Drone Land Surveying & Mapping: Here Are the Advantages

What most people think of as a cool toy has quickly found practical uses in industries like real estate, construction, and insurance. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones outfitted with high-definition video cameras can provide a line of sight that is otherwise unobtainable to the human eye.

For example, drones provide a complete picture of a landscape or building in progress in construction. The aerial cameras are a perfect tool to efficiently and cost-effectively survey difficult traverse areas. And when these “eyes in the sky” are paired with other technologies like mapping software, we can effectively automate otherwise difficult surveying tasks.

Related: Water Management and Plant Health Using UAV Flights

When Drones Work Best

Every project is unique. And while drones may not be necessary for surveying and mapping every project, there are times when they provide a clear advantage. For example, when safety is a concern due to rough terrain, extreme heights, or other factors, a drone easily captures the data needed while keeping everyone safe. An experienced pilot can fly these UAVs manually using a remote control or autonomously using a predetermined flight path.

Drones are also a good choice for providing highly detailed survey data. These machines can often fly well at low altitudes to gather high-resolution data comparable to traditional but much more time-consuming surveying methods. Drones are commonly employed during project planning and to record progress updates.

While drones augment traditional survey methods, they will not likely replace the need for human surveyors. The point of utilizing drones in surveying is to provide more detail and a complete picture.

Key Benefits of Using Drones for Surveying & Land Mapping

Drone technology can provide a minimally-invasive way to save time and reduce costs during project planning. They provide a cost-effective technology tool that has several advantages, including:

• Decreased field time to survey large sites.
• Ability to conduct land mapping and surveys without disrupting other activities.
• Less manpower is required to achieve higher outputs.
• Improved accuracy and completeness in data.
• Precision measurements.
• Ease of mapping inaccessible areas.

Traditional survey methods could take weeks of collecting and compiling sometimes inaccurate and often incomplete data on larger sites. Drones not only reduce the manpower needed to cover the same amount of land, but they are excellent at collecting detailed data and precision measurements, so the quality of data collected by a drone is often better than what is collected by an entire team of surveyors. It can be up to five times faster to map typography using drones over traditional methods.

Traditional surveying or land-mapping techniques are also largely disruptive. Traffic doesn’t have to be re-routed for a team of surveyors to complete a job site when a machine is capturing an overhead view. Overall, drones are less disruptive and less expensive in labor and operating costs.

Related: Plant Health Analysis Using NDVI

HANA Resources is an innovative leader in environmental technology. We utilize various methods to collect precise data about typography, elevation, heights, distances, size, and much more. Learn more about our drone services today.

Common Uses for UAVs in Land Surveying & Mapping

You may be wondering, who uses drones for land surveys and mapping? There are several opportunities where drones can be useful. Cartographers use drones to efficiently create accurate maps.

Government or private entities involved in land management and development use drone surveys in the planning stages of development projects. Mining operations and quarries rely on drones to monitor inventory and production.

Environmental engineers use drones to monitor slopes and accurately predict landslides and other catastrophic events. And city planners routinely use drone surveys to examine current conditions and plan for future growth.

HANA Resources Uses Drones to Provide Real-Time Data in High-Definition

HANA Resources is committed to blending science, technology, and innovation to change the environmental industry through various touchpoints. One of the most significant services that we offer is drone surveying for various customers who need to collect environmental data on impossibly large or challenging traverse sites.

HANA Resources can provide services like:

• Ultra-high-resolution imagery to analyze heights, distances, and sizes.
• Aerial mapping of difficult terrain.
• Algae detection in large lakes.
• Terrain modeling and elevation mapping.
• Highly efficient 3D contour mapping.
• Thermal and radiometric data collection to identify plant species.
• Plant health monitoring for vegetation management.
• Thermal imaging for wildlife habits, irrigation systems, and more.
• Progress monitoring for construction sites.

Related: Petroleum Refinery Development: Creative Uses of Technology 

We’re proud to be a leader in environmental technology. As an environmental consulting firm, they serve client needs strategically using proven scientific methodologies with reproducible results. Providing drone services that include land surveying and mapping using various technologies, HANA Resources helps clients understand existing conditions so that they can adequately plan for their futures.

Our team at HANA Resources believes in providing quality data using effective technologies like drones that are adept at recording precise data that can improve daily decision-making, leading to better outcomes in business, urban development, environmental planning, and more.

The Bottom Line

Drones have become an indispensable trade tool for land surveying and mapping. While they will never entirely replace the need for the human brain in surveying and planning, they can provide a perspective through high-resolution imagery and precise measurements that are otherwise unobtainable. And the efficiency at which these machines can collect data will save money, reduce labor, and speed up deliverables on all kinds of projects.

HANA Resources is already utilizing drone technology to provide dozens of services that help planners, engineers, landowners, and developers make data-driven decisions with precision. We’re excited to see where the future of drone technology takes us.

As an innovative leader in the environmental industry, we’re always looking for ways to improve our data collection methods for the services that we provide to our customers. Learn more about HANA Resources drone services today.