Drone Discovery · Build & Measure Curated. Reviewed content maintained by Hamptonian — not a live feed

Mapping

Drones create up-to-date, high-resolution maps of places satellites and airplanes can't capture as quickly or in as much detail.

Interactive

Example missions

Lawnmower grid

Orthomosaic mission

Overlapping lines (often 75% forward and 70% side overlap) let software match features between photos.

Why this pattern? Parallel, overlapping lines let mapping software match features between photos. More overlap = better models, but more photos and flight time.

What drones do here

Create orthomosaic maps from overlapping photos
Build 3D models and digital twins
Map disaster areas quickly
Update maps for planning and communities

Real-world examples

Disaster mapping
After storms and wildfires, drone teams map damage within hours to guide response.
Open community imagery
Projects like OpenDroneMap provide free, open-source tools to process drone photos into maps.
Source(opens in a new tab)

Drone types

Multirotors
Fixed-wing/VTOL mappers

Sensors & payloads

RGB camera
Multispectral
LiDAR

Related STEM

Geometry of overlapping photos
Scale and resolution
Computer vision

Skills required

Flight planning for overlap and GSD
Photogrammetry software
Quality control
Map design

Careers

UAS mapping technician
Photogrammetrist
Cartographer
Remote sensing analyst

Education & training

GIS/geospatial certificates
Geography, geomatics or remote-sensing degrees

Certifications

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
ASPRS certifications
Esri technical certifications

Practice with Hamptonian apps

Pathways into this industry

Hamptonian

DroneWorks

Crack the Code. Read the Sky.