Accuracy assessment of RTK/PPK UAV-photogrammetry projects using differential corrections from multiple GNSS fixed base stations

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with global navigation satellite system-real-time kinematic (GNSS RTK) receivers allow direct georeferencing of the photogrammetric project without using ground control points (GCPs). However, it is necessary to establish the correct methodologies to reduce the errors inherent in these systems, i.e. to reduce the systematic error of the elevation data. For this purpose, multiple GNSS fixed base stations have been used simultaneously. The results showed how the fact of using different bases and averaging their corrections allows to obtain results that improve the altimetric accuracy without the need to use GCPs or oblique photographs. For flight altitudes of 50 m, improvements in altimetric accuracy of 14% were obtained, while for flight altitudes of 70 and 90 m, the improvements in altimetric accuracy reached 35%. Regarding planimetric accuracy, no significant improvements have been found. However, the total errors are similar to those obtained with various combinations of GCPs and closed to the ground sampling distance (GSD) of the photogrammetric project.