Statistical process control and mapping accuracy standards applied to aerial surveys

Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) are established in the market as a powerful tool for acquiring aerial images and facilitating mapping for various purposes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of processes originating from the generation of georeferenced digital products employing a differing number of ground control points (GCP), using Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Mapping Accuracy Standards (MAS) in an orthomosaic produced with images from an RPA. A multirotor RPA was used to acquire aerial images over an area of 2 hectares. An orthomosaic was later generated using the PhotoScan software, and georeferenced with eight, five and three GCP (ground control points). Positioning errors were submitted to SPC to evaluate the quality of each process, and the orthomosaics were qualified by MAS. The results are promising, in view of the positioning errors of less than 0.1 m in the generated orthomosaics, which are classified as Mapping Accuracy Standards class ‘A’. Statistical Process Control showed acceptable levels of error, indicating the high accuracy of surveys of this nature. The precision obtained when mapping shows that aerial images obtained by means of RPA can be used in topographic surveys as long as error standards and process control are observed, attesting to the quality of the results.