning for complete coverage.
From flight to deliverable.
We plan the flight around resolution, coverage, survey control and what the model is finally for. Here is the whole sequence, from flight plan to 3D model.
01
Planning and permits
We set the flight plan, resolution (GSD) and control points, and obtain the AESA authorisations.
02
Survey control
We measure control and check points with GNSS RTK to guarantee accuracy and georeferencing.
03
Flight and capture
We fly with the overlap and coverage the project objective calls for.
04
Photogrammetric processing
We generate the orthophoto, textured 3D model and point cloud, and verify the accuracy achieved.
05
Delivery on the platform
Access to the web viewer and downloads in whichever formats your team works in.
GSD decides what can be measured.
GSD (Ground Sample Distance) is the real size of ground each pixel of the orthophoto represents: the smaller the GSD, the more detail, but the longer the flight and the processing. We choose GSD from what has to be detected, not by default.
Large-area flights
- Coarser GSD, higher flying altitude, fast coverage of large plots or facilities.
- Suited to earthworks, planning and periodic civil works monitoring.
- Can be combined with GCPs to hold accuracy despite the lower per-pixel resolution.
Detail flights
- Finer GSD, lower and slower flights, greater overlap between photographs.
- Necessary for inspecting façades, roofs or elements with visible defects.
- Drone LIDAR is added where, beyond imagery, measurement is needed under tree cover or in shadow.
How we plan the photogrammetric flight.
The accuracy of a survey is decided before take-off. Flight planning is our job: you tell us what has to be measured and why, and we set the parameters and handle the permits.
Height and GSD
Resolution sets the height
We work out the GSD the deliverable needs (a plot orthophoto is not a roof inspection), and that gives the flying height and the number of passes.
Overlap
Every point in several photos
As a reference, 80 % forward and 70 % side overlap, so no surface is left uncovered. On façades or steep relief we increase it and add oblique passes.
GCP · RTK · PPK
Survey control
We lay out ground control points (GCPs) measured with GNSS RTK and fly with RTK or PPK correction as the project requires. We keep check points aside to verify the final accuracy.
Permits
AESA and the rest of Europe
We are an operator registered with AESA. We check the airspace and obtain the authorisations each site needs, in Spain and across Europe: we have already flown in France.
Questions about drone photogrammetry.
How accurate is drone photogrammetry?
About 5 cm, and 2–3 cm when the flight is supported with ground control points (GCPs) measured with GNSS RTK. That is enough for topographic survey, volume measurement and technical orthophotos, and we check it against independent check points that play no part in the processing.
Do you need permits to fly a survey drone?
Yes. LAURIA ESCÁNER is a drone operator registered with AESA, the Spanish civil aviation authority, and flies with licensed pilots. Before each flight we check the airspace and obtain whatever authorisations the site requires; outside Spain we do the same with the aviation authority of the country concerned. For an overseas client this is the part of the job that most often causes delay, and we take it on as part of the service.
What deliverables come out of a photogrammetric flight?
Georeferenced orthophotos (GeoTIFF), textured 3D models (OBJ, FBX), dense point clouds (LAS, LAZ), digital terrain and surface models (DTM/DSM) and mapping in DWG or SHP for GIS.
How is a photogrammetric flight planned?
We start from what has to be measured: that sets the GSD (the ground size each pixel covers), and the GSD sets the flying height. We then define the overlap between photographs (as a reference, 80 % forward and 70 % side overlap, more on façades or steep relief), the layout of ground control points (GCPs) and whether the drone flies with RTK or PPK correction, and we check the permits for the site. We prepare the plan; the client only gives us the site boundary and what the model is for.
What should I look for in a drone photogrammetry company?
A registered operator; a flight supported by ground control points measured with GNSS rather than the drone’s own GPS alone; accuracy checked against independent check points; and the point cloud and orthophoto delivered in open formats (LAS/LAZ, GeoTIFF), so you are not tied to any particular software.
Do you fly photogrammetric surveys outside Spain?
Yes. We work from Madrid across Spain and the rest of Europe, and we have already flown in France. Operator registration follows the common European EASA framework, and we obtain any local authorisations a site requires from that country’s aviation authority ourselves.
How much ground can a photogrammetric drone cover in a day?
Up to 400 hectares in a single day, against 5–20 ha/day for a conventional two-person survey team. Density changes scale too: roughly 20–60 points/ha with conventional surveying against around 9.7 million points/ha with photogrammetry, at about 5 cm accuracy (2–3 cm when the flight is supported with ground control points).
Drone photogrammetry or drone LIDAR — which should I choose?
Drone photogrammetry is faster and cheaper, and fits urban areas better, where flight permissions are simpler. Drone LIDAR is the right call where dense vegetation has to be penetrated or the ground has too little visual texture, though its operating cost is higher.
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