Drones capture high resolution, accurate data quickly and easily. Software turns it into orthomosaics or 3D models, and can extract fine details such as sign boards, curbs, road markers and drains. Here is where drones can be used for survey work.
Land surveying and cartography
Once the data has been processed, you can produce detailed models, elevations, contour lines and 3D reconstructions of sites and buildings.
Land management and development
For land management and planning, a drone captures highly accurate aerial images and simplifies topographic surveys. The same applies to site scouting and the construction of roads and buildings. It helps with pre-construction engineering studies, and the data can easily be turned into 3D models in CAD or BIM software. A drone survey saves time, money and manpower, so data collection becomes easier. You can collect data repeatedly at low cost to monitor growth and development and manage things accordingly.
Precise measurements
Drones produce high resolution orthophotos, so the data collected is accurate. They can measure distances and surface areas precisely.
Stockpile volumetric measurements
The same images give volumetric measurements in 3D mapping software. This is particularly useful for calculating stock in mines and quarries for inventory management or monitoring, because the drone captures many topographic data points for accurate volumes.
The method is safer and cheaper than traditional manual data capture. Drones capture the data from above without hindering or interrupting operations on site, which makes monitoring and management easier.
Slope monitoring
Because drones can go almost anywhere, slopes can be measured from the DTMs and DSMs obtained from drone imagery. You can see how steep a slope is and classify areas accordingly. Orthomosaics taken at different times help prevent landslides and damage to roads, bridges or railways, because they detect the movement of earth and measure its velocity.
Traditional monitoring places sensors at single points, while a drone produces more comprehensive data. Drones with PPK capability do not need multiple ground control points to be laid out, which matters in areas that are hard to reach and can be dangerous.
Urban planning
Areas are getting denser every day, which makes urban planning complex. Collecting data by traditional means is slow and expensive. Drones flip that: they collect a large amount of data in a short time, with less manpower and precise results. The data lets planners monitor and examine the existing structures and the social and environmental conditions of a city, its sites and its buildings.
3D models of buildings can also be overlaid on the environment, giving planners an empirical view of a complex development project. It can also analyze and visualize cast shadows, outlooks and views.
There are many more possibilities in surveying with drones.
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