Popular UAV LiDAR Use Cases
January 26, 2018
Drone Lidar have been disrupting various industries for years, but the construction industry has perhaps seen the greatest potential for drone technology. With its complex and lengthy process involving multiple phases and tasks, the construction industry has been ripe for disruption. Early adopters saw the potential for drones to streamline old processes, cut costs, and improve efficiency and safety. But there are still many untapped use cases for construction and engineering firms.
In this article, we'll focus on how drone lidar can be used in the design, building, and delivery phases of a construction project.
Using Drone Lidar in Design & Engineering
Capturing land images with drones is just the beginning of the value they offer a construction firm. By feeding raw sensor data into software like Spatial Explorer and LidarMill , you can create value that can be packaged and sold under various pricing structures. Although these applications are powerful, they cannot fully replace surveying. By combining drone Lidar data and standard surveying tools, however, you can offer clients a wider range of services, such as the ability to measure cut and fill, or create a 3D rendering of the site and track the project's progress.
Drones on the Construction Site
Drones have been readily embraced by the construction industry, and for good reason. They provide a safer and more cost-effective way to perform survey and as-is engineering models, as well as collect data and footage from the job site. Here are a few more use cases for drones on the construction site:
Job Site Documentation: By obtaining permits and proving safe processes, you can fly UAVs over job sites to cut down on waste. This site documentation can be used with your customers and also your legal team if your project manager needs to show progress or the state of a project any time in its cycle.
Cut and Fill: With Earthwork, gradealls, and GPS precision, having a highly accurate model to do precision earth work is critical A Drone lidar can map 40 acres in less that 30 minutes and deliver a 3 to 5 cm accurate surface in less than 2 hours. For large area projects this can be a huge savings.
Some of the best lidar for on site are
1. Recon XT - for fast compact survey solution. This can be easily transported to a job site and set up by one person.
2. MiniRanger 3 - for those that need to comply with USGS or other federal regulations, this this Made in the USA sensor offers the minimum 3 returns with 20mm of precision.
Ranger LR- However some grading jobs need more precision. The ranger LR has 15mm of precision.
Using Drones for Safety and Compliance
Safety monitoring, drones can also assist with regulatory compliance. For example, some areas require regular inspections of construction sites to ensure compliance with building codes and safety regulations. Drones can quickly and efficiently perform these inspections, reducing the need for human workers to climb scaffolding or access other hard-to-reach areas.
Furthermore, drones can also be used to collect data on environmental compliance. For example, drones equipped with sensors can collect air quality data and identify potential environmental hazards, such as chemical leaks or other pollutants.
The Future of Drones in Construction
The use of drones in the construction industry is still in its infancy, but the potential benefits are vast. As the technology advances and becomes more widely adopted, we can expect to see drones playing an even more significant role in the construction process.
One area where drones are likely to become increasingly important is in the use of autonomous drones. These drones will be able to perform a range of tasks like creating terrain models and as-is engineering drawings This will further efficiency, and productivity on construction sites.
Overall, the use of drones in construction is an exciting development that promises to transform the industry in many positive ways. From improving safety and efficiency to reducing costs and increasing productivity, the benefits of drones are clear. As more companies embrace this technology, we can expect to see even more innovative applications and uses for drones in the years to come.
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