Drones are aircraft that are controlled by pilots remotely or by autonomous methods. Drone technology is not only limited to defence as large other organizations like construction companies, government organizations and even recreational users are also adopting drone facilities. Drone technology is gaining immense popularity as with the help of drone cameras it is very easy to capture lots of images for surveying and to create 3D and 2D maps easily. With the help of Drone camera technology aerial survey and mapping has become a lot easier and quite simpler.
What is Aerial Survey And Mapping?
Aerial surveying and mapping is the geometrical approach to gathering, processing and interpreting data and creating 2D and 3D models. Aerial surveying uses UAVs, Drones and other airborne methods and equipment to analyze the location.
In simple words, aerial survey and mapping is the technique of combining an aerial surveying drone, airborne software, and other airborne equipment to create a chart or map based on the analysis of a region's photogrammetric data.
The most cost-effective way of doing aerial surveys and mapping is through RPAS (UAVs, UAS or drones). It is a very cost-effective, accurate, and very efficient way of generating maps and models.
A most common way of doing Aerial surveys and Mapping is through Drone. Drones can be extremely useful in mapping and surveying industries and locations. By hovering above the ground, they can efficiently accomplish tasks such as 3D mapping, land surveys, photogrammetry, and topographic surveying.
Drone survey
Surveying is the study of calculating the distances and positions between two points in a 2D or 3D space. This data is utilized to make key decisions concerning infrastructure maintenance, construction site planning, and property boundary delineation.
When doing a drone survey, you follow the same basic concepts but collect data using a drone. The drone will fly over the points and collect all of the data for you that you wanted.
How Does It work?
The drone utilizes downward-facing sensors with multispectral and RGB cameras to record images as it flies over the ground. Many drones have LiDAR payloads to help in data collection. When the drone is surveying the terrain, the RGB camera will be used to picture the ground from various perspectives. The exact coordinates of each angle are recorded.
What Types of Drone Are Used For Surveying?
The drone market is very vast and there are plenty of options available to select from. There are different kinds of drone surveys available to meet different kinds of location requirements.
Aerial Survey and Mapping require a drone to fly several times over a certain location. It is better to choose a drone that can be programmed for autonomous flight.
Many drones can't cover more than a few hectares in a single charge. It can take valuable time away from the job if you have to land and deploy your drone multiple times. It is recommended to opt for a commercial model that can fly continuously for at least 30 minutes. You can finish the survey without having to change batteries regularly.
Are Drone Surveys Accurate
Drone surveys are gaining popularity due to their accuracy. The drone surveys are highly accurate. Drone surveys are expected to be within two centimeters of the real location in many circumstances. The majority of drones are considerably more precise than those figures.
There are various factors that affect the accuracy of the survey like camera quality, the height of flying the drones, what type of area is to be covered and the quality of the drone.
Cost Of Drone Surveys
The cost of the survey through the drones depends on the location type and type of survey you wanted to conduct and how much time will the survey end. The average cost of the drone survey ranges from $30 to $120 per acre. Benefits of Drone Mapping in Aerial Survey and Mapping
Benefits of Drone Mapping in Aerial Survey and Mapping
Useful in mapping difficult locations like difficult terrain, out of reach.
Helping in generating 2D and 3D models accurately.
Color Digital Elevation Maps and Data Collection from Multiple Points and angles.
For construction planning, topographic maps and terrain mapping are used to determine borders.
To discover the location of minerals and mapping.
Useful in stockpiling, dredging, and landfills are all things that need to be measured.
Summing Up
Drones have been increasingly popular in recent years, and they have aided various businesses in providing precise data. Aerial survey and mapping with drones is a very valuable technology.
The accuracy of drone mapping is the key reason for its growing popularity. Drone cameras are not limited to certain industries; they are very widely used in construction industries, oil and refineries industries, and government organizations as well. Drone technology is evolving very rapidly and improvement can be seen in it in the future.