Faster Topographic Surveys via Drones

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Better, faster topographic surveys with drones and AeroPoints

Propeller Aero

15th June 2017

Read Time: 2 mins

Osprey Aerial Intelligence replaced a traditional RTK base and rover setup with AeroPoints to deliver high-precision topographic surveys across hard-to-reach land development sites in British Columbia. The switch improved elevation accuracy, cut ground control costs, and simplified deployment. AeroPoints automatically upload position data to Propeller after each flight, giving clients a 3D site view they can measure, share, and act on from the same platform.

Osprey Aerial Intelligence, an aviation company based in British Columbia’s South Okanagan Valley, uses AeroPoints to produce high-precision topographic surveys for local land developers.

Drone solutions for land developers

Most of Osprey’s clients are land developers scouting sites for vineyards, wineries, and residential projects in the South Okanagan Valley. As flat, accessible land in the region becomes harder to find, developers are turning to the mountainous terrain above the valley.

Drone surveys give them a cost-effective way to capture the topographic data they need to assess these hard-to-reach sites before committing to them.

Drone surveying land development site in British Columbia, Canada

“We recognized the benefits of drone technology for various industries and saw a niche in our area to get a UAV business started,” said Dax Kent, Osprey’s president and CTO. What Kent and his team quickly discovered was that aerial survey accuracy depends on a reliable ground control system.

Sorting out ground control

Osprey did their homework before committing to a ground control solution.

They needed accuracy their clients could trust, and they were close to purchasing a full RTK base and rover setup when they came across AeroPoints in a sUAS News article.

The decision was quick. AeroPoints delivered the accuracy they needed at a fraction of the cost of the alternatives they had been considering.

“We pulled the trigger on the AeroPoints and never looked back,” Kent said. “For us, AeroPoints are the ideal solution for providing GCP data on a survey.”

“AeroPoints save us both time and money compared to traditional methods. This helps us keep costs down for our clients.”

Dax Kent, Osprey Aerial Intelligence

The benefits of using AeroPoints

Since ordering their first set of AeroPoints in 2016, Osprey has used them across land development and subdivision planning jobs throughout the region.

AeroPoints deployed at a land development survey site in British Columbia

Kent points to three things that stand out: accuracy, simple deployment, and the connection to the Propeller platform.

Accuracy

Elevation accuracy improved significantly after adding AeroPoints, especially in the Z coordinate. The improvement was enough that Osprey went back to recapture surveys completed before they adopted the system.

Simple deployment

One-button operation, straightforward setup. Osprey marks AeroPoint positions as GPS waypoints during preplanning so the ground team can deploy each unit exactly where planned and collect them in reverse order after the flight.

Platform connection

After each flight, AeroPoints automatically upload position data to Propeller, where the 3D model is ready for measurement, visualization, and analysis.

“Propeller has been rock solid and gives our customers a very easy-to-use interface. It delivers additional value by allowing clients to view their site in 3D, share that view with others, and carry out essential measuring and planning work right from within the platform.”

Dax Kent, Osprey Aerial Intelligence