Aerial surveying and Geographical Information Science (GIS) are powerful tools for many industries and activities. Mining and construction companies can benefit from topographic products such as digital elevation models (DSMs and DTMs) and contours built from high-resolution imagery or LiDAR scanning. Crops can be monitored using multi-spectral sensors and GIS algorithms that will spot problems in water distribution, Chlorophyll content and nutrient levels, to name a few. Thermal cameras are handy when locating animals hidden in the densest forests, fire hazards and even power line damage that can lead entire towns and cities to a blackout situation.

One of our clients recently gave us a thrilling yet challenging opportunity to showcase our aerial surveying and GIS capabilities: survey its remote cattle stations to produce high-definition, updated imagery and video, supply CAD drafting and design work for the yards, and a catalogue with the main assets at each site. The objective was to allow the client’s asset managers to use the CAD drawings and catalogues to assist in the planning of infrastructure renovation and expansion in each station.

 

Some interesting facts that made this project special to us:

• More than 10 homesteads and almost 65 stockyards surveyed in 14 days;
• The sites were spread within approximately 16 thousand square kilometres of Australian territory, across two major states (Queensland and Northern Territory);
• Requirement to deliver very high resolution imagery (GSDs down to 1 cm), necessary for accurate CAD drawing;
• Turnaround time of just a few weeks.

After days of planning, risk assessment, equipment preparation and checks, approvals for flying near aerodromes (most stations have their own strips) it was time to hit the road (and the skies, thanks to a Cessna 182). In 14 days, the team travelled thousands of kilometres through the northern Australian grasslands and captured 140GB in high-resolution photos and 40GB of 4K video footage.

Back to the office, time to process all imagery and turn it into actionable data. Orthomosaics, DSMs, Google Earth tiles and, most importantly, CAD drafting were produced by our specialists and handed out right on time to the client. See above examples of deliverables.

Do you have a similar project in mind? Want to successfully integrate remotely piloted aircraft into your operation?  We would love to help you turn your idea into practical results. Contact us today.