Aerial image surveying
(photogrammetry)
With the help of our surveying drones (UAS = Unmanned Aerial System) we can produce high resolution aerial images. Using professional photogrammetry software, it is possible to render a 3D point cloud, a digital 3D terrain model, orthophotos or visualizations on the basis of these aerial images.
The areas of application for such highly flexible surveying drones are virtually unlimited:
- 3D determinations of mass (for land fill sites, surface mining, quarries, etc.)
- 3D modeling and visualizations
- Orthophotos as a planning basis or supplement
- Documentation of construction progress and preservation of evidence
- Livestream inspection and damage investigation for:
- Building structures
- Wind turbines – The inspection of wind turbine rotor blades is typically done by industrial climbers today – a dangerous job that is very time-consuming and does not provide comparison data for the future. Surveying drones on the other hand can approach the rotor blades without risk and collect additional data. These data provide a basis for determining at which interval rotor blades need to be inspected and maintained.
- Power lines and rail lines
- Streets and bridges
- Power lines
- Photovoltaic power stations
- Aboveground pipelines
- High-resolution aerial images and aerial maps as well as panorama images
Aerial image surveying – also known as photogrammetry – is used mainly for producing as-is inventories of terrain surfaces for larger properties.
We perform aerial image surveying with our surveying drones. They allow us to produce high-resolution aerial images from which our photogrammetry software can produce a digital 3D terrain models, visualizations or orthophotos. Aerial image surveying has several advantages: It is very exact, is not time-intensive and can be used in many different situations.
It is true that aerial photography has long been in use for surveying, but in the past it expensive and required a great deal of effort and therefore was only used for exceedingly large properties.
With aerial image surveying, the surface of the earth is photographed with high-resolution cameras or scanned with laser scanners. Using specialized software, the images are analyzed and can be further processed into image documents or also into exact 3D models. Nowadays aerial photography surveying is mainly used for the production of topographical maps, for the collection of as-built data, for the measurement of facades or for surface and volume calculations.
Thanks to our surveying drones we can measure and survey buildings and land plots relatively simply and economically using aerial images. With UAV systems it is possible to produce high-resolution aerial images which create a uniform standard of surveying data. This is relevant, for example, for planning areas as with development plans, urban developments, a whole construction area or larger construction projects. What is produced are rectified geo-referenced aerial images that can be further processed in special photogrammetry programs. To achieve precise results, the control points are set with tachymeter or GPS measurement. From the intersection of the overlapping aerial images a point cloud is then produced. Using this it is possible to prepare 3D models, to make measured drawings or area calculations.
The use of surveying drones is highly flexible. They can be employed for aerial surveying of quarries, land fill sites, railway lines, wind farms or solar parks. The drone elevation and subsequent image scale are adjusted in accordance with the precision requirements and the size of the areas that are being surveyed.
Aerial images map reality very exactly – better than a site plan. They therefore are perfectly suited for showing the as-is status or current progress of a project. We deliver precise map data and geodata and provide support with administrative offices.