Drones in Surveying and Mapping
Drones are the pinnacle of Surveying and Mapping. In this article, I hope to explain why that is so. Let’s take off right with the practical applications of Drones in Surveying and Mapping:
- Topography
- Cartography
- Planning and Development
- Contour Elevations
- Natural Disaster Management
- Urban Planning
- Volume Measurements
- Progress Monitoring
- Power Line (OHTL) Measurement
- Slope monitoring
- Stockpile Volumetric Measurements
Drones are becoming increasingly popular in Surveying and Mapping, and this adoption can only be attributed to the huge array of benefits that come along with it. Drones allow you to conduct operations with a fraction of the manpower while improving efficiency and accuracy. We are at a point where we can’t really afford to monotonously move ahead with traditional practices, as drone-powered surveys and mapping are 75%- 80% quicker than terrestrial measurement while giving you high accuracy and improved safety. Let’s explore more on the advantages and applications of Drones in Surveying and Mapping.
Benefits of Drone Surveying and Mapping
Faster and Safer Operations with ZERO Downtime
We had a time when surveyors had to literally cover acres of land on foot to find the property corners to determine the land’s topography. It feels exhausting even to think of it. Not to mention the added pain when it is difficult to traverse terrain, unfavourable weather and more. Now I hope it makes sense to talk about one of our most exciting experiences of being a trusted drone service provider – we surveyed the largest limestone quarry in the world, that too, just in a day. What traditionally took about two months was completed in just a few hours. Over a few hours, the drones had taken 6,281 high-resolution images, using which the team would generate Orthomosaic Images and 3D reality captures.
Drones directly address the challenges of rough terrain, dizzying heights and other unfavourable conditions. All the drone needs is a flight plan, and the drone autonomously takes care of the rest, from take-off to landing. One of the more significant benefits of using drones is their un-intrusive nature. With traditional surveying methods, your typical ground operations would face disruptions; however, with a drone, the ground operations are safe to proceed with business as usual.
Data Accuracy, even with the most arduous flights
Drones can provide us with survey-grade accuracy. To be precise, the data captured using an efficient drone, apt payloads, proper flight planning, and commercial grade processing software can deliver around 2-3cm horizontal and around 5-6cm vertical accuracy.
No matter what the obstacles are – dense vegetation, snow, smoke, fog, or low-light conditions – simply swap to a LiDAR payload and capture data unhindered. This data is further utilised to create geo-referenced models of the project area, which in turn help us extract information like precise distances, volumetric measurements and much more. Likewise, a single drone flight produces millions of data points per sqkm, which can be represented in different formats such as the orthomosaic, point cloud, DTM, DSM, 3D Models, and so on.
Access Difficult Terrain
A drone can take off and fly almost anywhere. With drones, we are no longer limited to certain safe zones. We capture data from unreachable areas, unsafe steep slopes, or harsh terrain without facing the hazards itself. While the traditional methods would force the surveyors to brave the dangers, we can now isolate the surveyors from threats using drones.
Deliverables of Drone-powered Surveying and Mapping
- Orthomosaic
- Digital Surface Model
- Digital Terrain Model
- Points
- Model
- Maps
- Report
- Contours
- Levels
- Slope
- Topographic Drawing
- Asset Mapping
The Present and The Future
Drones make operations Safe, Efficient, Accurate, Quick, and way more Cost-effective when compared with the traditional surveying and mapping methods. The autonomous nature of drones and the ability for real-time monitoring make them even more flexible and efficient. Moreover, Surveying drones can also assist us in conserving our environment by providing insightful information on hot spots that need immediate action.
Drones are clearly revolutionising the Surveying and Mapping operations, and the drone-powered solution is the new normal. That being said, the future looks even brighter with the advancements in drone technology. Now, the question may remain, “How much does it cost to conduct a drone-powered survey?” We’d be happy to provide you with a cost-free consultation; get in touch with us to learn more.
