Time and cost savings
With the ability to conduct aerial surveys quickly and efficiently despite cloud cover, strong winds and even rain, unmanned aerial systems offer time and cost savings. Propeller-based systems such as the Aibot X6 also enable detailed inspections of difficult to reach areas.
Safety
The safety advantages are significant as they remove the need for surveyors to walk around near hazardous terrain and heavy machinery. They also enable detailed project monitoring and are ideal for corridor mapping of pipelines, power lines and roads. Unlike manned aerial flyovers, they give the user greater control over what they map, when they map it and the accuracies achieved.
Accuracy
Unmanned aerial systems have the ability to achieve high levels of accuracy. In order to achieve high accuracy (2 cm) results, users need to increase the overlap of the images, and therefore multiple flights may be required for high accuracy over large areas.
For example, the accuracy specifications of the Sirius Unmanned Aerial Vehicle are based on ground sampling distance (GSD) or the area represented by each pixel in a digital photo. The area covered and accuracy achieved during a single 40-minute flight ranges from 55 hectares at 2 cm GSD (with 75-85 per cent overlap of images), to 670 hectares at 10 cm GSD (with 10 per cent overlap of images).
For more information visit www.positionpartners.com.au or call 1300 867 266.
