A marked location on the earth's surface that has been surveyed to establish its exact horizontal and vertical position. These points are used to tie photogrammetry, LiDAR, and satellite imagery to a real-world coordinate system. Surveyors typically mark them with high-contrast checkerboard targets or painted crosses before a flight so the mapping software can lock the digital model to physical reality.
Heard on the job
We need to set at least five ground control points across the site before the pilot launches the mapping drone.
Also heard as
- GCP