Why are Drone Survey & Photogrammetry the Future of Worksite Intelligence?

Photogrammetry is the science of obtaining ground information in the from 2 dimensional drone/ aerial imagery to generate 3-dimensional elevation models and Orthos. GIS professionals and surveyors use drone photogrammetry and accurate GPS data to generate outputs to create a digital twin of their client's worksite. Traditional survey of these worksite would take weeks to complete with fragmented data outputs. Drone surveys along with Photogrammetry has completely transformed the way surveys are performed to gain valuable insights from the worksites.

Why Drone Survey is beneficial for Worksite Surveys?

The future of surveying is through the use of Drones/UAVs. Drone surveys can completely transform the way valuable insights are collected from a worksite. Its much more safer, faster and economical. Drones essentially act as a tool to collect raw images even from the inaccessible areas to ensure safety of the surveyor, these raw images can then be processed using Photogrammetric software to create a digital twin of any worksite. This will empower any worksite manager to view their worksite in 2D as well as 3D on our Cloud-Based Platform SPECTRA. Spectra can help measure every detail in the worksite with high precision and can also help in comparing or tracking progress in the worksite to help plan better and take data driven business decisions.

Benefits of Drone in Surveying

The emergence of tech has opened up a whole new horizon for the drone industry.

Ease and speed

You will be amazed to know that drone requires only 1-2 days for surveying depending upon the shape and size of the plot, whereas, it would have required almost 1-2 weeks’ time if it would have been manually surveyed.

High Accuracy

As technology has advanced over the past few years, so too have the UAV services. Using GCP points and a coordinate system, the data acquisition is much more accurate than the traditional manual surveying operations. The highly accurate data is photogrammetrically processed for the preparation of Orthos, DEMs, etc.

Improved Safety

As per government data from 2017, one mine worker was dying every six days in this industry. Drones have the capabilities to reduce this number to zero. No comparison can be made while dealing with the safety assured by drones in the field of surveying. Drone pilots need not be present physically while surveying inaccessible terrains. It has potentially increased safety and diminished life risks, which was not so during the age of traditional surveying. 

Cost Saving

For each survey operation in the traditional survey method, huge funds are required periodically. The heavy costs incurred creates a tough atmosphere for a firm to operate. The application of photogrammetry in modern-day surveys and the epoch-making emergence of advanced drone technology have enabled a firm to cut down huge costs incurred while plot surveying.

Data Management

If you are worried about the hustle and bustle involved while managing data, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The traditional survey deals with fragmented data which at times becomes extremely difficult to process and generate error-free outcomes. With drone technology, the scenario has completely changed now. Drone surveys enable the user to acquire well-knit overlapping continuous data which is very user-friendly to work with.

Track Progress over Time

Harnessing the power of photogrammetry will help you to create a digital history for your worksite. Not only will it help you over the course of time in managing the resource inflow and outflow, but also in preparing statistical workflow models to compare booms and recessions.

The highly accurate 3D models are commercially vital for a wide range of industries, such as civil construction, earthworks, mining, waste management, etc.

Applications of Drone Based Photogrammetry

If you are looking for a convenient and time-saving way out for mapping terrains, then Photogrammetry is the perfect solution. 

Mining

Do you belong to the Industry? Then it’s high time to upgrade to the changing conditions on-site, relying on up-to-date models to make decisions. The Digital Terrain Models (DTM) obtained after photogrammetric processing keeps the mining operators up-to-date regarding stockpile volume and regions to be excavated, thus, achieving consistency in resource management.

To know more about drone surveys for mining check out : Drones for Mining: A Tech Upgrade

Real Estate

A lot to explore, photogrammetry has broken all barriers and hindrances in the real estate business. Aerial imagery and drone mapping techniques are utilised to generate interactional 3-dimensional property showcases for the customers.

Solar Plants

Drones are often used for thermal imaging which is of prime importance for the solar industry. The ortho maps generated after processing of data will help you in identifying faults in the solar panels. Photogrammetry is a strong tool that maps accurate inspections which would help you to identify problems of power inefficiency, leakages, and other attributes.

Also Check Out: The artificial intelligence behind solar power inspection

Mapping Inaccessible Terrains 

Aerial photos are captured using UAV, UAS, or drones to acquire high-resolution images of high accuracy and a much faster turnaround time. Photogrammetry allows both vertical and oblique photos that help to generate an accurate 3-dimensional model of difficult terrains, which would otherwise have been impossible by manual surveying. 

Civil and Construction Sectors

Photogrammetric techniques helps you to present a detailed layout of the land surface after data acquisition by a drone. It is of utmost importance to the civil engineering sector, based on which accurate you will be able to prepare accurate blueprints for construction.

Earthworks

Photogrammetry is used to prepare topographic maps for earthwork sites. Not only does photogrammetric data provide verification of work, but also helps to avoid interruptions in the running project by calculating cost and time-effective solutions.

Agriculture

The advent of technology has soaked into all the sectors of the economy and the agricultural sector is not away from it. Photogrammetry has a lot to offer for the prosperity of this sector. 3-dimensional assessment of the plot through photogrammetrically generated maps and models will definitely help you to increase the yield per hectare and inspect the agricultural parcels periodically without investing in labor.

Waste Management

Indeed a burning problem of the decade. The power of photogrammetry can be wisely implemented to optimize landfills by regularly monitoring the capacity.

Utility Inspection

Drones have succeeded in saving up to 30-50% of the cost and time of the employer. You can hire UAV services from Skylark for regular inspections at a minimal cost. 

Drone Survey: The Future of Site Surveying

Drone technology isn't something new and has been around for more than a decade, what matters is the applications of drones in the real-world. There are several use cases of drones and pizza delivery could be one of them. Drones are used for delivering medicines including vaccines. We have also spotted drones delivering human organs & saving lives. This is arguably the most important “drone delivery” use case in the recent time. While all the delivery use-cases sound lucrative and more appealing to the masses, our focus has been on the other sides.   

We at SKYLARK DRONES use Drones for carrying out surveys in industries such as mining, solar plants, agriculture, construction projects etc. Drones are playing an important role in making worksites more safer, surveys much faster and helping save a lot of operational time and cost for the  enterprises. 

We provide drone based solutions for different enterprises and help them make data driven business decisions. We empower enterprises to improve their efficiency and productivity simply by the virtue of time & cost that we help them save. For instance, we provide solutions like digital mines which essentially empowers all mine decision makers with precise measurements of every inch of their assets.  

Schedule a Free Spectra Demo to know more

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