Category Archives: Aerial/UAS
A Decade of Uncrewed Photogrammetry
Some might have had a peek at photogrammetry drones before 2013, but for me 2023 marks a decade since I first laid eyes on an uncrewed aircraft that “claimed” to do what I had been doing for years in bigger, more stable airplanes in the joyful company of pilots, copilots, camera operators, and navigators. In...
Autonomous Drone Mapping
How interior spaces like mines are being scanned and imaged by a drone that works without a pilot or connectivity. There is a scene in the Ridley Scott-directed 2012 sci-fi thriller “Prometheus” where a deep space exploration crew lands on a planet and discovers an underground labyrinth. They lob a levitating orb down a tunnel,...
The Advantages of “Built Here”
There are reasons other than policy and security to consider domestically produced drones. Yes, when it comes to the drone market there is an almost “default” choice. Having established dominance, it further benefits from price by volume. And then they can invest more in R&D from the increased profits—if they choose to and do not...
Tackling the Aerial-to-CAD Bottleneck
Aerial capture is getting easier and faster, but the subsequent step of CAD linework generation is a bottleneck—especially given the present shortage of qualified drafters. AI is stepping in to help. In 2017, the co-founders of what would become AirWorks Solutions Inc. first met and began discussing ideas for a new geospatial venture. Both had...
Add a Drone to Survey Fieldwork
Innovative drones offer a fast, accurate option for large-area survey data collection Since the first use of drones for commercial purposes in 2006, the drone industry has rapidly gained momentum and introduced new capabilities to serve a wide range of applications. Surveying and mapping projects pose unique challenges due to the importance of accuracy and...
Watching Rotterdam (and More)
What are drones doing Inside Europe’s biggest ports? Doing what they do best, of course, which is to fly. After years of test flights, authorities at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands have given the go-signal to integrate UAVs in its operations, making it the first in Europe “to organize its own airspace...