Digital terrain model vs. drones: How to use the technology effectively

Digital terrain models (CMT, NMT, DTM) are now a staple of many industries – from construction and urban planning to agriculture and environmental protection. Thanks to drones, they can be created faster, cheaper and more accurate than ever before. But how to use this technology effectively?

It’s a digital representation of landforms – useful in infrastructure design, flood risk analysis or urban planning. Traditional methods were time-consuming and expensive. Drones have changed that.

• Choose the right drone and sensor
  For land surveys, drones with LiDAR or a precision RGB camera are best suited. The choice depends on whether you need an elevation model, coverage, or just contours.
• Plan missions in advance
  Careful planning of the flight path (with overlap and altitude) is essential. It is a good idea to use automatic mission planning software.
• Collect data in favorable conditions
  Safety and quality of data depend on the weather – avoid strong winds, precipitation, high cloud cover. The more stable the conditions, the better the result.
• Process data with your head
  After collecting data, use software such as Pix4D, Agisoft Metashape or DroneDeploy to create a model and analyze it carefully. Choose the mesh, resolution and algorithm according to your project needs.
• Take care of regulatory compliance
  Make sure you have the required certificates and approvals, especially when flying over built-up or protected areas.

• Construction: site assessment, project planning and documentation.
• Agriculture: slope mapping, moisture, irrigation scheduling.
• Emergency management: rapid mapping of affected areas.
• Environmental protection: erosion analysis, land cover change mapping.

The future is automation, integration with AI and even greater precision. But it all starts with a good plan, the right equipment and thoughtful data processing.