Traditional techniques for asset inspection require costly heavy machinery or force inspectors into dangerous situations. As a result, the use of drone technology has risen to the top of the world’s most effective inspection programs. However, despite the numerous advantages that drones bring, their adoption remains hindered by manual drones.

In order to get the most out of drone inspections, operators have adopted photogrammetry, a process of stitching together photos to generate a three-dimensional model. The big benefit of using photogrammetry, in addition to the raw HD photos, is that it allows us to take measurements directly from the digital twin 3D model. Need to see microwave line-of-sight or measure the distance between antennas on a mount? Need to determine a dead-accurate RAD center height or the downtilt of a panel? It’s all possible with photogrammetry.

While the value of photogrammetry is clear, using it at scale directly depends on the consistency and efficiency of the data capture phase. When you have tens of thousands of assets to inspect in a year, the ability to capture a complete and accurate data set as efficiently as possible the first time around is critical to ensure a positive return on investment. The only viable path is through a reliable, automated process that eliminates human errors.

In this speaking session, we’ll discuss:

• How autonomous drones with adaptive scanning software make data capture for infrastructure scalable.
• How autonomous drones support a wide range of inspection applications to deliver a tool that is a true force multiplier.