THE BIRD’S EYE VIEW:A GUIDE TO AERIAL MAPPING AND IMAGING USING DRONES
How fascinating it has always been to capture a bird’s eye view of a location using intelligence, from a certain height? As much of a known fact, a drone is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which views everything from an aerial point of view. Drones are being integrated into various industries that make them absolutely insuperable. One of the most important applications of drones is their usage in aerial mapping and imaging of infrastructure, also known as drone mapping, but that’s not where the story ends.
Drones have always been grabbing the eyeballs at such a fast pace that nowadays, online shopping portals are approaching drone manufacturers for using drones in delivery off goods, aid materials and other essentials, and reducing human effort in a better and efficient way. However, drones are not only attracting big industries, but even hobbyists and enthusiasts are all-ready to invest money in drones.
Before we get into the details of how drones can be suited to specific tasks and industries, let us first understand the parameters that we need to focus on for selecting the right robot.
The basic fundamental to be kept in mind while looking for outsourcing this service is, that how can a commercial drone service be incorporated into your business in the most efficient way?
1. SELECTING THE RIGHT DRONE:
This is the most important choice one has to make while selecting the best drones. The choice comes down to choosing between multi-rotor, fixed wing, and a single rotor.
A multi-rotor has a number of propellers attached. For instance, you can use tricopters, quadcopters, hexacopters and the likes.
Fixed wing drones are the most efficient when it comes to covering a large area per flight in a short time span, finding a lot of importance in military and intelligence services.
As far as single rotor UAVs are concerned, these are known to be more efficient and productive than multi-rotors. They are a perfect option for you when you are trying to use large sensors. For illustration, a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor would work best on a single rotor drone.
2. PAYLOAD CAPABILITIES:
The kind of sensors you can attach with the device is called the maximum payload supported by the drone, and it further determines the possible accessories that can be used for further enhancement of efficiency. If you are opting for LIDAR laser scanning, or 3D mapping, your best bet would be a single-rotor drone because of its heavy payload carrying capacity.
3. TIME OF FLIGHT OF THE DEVICE:
The flight time dictates the duration for which the drone can be in the air till it is time to recharge its battery. A heavier payload can have a stronger impact on the battery life and the flight time of these aerial vehicles. A fixed motor drone is a winner here as it can achieve flight times exceeding 8 hours and that makes it useful for long corridor mapping, and military applications.
4. HIGHER RANGE CAPABILITY:
The range of an unmanned aerial vehicle is the next important factor to look into. This is a rather important consideration. Using a drone with a higher control range will work in your favour. The multirotor is much more resourceful for short distance/low altitude flights, and thus, it is the best option for pipeline inspection, power line and utility inspections.
5. DATA MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY:
What eventually happens to the data collected by these devices? Drones can deliver 2D and 3D data based on the project requirements. There are different software packages available for each of these deliverables, and the process for collecting the data differs depending on the required outcome. .
At the end of the day, drones are actually useful to help you streamline your mapping needs, irrespective of the type of drone you choose based on your requirements. Drones are now an absolute requisite in mapping and imaging infrastructure, real estate management, site inspections, precision agriculture, corridor and environmental mapping, and emergency responses.
