Creation of a digital twin of the urban environment using UAV photogrammetry and GIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31548/zemleustriy2026.04.0%25pKeywords:
digital twin, UAV photogrammetry, geographic information systems (GIS), digital city model, orthophoto, spatial data, LOD1, territorial community, digital modelingAbstract
This paper presents a methodology for creating a basic digital twin of the urban environment based on the integration of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, photogrammetry, high-precision GNSS measurements, and geographic information systems (GIS). The aim of the study is to develop a methodology for creating a digital twin of the urban environment using UAV photogrammetry and geospatial technologies and to validate the proposed approach through a real-world case study. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive six-phase technological workflow was developed, including flight mission planning, field data acquisition with RTK positioning, photogrammetric processing in Agisoft Metashape, vectorization of spatial objects in QGIS with the creation of a GeoPackage database, spatial analysis, and three-dimensional visualization. The key outcome of the study is the development of an LOD1 digital model of the urban environment corresponding to the Digital Mirror concept, which can be considered the initial stage of digital transformation for territorial communities. Unlike a full-scale digital twin, a Digital Mirror reproduces the current state of the physical environment but does not provide automated bidirectional real-time data exchange. The proposed methodology was validated on a 42-hectare urban area in Rivne, Ukraine. Optimal flight parameters (ground sampling distance of 3.02 cm/pixel and flight altitude of 120 m) were determined, the required number of ground control points was established, and the achieved positional accuracy was confirmed to comply with the specified requirements. The spatial accuracy of the generated datasets was assessed, the building coverage ratio and the Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI) were calculated, and an LOD1 model was created and published in a web environment. The research findings demonstrate that the proposed methodology enables the development of a digital urban model suitable for building inventory, updating cartographic data, spatial planning, and supporting decision-making processes for post-war reconstruction and sustainable territorial development.
Received: 12.08.2026;
Accepted: 26.08.2026;
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