Category Archives: Aerial/UAS

Networking

Spatial Networking for Fun and Profit

Recently I attended a UAV event in my area (watch for the July issue of xyHt for more) that got me thinking about the role of networking in our profession. Not RTK, CORS, or even WANs or LANs, but person-to-person networking. Networking for fun. Meeting new people in the geospatial profession (and especially those interested...

This digital elevation model was created by aerial imagery using Autodesk ReCap 360.

UAS & The Combo that Opens Access

The most logical integration of technologies for surveyors is combining 3D laser scanning with UAVs. It’s no secret that many geospatial professionals are enamored with unmanned aerial systems (UAS). For many years, the pros and cons of deploying small UAS for mapping and surveying, along with their ongoing regulatory discussions, have been well researched and...

This eBee Ag is outfitted with the Sequoia multispectral sensor.

senseFly’s Andrea Halter: From Academia to the Market

Above: This eBee Ag is outfitted with the Sequoia multispectral sensor. An interview with senseFly’s Andrea Halter  Andrea Halter is a co-founder of senseFly, a Parrot company based in Switzerland that develops and produces aerial imaging drones for professional applications. Halter oversees the company’s marketing and sales teams. She’s a qualified land surveyor and holds a...

CEO and founder Paul Doersch, a Stanford alum, explains Kespry’s unique rental/cloud arrangement.

Kespry: Anatomy of a UAV Start-Up

Above: CEO and founder Paul Doersch, a Stanford alum, explains Kespry’s unique rental/cloud arrangement. Kespry offers much more than a bird’s eye view.  Take a computer scientist from Stanford University (who’s worked in Silicon Valley doing research for BMW on self-driving cars and smartphone integration) and add some grads from MIT and Cal Tech (with...

The Barrier Islands off the Gulf Coast are threatened by coastal land loss.

Crossing the Barrier

Above: The Barrier Islands off the Gulf Coast are threatened by coastal land loss.  A Louisiana university overcame a barrier facing scientific research of coastal land loss—with a UAS. “We are losing an acre of coastline every 30 minutes,” says Dr. Gary LaFleur Jr., associate professor of biological sciences at Nicholls State University in Louisiana. And...

Aeryon SkyRanger with stabilized dual EO/IR high-resolution cameras.

Primed for Growth

Aeryon epitomizes the current and coming uprising in UAS. The global UAS market (according to MarketsandMarkets) is set to grow at a 34.36% compound annual growth rate from 2015 to 2020, with UAS shipments to reach 3.8 million units in 2020. A new report from the FAA backs up this forecast, with a somewhat lower...