Skip to content
Week 16: Final Data Products
12/12/2025
This week the final project was completed. This included processing of data and product creation from the week 3, week 5, and week 6 labs. It should be noted that there were four total flight mission datasets used, and this was because of the twin flights in the week 3 lab (see associated tab on the left). This final project was used as a culmination of skills learned to go from raw data to finalized product, and it is in essence what the duties of the modern operator will look like in industry. Each of the four processed datasets had metadata, layer properties, and a processign report, and each helped to tell the tale of the data collected for the scans. I have included images of these items from the first of the four flight missions, which was from the first flight of the week 3 lab. From the final report, an example of the metadata tables can be seen below in Figures 1 and 2, an example of the layer properties tables can be seen in Figure 3, and an example of the processing reports can be seen in Figures 4 and 5.
Figure 1: Metadata table section 1
Figure 2: Metadata table section 2
Figure 3: Layer properties table
Figure 4: Processing report section 1
Figure 5: Processing report section 2
For each week’s data, the flight images from the Purdue Student Garden were first imported to Drone 2 Map, and several two dimensional products were made. A DSM and associated hill shade, DTM and associated hill shade, and orthomosaic map were created for each, and these products were all transferred to Arc GIS Pro for map and layout creation. All five layouts (DSM, shaded DSM, DTM, shaded DTM, and orthomosaic) of the first flight during the first mission are included as well as the orthomosaic map from each week in the below images. Figures 6 and 7 show elevation changes in the study area including structures with varying relief. Figures 8 and 9 show elevation changes in the study area without respect to structures and obstacles. Figure 8 also includes a locator map while Figure 9 also includes the flight lines and image centers of the flight. These were necessary components for at least one layout per mission.
Figure 6: DSM layout
Figure 7: Shaded DSM layout
Figure 8: DTM layout
Figure 9: Shaded DTM layout
Moving on to the orthomosaic imagery for the final project, it was important that each layout had at least two detailed insets. I took this opportunity to zoom in on the same area to some degree for each mission to see the changes in image quality. Between the two flights of the week 3 lab, there was wildly differing image resolution, which was a direct result of the difference in GSD. Figure 10 shows the high altitude flight while Figure 11 shows the low altitude flight, with the latter having much more clear images, especially when zooming in. Figure 12 shows the DJI Mavic 2 Pro imagery, which is essentially the same as the first flight from week 3 with the only difference being the brand of aircraft. However, the DJI M300 thermal imagery shown in Figure 13 is far different than the others. I used the detailed insets in that layout to show the differences in heat radiance across a variety of surfaces, and while the images seem slightly grainier, the ability to make a thermal scan is incredible.
Figure 10: Week 3 first flight orthomosaic layout
Figure 11: Week 3 second flight orthomosaic layout
Figure 12: Week 5 orthomosaic layout
Figure 13: Week 6 orthomosaic (thermal) layout
Overall, the final products created in the final project are very interesting, and the skills and processes used to create them are immensely valuable to the modern operator. Each product created is useful in its own right, and creating many allows for a diverse knowledge of an area to be gained. Operations like vegetation monitoring, infrastructure repair, and energy management may depend on accurate and swift analysis from operators, and all the tools necessary to solve these problems are at the fingertips of those with the technology and knowledge of how to use it. I personally found this lab to be an excellet final test of my ability to create useful layouts from raw data, and I am sure I will use these skills again. A full version of the final data products report is available upon request.
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ··· in the right corner or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.