Why GIS Mapping Using Drones Is the Way of the Future

Drones have been an increasingly hot topic over the past several years. From recreational flying to retail deliveries now landing in backyards across several U.S. metro areas, drones have changed what's possible through the air.

That, of course, includes changes to GIS and mapping functionalities. Drones, satellites, and other means of gathering mapping info work together to provide exceptional data for a variety of uses. Take a look at how GIS mapping using drones can improve mapping as a whole.

The Benefits of Drone Surveying and Mapping

Drone technology continues to advance, making drones ideal tools for gathering certain ground data that can pair well with more traditional mapping techniques.

Satellites perform this function globally from space, which is in direct contrast to a drone’s size and scope. Unlike Earth-orbiting satellites hundreds of miles overhead, drones generally fly no higher than 400 feet, the FAA's standard altitude limit for small drones. As a result, their contributions are likely best for more localized and granular data.

Think about making a delivery, for example. The destination has a specific address, which on a traditional map will be plotted on the corresponding street. But maybe the door at the plotted location isn’t where that building actually accepts deliveries. Maybe deliveries need to go to the door around the back. A drone can help with this level of detail to better streamline last-mile delivery and give drivers accurate information about their location.

These are some of the popular uses for drones:

• Event Mapping: Music festivals, conventions, and other events can benefit from drone surveying. Event coordinators can use drones to map out where stages or booths are located and provide that data to staff members and attendees.
• Damage Surveys: Whether it’s a large-scale natural disaster or a calamity affecting a single home, the aftermath of a destructive event can be surveyed by drones to assess the damages. Insurance companies and authorities can use this data to inform their responses while also keeping field personnel out of what could be hazardous situations.
• Crop Surveys: How are the crops doing this season? Drones can provide farmers with an aerial view of their fields to monitor the fields. It’s a fast and efficient way to gather visual data they can use to find trouble spots or to simply check in on progress.
• Airspace Mapping: Drones can sometimes be used to map out airspace or to help determine the elevation of certain landmarks and natural features.
• Village/Small Town Mapping: While the big cities rely on satellites or planes for their geographical data, but smaller towns and villages might find drones an affordable way to get a detailed, up-to-date look at their layouts.

Challenges with Drones in the GIS and Mapping Industry

Some of the biggest challenges drone usage will face in the world of mapping and GIS involve rules and regulations. Commercial and recreational drone use has been regulated by the FAA for nearly a decade, but the rules are still evolving, especially for longer-range flights and flights near sensitive sites.

With drones being airborne, compliance with the FAA and its guidelines will be essential. Flying near airports requires FAA authorization, which is often available in near real time through the FAA's LAANC system. Pilots must also watch for temporary flight restrictions, restricted areas such as military bases, and state laws that limit flights over critical infrastructure like power plants and refineries.

The FAA has different rules for different uses of drones, whether it’s for recreational use, commercial use, or government use¹. These rules can be tight, so it is vital for drone pilots to understand each one.

As the drone industry continues to evolve, likely so will the laws regulating it. Any individual or business using drones will have to keep up with the current guidelines and practices.

What the Future Holds

Generally speaking, it seems to be widely accepted that while drones aren’t going anywhere, so to speak, it’s not anticipated that they will replace satellites as the primary means of collecting and generating mapping and navigational information for the globe. Satellites are just too effective on a larger scale.

Instead, smaller scale, detailed locations and places that are hard to reach may be areas where drones outperform satellites.

It’ll be a partnership and collaboration between these two technologies that can further enhance the GIS data available to consumers, providing the most informative and detailed navigation and mapping data we’ve seen to date. It will only get better as technology continues to progress, as detailed in 7 Surprising Use Cases for GIS. 

SOURCES
^{1Federal Aviation Administration, Drones, https://www.faa.gov/uas/, accessed October 5, 2026}