Across industries, drone adoption is accelerating, but proving the value of a drone program remains one of the biggest hurdles to securing buy-in from stakeholders. The meaning of value can vary from project to project. In most cases it means money saved, but it can also mean reduced risk, shortened timelines, or an enhancement to a natural resource.

The Where and How Drones are Creating Value? session at Commercial UAV Expo is going to dive into critical examples of how drones are advancing operations through case study presentations.

Topics of presentations will range from state park maintenance to securing oil and gas pipelines, but each will demonstrate how the addition of a drone into typical workflows increases safety, reduces costs, and gathers high-accuracy data so your team can make informed decisions on what your project’s next steps are.

Key takeaways from this session will include:

  • An understanding of how drones improve logistics and the ability to respond quickly and effectively in dangerous situations, keeping personnel safe. This will be presented by Anthony Ramon, UAV Coordinator at Reeves County Sheriff Office
  • The critical role drones play in keeping state parks safe and running. From monitoring wildfires, responding to disasters, and managing invasive species, Al Cire, District Resource Specialist at Virginia State Parks will share how he is utilizing drones at the park.
  • How drone inspections on large infrastructure like the Walters Hydroelectric Dam helps to inform aging-concrete conditions, giving critical data on the structural integrity of the dam. Presented by Carlos Femmer, Data Acquisition Director at HDR
  • How to achieve a 3:1 return on investment by integrating drones into your workflows, specifically focusing on how drones allow your team to stay ahead of issues and solve them before they become problematic. This will be presented by Calvin Rieb, Global, Remotely Operated Systems – Leader at Cargill.

While all of these case studies look at very different projects, there is a clear theme that drones are bringing tremendous value to data accuracy and cost reduction efforts across the board. Attendees will leave this session with an understanding of how to prove the value of their own drone program, or to make the case for the addition of a drone into their workflow.