In the industry, aerial drones are increasingly being used in surveying. This is a good thing. Due to their speed, drones can deliver great commercial advantages. UAVs are able to quickly collect data and then relay it to our clients in a fast turnaround. Find out more about drone surveys by reading our detailed guide.
What Is A Drone Survey Anyway?
Drones are an economical and efficient method of mapping from the ground. This allows us to collect imagery or point clouds data which can be used to create a variety of deliverables. UAS (Unmanned Aerial System), UAV surveys (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), or UAS (Unmanned Aerial System Survey) are other terms for drone surveys. However they all have the same purpose and are extremely useful. Whatever the purpose of the drone, whether it is for monitoring construction sites, mapping development sites, or planning ongoing monitoring, the method can often play a part in the project.
Drone surveys can offer many key benefits. However, drones are able to provide significant improvements over traditional methods and could make all the difference in your next project’s success. Below is a section that explains exactly why this technology is so important across all sectors.
A Drone Survey or UAV Survey has Many Benefits
Drone surveying can have many benefits. Surveying with drone technology is much more efficient and safer than traditional manual surveying methods. Drones can inspect land and buildings as accurately and quickly as traditional methods. This makes drones ideal for all types of topographical surveys. Let’s look at some key benefits of drones for topographical surveys.
Simplify your life and save time
The most important benefit is the one that clients see as the most important. They want to complete projects on-time and within budget. Data can be captured with drones five times faster than with land-based methods. Additionally, commercial-grade drones can be controlled autonomously by the software, which allows for shorter times to collect all the relevant data across a large area. Land surveyors will also appreciate the fact that drones can be used to reduce manpower and thus lower overhead costs.
Access to unreachable areas
Drones make it possible for surveyors to reach areas previously unreachable. It does not matter if that area of land is inaccessible by foot or by vehicle. Or if a portion of a building cannot be accessed. There are many structures that can be surveyed remotely by drone, including rooftops, utilities, undersides of bridges and railways.
Some examples of land areas that can be surveyed using drones include dense forests and quarries. When working in these areas, traditional surveying techniques are slow. Because we’re flying overhead, we can also survey inaccessible areas without having to close off any access routes or interrupt anyone.
Drone Surveys are Highly Accurate
Advanced drones are equipped with cameras that can capture HD images at various angles and in very high quality. Modern software allows us to merge images and create 3D terrain models. Merrett Surveys team can capture such rich and detailed data that it allows them to consider a wide range of data delivery options, including orthophoto mosaics and point cloud data. In this regard, we’ll now discuss some of the data delivery options for drone surveying. Traditional land survey methods are limited in the way we can present data. Drones offer many high-tech alternatives.
How can drone surveys present and gather data?
We partner with our clients right from the beginning to ensure they get all the data they need. Sometimes, we are able to offer data types that they have not considered. Our clients can choose from a variety of data delivery options when it comes to drone survey. These include the following:
Building Information Modelling, (BIM Models), – Drones combined with photogrammetry can create a 3D visual representation that shows the area of land or buildings being surveyed. These data can help you reach your project goals throughout its life cycle.
Digital Terrain Models: (DTM) Drone images can then be used to make accurate DTMs once all objects needing filtering – such buildings – are removed.
Orthomosaic Maps (orthomosaic maps) – We can supply detailed and high quality orthomosaic map. We combine the orthophotos, which are smaller images, to produce large-scale high quality map imagery of the surveyed region. Also, measurements like horizontal distances and areas can be included.
3D Point Cloud Data: Densified point cloud data can be made from drone or UAV photos and provides detailed geospatial info. These point clouds allow for precise distance, area and volume measurements as well as 3D visualisation.
Contour lines – Contour lines can be traced using a DTM. These contour lines can be used to gain a better understanding the areas that were captured by the drone.
Inspection work – Engineers are able to remotely access structures such as transmission lines towers, communication stations, bridges and chimneys. Detail imagery is taken in order to determine the condition of an asset.
Topographical surveys are no exception to the rule. Every industry needs new technology. New technology has become more important in recent years for companies that have recovered from Covid-19.
The Down Side
There are many advantages to drone-surveying, but we have to acknowledge some limitations. These limitations will not be mentioned by most companies and will not be known by many amateur drone pilots. Our clients can trust us because we are fully qualified drone surveyors.
Drone Surveys’ Drawbacks
It is not possible to see the ground underneath dense foliage or long grass using imagery from drones. However, it is possible for the drone to map the actual terrain. To do this, you will need a Lidar device mounted on the drone.
High accuracy can be achieved, but ground control will be required (surveyed by qualified surveyors) as well as a high quality camera and a’real-time GPS on the drone. Vertical accuracy can only be approximated by using a 3x larger pixel. Some areas will require access permissions to fly.
At the moment, the drone must remain within view of the drone pilot. It can fly up to 500m. Although it is possible for drones to fly further than the visual line (BVLOS), distances are currently limited due to CAA regulations. This technology is in rapid development.
