Altitude

Altitude is primarily adjusted to achieve a desired spatial resolution and field of view for a certain sensor. The lower the altitude, the higher the spatial resolution (or point density for LIDAR sensors) and smaller field of view. Altitude is also adjusted for safety and legal reasons. A sUAS must be safely operated so it does not contact structures on the ground (trees, cell phone towers, terrain). Most sUAS are operated under 400ft (120m) AGL for regulatory reasons.