Surveying involves the use of a lot of advanced equipment, and drones in the industry have come a long way, becoming one of the most important tools land surveyors are reliant on. Drones help provide highly accurate readings, creating an effective survey report.
In this article, we will understand the practice of using drones in surveys, and assess if they’re any good.
What Is a Drone Survey?
Professional surveyors take measurements of a property and report it under a survey, and this process is known as surveying. Drones have a downward-facing camera that helps in getting these readings and measurements, making the job of surveying less difficult.
Drones take thousands of pictures, all from different angles that create thousands of data points, which include geographic referencing and elevation points. These details are used in the creation of a highly accurate map, and the use of drones makes the land look more realistic.
All information recorded from a drone is used to make important decisions about infrastructure, and construction on the property, as well as serve as a record for the property boundaries.
How Does a Drone Survey Work?
The way a drone works is quite simple, yet technical. Basically, a drone flies above the ground and captures data about the property using several downward-facing sensors. Multispectral and RGB cameras are also used to capture images, while some drones also include LiDAR Payload which greatly reduces the time it takes to perform a manual survey.
Geographic Information Systems or GIS are used to collect data and information about a property to map out locations. This is a very important tool to collect data in land surveying, while there are a bunch of other features in a drone that collectively help develop results.
Previously, drones weren’t capable of transferring all the information in real time like they are now. Information had to be retrieved by an operator after the process of gathering data was done. The drones being used today are capable of converting raw data into actionable information while it is in the air.
What Are The Advantages of Surveying With a Drone?
Drone surveying, when compared to traditional ground surveys, is incomparably effective when it comes to the time taken. For instance, a traditional survey may take about 30 days to map a 100-acer land, while a drone survey takes no more than an hour. This can save both the client and the surveyor a lot of time, speeding up the process of any development to be undertaken on the property.
It is also noticeably safe to carry a drone survey, especially in hazardous areas, since there is no man present on the site. This also saves one from the risk associated with heavy equipment or any other site-based practices.
To top it all off, surveying results are highly accurate. Since it makes use of several measurement types, offering a highly calibrated result. This mitigates the occurrence of inconsistencies in a report due to suboptimal surveying.
Should I Opt For a Drone Survey?
There’s no reason to not do a drone survey, if you want accurate and quick results while being budget conscious. A drone survey can easily fit into your budget plans and help you get started with developments on the property in no time.
Almost all land surveying companies in Okanagan Valley offer drone surveying services, but why go with any company when you’ve got the best? Core Geomatics offer drone services for aerial imaging, inspection videos, volume analysis and much more. Known for their impressive work & cost-effective services, Core Geomatis has a reputation as the best survey provider across Alberta.
