It’s no secret that using a drone to get a bird’s-eye view of your project elevates the data you can collect, and as technology advances, so do the options for aerial data collections in a survey workflow.  But how do you get buy-in from your company to integrate drones into your workflow? Additionally, with all the sensor payload options available to enhance your data and decision making, choosing the right one for your drone workflow can be overwhelming.

In the Transforming Survey Workflows with Drone Technology session at Commercial UAV Expo, experienced drone surveyors will share what made their projects successful and will demonstrate how to seamlessly incorporate drones into their workflows to streamline projects and increase return on investment, and how to combine different types of aerial data.  

Through individual project-based presentations, seasoned drone surveyors will explain how to:

  • Perform high-value thermal inspections to reduce maintenance costs and improve infrastructure sustainability. Regardless of whether you are a drone pilot, inspector, engineer, or thermographer, this presentation will provide best practices for infrared imaging with drones. Presented by Drew Thacker, principal at DFW ASTM Pros.
  • Combine aerial and terrestrial scanning data with point cloud data to identify the best use of lidar sensors for specific projects. Presented by Robert Young, owner of Trans Texas Surveying and Mapping.
  • Complete large-scale flights on 10,000 acres of flight area on a daily basis for survey data that requires processing and analyzing at least once a month. Presented by Anthony Herman, drone program manager at ASN Constructors.
  • Overcome environmental challenges like wind, rain, and dramatic temperature fluctuations during the world’s largest contiguous drone lidar data collection project where both high-density lidar and high-resolution imagery are being captured. Presented by Raymond Akol, regional sales manager at Phoenix LiDAR Systems and Eben Broadbent, associate professor at University of Florida.

Across these presentations, one theme is clear: high-quality drone surveying is more than just producing detailed images, it’s a critical tool for the entire project team.

“Drones provide more than just a pretty picture, they are an intuitive look at the site at a given time, from which measurements and facts can be deduced without a masters in geomatics” explains Herman.

What often goes unrecognized is that drone survey data forms the foundation for the rest of a project. It not only visualizes each stage but also provides essential context for every stakeholder.

”We’re creating 3D digital twins of sites - architects design within them, engineers make those designs real, and the final models offer full visualizations before a shovel hits the ground,” Young explains. “This isn’t a future trend—it’s already happening in other parts of the world and gaining traction in the U.S.”

Surveyors: Learn how to improve your workflows with drone technology at Commercial UAV. Click for details.