Aerial and Satellite Photography Can Help Civil Engineers
Posted on: 25 March 2019
When a civil engineer starts looking around at the various projects that need to be done, there are a lot of things that they have to do before they make any decision. One of the things that they need to do is make sure that they have all the best views of the area where the project is going to be done. There are a number of ways to do this, but one way is to make sure that they have some aerial and satellite images. While they are similar, there are some differences, and each of them has its own pros and cons.
Aerial Photos
Aerial photos are taken from things like helicopters, airplanes, or even hot air balloons. These days, drones are starting to be a popular way to get aerial photos because they are small, easily maneuverable, and generally take less skill and training to use than other methods might. Drones also let people get shots that would be harder to get from other platforms because drones are able to fly slower and lower than other aerial photography platforms can. Aerial photography can be used for a lot of things, including things like art, movies, and more technical things like trying to plan new routes for roads, train tracks, or electrical lines, as well as surveying properties to help find boundary lines and deal with disputes.
Satellite Photos
Satellite photos are taken from space and much higher than any other aerial photography platform can. Because they are in space, the satellite photos can cover a much greater area than just straight aerial photography. However, that can also cause some loss in detail, depending on the satellite and its imaging capabilities. Some satellites are able to get more detailed photos, again, depending on the satellite, but those pictures can be more expensive and more difficult to get. There is also the issue that not everywhere on earth is going to have the same kind of coverage from the satellites as others, so more traditional methods of aerial photography would have to be used in order to get closer detail.
Civil engineers need to have all kinds of tools in order to make sure that they are able to do their job. One of the tools that they would need is photography that would give them a bird's-eye view of the area they are interested in, for whatever reason. Contact an aerial imagery acquisition service if you have more information.
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