As DJI and drone mapping further disrupt the civil engineering, surveying and GIS fields, there seems to be a common debate amongst most drone mappers about the practical application of the Phantom 4 RTK replacing ground control points (GCP’s) and checkpoints. With the evolution of the Phantom 4 RTK is there still a need for ground control points or checkpoints? Many argue there is no need for GCP’s and others argue that drone mappers always need a control. These questions have come up numerous times and even caused outright yelling matches at some recent conferences.
The question is, will the Phantom 4 Pro RTK replace GCP’s and checkpoints and the necessity for traditional survey equipment?
