Aerial Imagery with UAS

Jan 11

Advanced thinking is a key factor of innovation. It has always been and is always going to be. Whether the flight mission is under Part 107 or a recreational flight the result is always the same to capture aerial photos for a reason.

Aerial imagery is commonly used in the construction industry to monitor the work progress of a project by capturing aerial photos weekly to catch up on the flow of construction. However, the applications are indefinite. Based on the scope of the project aerial imagery can be conducted by using photogrammetry technique or a sophisticated LiDAR camera system. Also based on the required PointCloud accuracy, our 3D model that is essentially captured by the camera of our drone can only be relying on the onboard GNSS receiver or a more advanced PPK corrected GNSS IMU navigation system. The second one provides survey grade accuracy to our PointCloud and/or our Mesh model.

Producing a highly accurate DEM (digital elevation model) provides end users the opportunity to conduct a different type of analysis. As I mentioned earlier, major construction companies have been taking advantage of this type of analysis by monitoring workflow progress of the job site.

The other application is to calculate VOLUME or MASS of a pile. Whether it is a mining field or a wasteland, precise calculation can be conducted by using the highly accurate and geotagged DEM image that we produced by conducting a UAS flight mission over a survey land.

The following images are some examples of a volumetric calculation that was performed by a drone mission. The result of UAS flight mission is an accurate DEM (see first image) and the result of volume calculation (see second image). Volumetric assessment can now be conducted on selected areas of the digital model.