Drones are an exciting platform that is now emerging as a competitive technology in a number of professional surveying data collection scenarios - including mobile and airborne LiDAR. This presentation presents an overview of what to consider when adding a remotely piloted airborne photogrammetry or laser scanning system to your practice.

1. International LiDAR
Mapping Forum 2015
UAS Best Practices: How to Incorporate Data and Job Specs
Colin Snow, CEO and Founder, Drone Analyst
February 23-25, 2015
Denver, Colorado, USA
Produced by Diversified Communications
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2. Helpful advice
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3. Quick survey
Image courtesy of Event 38 Unmanned Systems
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4. Questions / topics
 What should you consider when adding a remotely
piloted system to your practice?
 Under which application scenarios do they provide
advantages?
 What are the practical job spec limits of using a LiDAR
drone in a project – when is a project a bad fit?
 What does flying a UAS do to the price point for job
specs?
 How can UAS data be incorporated into existing data and
workflow?
 What are the data processing and data accuracy issues?
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5. UAS ‘system’ considerations
1. Aircraft type (fixed wing or multirotor)
2. Sensor / payload
3. Ground control station
4. Communication systems
5. Pilot and crew
6. Regulations
• Safety
• Operational risk
• System deployment risk
• Privacy / data management
• Security
Source: Drone Analyst
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6. Sample use cases under proposed rules
Inspection / Monitoring
Bridges
Oil rigs
Refineries
Cell towers
Wind turbines
Radio antenna
Surveying / Mapping
Small mines
Stockpiles
Easements
Shopping centers
Stadiums
See article: Market Opportunity Winners and Losers
Image source: Aerial Services, Inc.
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7. Which UAS for what job?
Image source: DJI, 3D Robotics, Phoenix Aerial Systems
DIY / CONSUMER TURNKEY / COMMERCIAL
JOB GRADE Casual / Fast Inspection & Survey / Complex
PAYLOAD Low-res cameras / GoPro Hi-res cameras / LiDAR
GPS / IMU Aircraft GPS & IMU (1 – 3 meters) Aircraft GPS & IMU + Camera / Sensor
GPS & IMU (centimeters)
AQUISTION Limited Higher
AVG COST < $2K > $12K
ROI Fast Measured
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8. Transportation corridor mapping
example*
RANGE PROJECT TIME
(PERSON DAYS)
PRICE
GROUND 100 yards 30 days (5 – 6 tripods?) ~ $220K
MOBILE 5 – 7 miles 2 – 4 days ~ $30K
MANNED
AIRCRAFT
~ 50 miles 2 day $ 25k +
UAS 1500 yards / pass 1 day $ 10K
*estimates for comparison purposes only!
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9. Workflow
Specifies area,
flight time,
resolution
Specifies area,
flight time,
resolution
Site analysis,
Route and
waypoints,
Weather check
Site analysis,
Route and
waypoints,
Weather check
Map over X km2
,
Download
images and
telemetry file
Map over X km2
,
Download
images and
telemetry file
Load into
software,
Generate point-
cloud
measurements
Load into
software,
Generate point-
cloud
measurements
Send files ftp or
cloud app
Send files ftp or
cloud app
Customer
Demand
Customer
Demand
Mission
Planning
Mission
Planning
FlightFlight ProcessingProcessing DeliveryDelivery
Source: Drone Analyst
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10. Data accuracy
Absolute Accuracy
Describes how much the whole point
cloud is offset in any direction, leading
to a constant error in geo-referencing.
Depends almost exclusively on a
correctly configured GNSS reference
station.
Relative Accuracy
Indicates how self-consistent the
resulting point cloud is
Source: Phoenix Aerial Systems
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11. Issues affecting aerial LiDAR accuracy
 UAS are an aggregated technology and they ‘shake’ XYZ
 GPS (accuracy, down time)
 IMU (accuracy)
 Laser itself
Image source: Phoenix Aerial Systems
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12. LiDAR IMU accuracy
Point Offset vs. Scan Range
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Image source: Phoenix Aerial Systems

13. Combining data sets
Image source: Terrasolid
Image source: Phoenix Aerial Systems
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14. A few recommended sessions
 Keynote: UAS and the Internet of Things
 GeoCue Technical Workshop: Implementing LAS V1.4 Support in Airborne
LIDAR Workflows
 LiDAR Scanning with Supplementary UAV Captured Images for Structural
Inspections
 Does Camera Quality Matter in sUAS Photogrammetry?
 Trimble Technical Workshop: Data Alignment and Automated Information
Extraction – Two Important Elements of an Efficient LiDAR Processing
Workflow
 Topcon Technical Workshop: Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems to Calculate
Stockpiles
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15. Questions?
Learn more:
•Web http://droneanalyst.com
•Twitter @droneanalyst
•Email colin@droneanalyst.com
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16. © 2014 Drone Analyst.
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Copyright 2014 – Drone Analyst
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