How To Save Money On Your Surveying Projects By Hiring A Drone
Projects like mining a quarry, stockpiling coal and aggregate, planning infrastructure, etc., all require an accurate map and in-depth knowledge of the land. These labor-intensive projects are on a strict schedule and can take a while to complete, and though there are tools that have traditionally been used for land surveying, it may be time to give them an upgrade – to drones. With some budget refactoring to allow for no additional cost, the use of drones would allow land surveyors to obtain data just as accurately as before but in a safer, more manageable, and time-efficient manner.
At Excel Drone Services Inc, we offer drone services for fulfilling just this very requirement. Our drones can reduce costs and increase the accuracy of the data while delivering higher quality results faster than conventional methods. We’ve designed this service to be budget-friendly without having to sacrifice quality. To show you how to save money on your surveying projects by hiring a drone, we’ve explained the steps of the process below.
1. Send a project brief
Step one would be for a potential client to email a brief outline of their project to us and what it is they would like us to do for them. Once we have an understanding of what we can do for our client, we can give a more precise quote. Before moving forward, we would prefer to have a phone call with our clients to make sure we understand each other so that expectations can be met.
2. Get a flight plan
After a close consultation with the client, a flight plan is created that will allow the Drone to capture enough high-quality images of an area of interest and that it can be flown safely and legally. These images are then stitched together to create 3D models and ortho-mosaic Maps, which can be shared with the client, who can make highly accurate measurements from the maps.
3. Go over the project parameters and goals
We can have a zoom call or, better yet, meet at the site to go over the parameters and goals for the project and discuss any concerns there might be. The images are stitched together using a process called photogrammetry, and the precision of the maps is determined by the altitude flown and how many MP’s (megapixels) the camera has, which gives you the ground spacing distance between pixels (measured in cm), the lower, the better. These maps are uploaded to a cloud on a third-party server, where they can then be shared with our client(s) via links.
4. Get a 3D model and ortho-mosaic map made
We use Pix4D, a software mapping app that allows us to create a flight plan that will capture all of the images we need for the area of interest. These images are then downloaded into our computer and uploaded onto the Pix4D mapping app for processing. This takes about one to ten or more hours to process, depending on the complexity of the job and the number of images. At the end of the process, a 3D model and ortho-mosaic map or interactive drone mapping system are made, which can be uploaded to Pix4D’s cloud to share with our clients.
5. Capture the required images
After flying a prescribed flight path and capturing images, they are then downloaded onto our computer and checked to make sure they are all clear, and we have complete coverage of the area flown. If not, we will re-fly the deficient areas and capture new images, then check them again, to ensure we have all that we need before we leave the site.
6. Get the photos stitched seamlessly
The images are then processed, and manual tie points are used between adjacent photos that have the same “key points” to ensure the photos get stitched together seamlessly. Photogrammetry uses the GPS information embedded in each aerial photo and the focal length of the camera to create a 3D point cloud that represents the surface of what was mapped.
7. Remove noise or artifacts
This point cloud is then edited to remove any “noise or artifacts” that might affect the precision of the 3D Model and ortho-mosaic map.
8. Access the visuals for assessment
From this “edited” point cloud, Digital Surface Maps, 3D Models and ortho-mosaic maps are created, which can be shared via links with the clients. Measurements such as volumes can be made from them, and contour lines can be created at any interval desired.
If you are looking for aerial mapping and videography services in Vancouver Island, then reach out to us at Excel Drone Services Inc. We are a drone photography and videography service company specializing in aerial mapping and complete mapping, surveying and monitoring for industries like agriculture, real estate, mining exploration and construction. We offer expert aerial drone services for mapping, volumetric surveying, inspections, 3D modeling and printing and construction.
We provide our services to clients across Victoria, Sooke, Duncan, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Tofino, Courtenay, Campbell River, Port Mcneill, Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and beyond. For a complete list of our services, please click here. If you have any questions about immigrating to Canada, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.