Creating an Effective Flight Route Plan for Drone Photogrammetry Survey Using Mission Planner

Aerial photogrammetry has been around long before Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and more specifically the drones. Drone photogrammetry has made the accurate creation of 2D maps and 3D models of physical landscapes faster and less expensive, putting it within reach of the budgets of many more users and organizations. It has emerged as a powerful tool for capturing high-resolution aerial imagery to create accurate maps and detailed models. To ensure that the resolution and data density of the output files are adequate, drones must fly based on a previously planned scheme, and then take pictures at specified distances or intervals along the route with predefined overlaps. The photos taken in this way will be suitable for creating maps and models. This study aims to use Mission Planner oftware (MPS) version 1.3.82 to plan and create an effective flight route for drone photogrammetry survey over the vast land of the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, Tammah campus. The methodology utilizes thirty-one (31) drone payload of passive optical sensors (RGB photogrammetry cameras) available in MPS. The study used properties of ten different RGB cameras with 500m altitude, 80% and 70% for forward and sideward overlap respectively. Results showed that camera “Canon EOS 5D Mark II” produces the most efficient flight mission plan with 54 photographs, 7 number of strips, 40.00 seconds stop spots and flight time of 1:03:57 hours. The integration of systematic planning methodologies with advanced software tools like Mission Planner enables the creation of highly effective flight route plans that deliver survey-grade photogrammetric products.