Drone Orthophoto: An Aerial Image You Can Measure On
An orthophoto is an aerial image that has been geometrically corrected and geo-referenced, so every point sits in its true location and you can measure distances and areas on it accurately. Unlike a regular aerial photo, which suffers from perspective distortion, an orthophoto is a reliable base for planning, surveying and GIS.
โBack to Surveying & MappingHow it works
How an orthophoto differs from a regular aerial photo
A regular aerial photo has perspective distortion: objects at the edges are stretched and their positions are not accurate, so you cannot measure on it. An orthophoto undergoes orthorectification, a process that corrects the distortion and pins every pixel to a true geographic location, so the output is measurable and at a uniform scale across the whole site.
How an accurate orthophoto is produced by drone
The drone captures hundreds of overlapping photos, and photogrammetry software merges them into a model and a corrected image. Positional accuracy comes from RTK or ground control points (GCP), and the output is usually delivered as a GeoTIFF that opens directly in planning, surveying and GIS software.
When you need a certified surveyor's signature
An orthophoto for visual purposes is easy to produce, but when the output is used for submission to authorities, detailed planning or formal surveying, it needs a certified surveyor's signature to be valid. We connect you to firms that hold both a CAA pilot license and a certified surveyor.
What you receive
- High-resolution GeoTIFF orthophoto
- Centimeter positional accuracy with RTK/PPK
- A measurable base for planning, surveying and GIS software
- A layer that integrates directly into CAD files
- Periodic updates to document changes over time