UAV-based verification and updating of the BDOT500 topographic database
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Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Geodesy, University of Agriculture in Krakow
Submission date: 2026-05-22
Final revision date: 2026-07-31
Acceptance date: 2026-08-13
Publication date: 2026-10-09
Corresponding author
Arkadiusz Doroż
Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Geodesy, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Aleja Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Kraków, Kraków, Poland
Geomatics, Landmanagement and Landscape 2026;(3)
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ABSTRACT
The study investigates the applicability of lowcost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the verification and updating of the BDOT500 topographic database ‒ one of the key components of the national spatial information infrastructure in Poland. The research focused on evaluating whether data acquired using lowaltitude photogrammetry can meet the accuracy requirements necessary for updating objects classified within the first group of terrain details. Photogrammetric imagery was collected using a DJI Mini 3 Pro UAV at three flight altitudes ‒ 50 m, 75 m, and 100 m ‒ and subsequently processed in Agisoft Metashape Professional to generate orthophotomosaics, dense point
clouds, and digital terrain models (DTMs). Verification of BDOT500 content was performed in Bentley MicroStation V8i by comparing existing database objects with the orthophotomap and identifying discrepancies such as outdated, incorrectly located, or missing features. Additionally, elevation values from the BDOT500 were compared with DTMderived values to assess vertical accuracy. The results demonstrated that UAV data acquired from 50 m and 75 m meet the accuracy thresholds required for firstgroup terrain details, with the 75 m altitude providing the most favorable balance between precision, flight duration, and processing workload. The use of dense poin clouds further enabled a precise vectorization of complex terrain features, improving the geometric representation of selected objects. The findings confirm that lowcost UAV platforms can effectively support the updating of BDOT500 by rapid acquisition of highresolution spatial data, reducing fieldwork requirements, and increasing the overall efficiency of topographic database maintenance.
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