Accuracy verification of DSM obtained from UAV using commercial software

Recently, some commercial software to generate digital surface model (DSM) were provided from some vender. One software is based on the bundle method using conventional Photogrammetry, another one is based on structure-from-motion method (SfM) under computer graphics technology. It is wavered to choose which software to generate DSM derived from drones. In this work, the accuracies of DSM were verified using the software such as Image Master (TOPCON), PhotoScan (Agisoft) and Postflight Tera 3D (sensefly). The experiments carried out some cases that UAV´s height and camera resolution were changed. UAV also were used both of the fixed wing type and the rotor wing type. The results show that the software based on SfM provides the precisely centimeter order DSM without the ground control points (GCP) and the deference of accuracy by UAV´s altitude shows non-linear using the camera with the lens distortion is large.