Aerial Mapping Technologies & Applications

With aerial mapping technologies you can know where you are in relation to the remainder of the world. These technologies give accurate details of the earth below. While surveying is a relatively old profession, aerial mapping is relatively new. The procedure was note even possible before the invention of the airplane. Many of the techniques were perfected during World War II. Veterans returning from the war established some of the first aerial mapping companies in the mid 1940s.

Photographs taken from the air are used in the preparation of a map of an area. The maps may be simple maps that would show the boundary of an area or more complex topographical mapping which show elevation and contours. Today most maps are prepared in digital forms using CAD technology. The aerial techniques allow a lot of data to be collected in a very short amount of time.

Use of a plane for mapping can help to map areas where the terrain is rugged and steep. The technology can allow maps to be prepared of areas where it would be difficult for a person on land to access. Photographs from several angles are now analyzed using a computer to prepare a very accurate map.

The cost of aerial mapping in many instances is less than the cost of using survey crews on the ground simply due to the time involved. To prepare a topographical map using a ground crew, the crew would need to collect data in a grid every five to seven feet. For a large area with several slopes and steep inclines this data collection can take many days.

Data that is collected in the air needs to have some verification by a land crew. Known points will allow the photographs to be adjusted to the correct distances and bearings. Once the corrections are made, the resulting map must fit with existing surveys of the lands that surround your project.

Satellite photography may also be used in aerial mapping. Today, satellite photographs have a very high resolution and cover even more area than can be covered in several days of taking photographs from a plane. Much of our national defense depends on the images taken by satellite and the mapping technologies that were developed using airplanes.

Aerial mapping gives a fast way to gather data for a map of large areas. Best use of this technology involves verification by ground crews using traditional methods of land surveying. Maps prepared using aerial mapping technologies should be compared to data that was gathered on the ground.

Click The Link For An Aerial Mapping Company in California, Or Simply Visit http://www.verticalmapping.com To Get In Touch With A Professional