Mapping
Mapping using drones involves capturing aerial data with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), equipped with various sensors, to create detailed and accurate 2D maps or 3D models of an area for applications such as urban planning, agriculture, construction, environmental monitoring, and more.
Common techniques employed in drone mapping include photogrammetry, which uses overlapping aerial images to generate maps or models, and LiDAR, which uses laser pulses to measure distances and create point clouds representing the surveyed area.
Drone mapping offers several advantages, including cost-effectiveness, speed of data acquisition, flexibility, and the ability to access hard-to-reach areas, making it an increasingly popular method for geospatial data collection across diverse industries.
Drone mapping offers several advantages over traditional methods, such as aerial surveys using manned aircraft or ground-based surveying techniques:
Cost-effectiveness: Drone mapping is generally more affordable than manned aerial surveys, as it requires smaller, less expensive equipment and fewer personnel to operate. Additionally, it eliminates the need for hiring manned aircraft and pilots, reducing overall project costs.
Speed and efficiency: Drones can cover large areas quickly and efficiently, allowing for rapid data acquisition. They can be deployed faster than manned aircraft and can complete surveys in a fraction of the time compared to ground-based surveying techniques.
High-resolution data: Drone mapping can produce high-resolution imagery and accurate 3D models, often at a higher resolution than those obtained from manned aircraft or satellite imagery. This enables more detailed analysis and improved decision-making.
Flexibility and accessibility: Drones can access hard-to-reach or hazardous areas that may be difficult or dangerous for ground-based surveyors or manned aircraft to cover. They can fly at lower altitudes, navigate around obstacles, and operate in various environments, providing greater flexibility in data collection.
Safety: Drone mapping reduces the need for surveyors to work in potentially dangerous or challenging environments, lowering the risk of accidents or injuries.
Customization and integration: Drones can be equipped with various sensors and payloads, such as cameras, LiDAR, multispectral sensors, or thermal cameras, allowing for tailored data collection depending on the specific needs of the project.
Advantages of drone mapping
Precision volumetrics for your business
Need to compute precise volumetrics for your open pit mine or construction site on the fly?
SLT provides a web-based interface, mapper.sltaeronautics.com, where you can manipulate the DEM (digital elevation model) maps for your site and compute a number of measurements any time you need including volumetrics, area, distance, angle, elevation, and much more!
Absolute accuracy up to 1/10 of a foot
By utilizing a variety of techniques when collecting data including RTK (real-time kinetics), PPK (post-processing kinetics), and high-precision GPS, the orthomosaics and 3D models we create can have an absolute precision of up to 1/10 of a foot.
