Do you know what you don't know?
If you’ve had a Drone Service provider flying drones over your construction projects, then you are aware of the advantages of progress photography. If paying $200.00 an hour is in the budget, then by all means keep those people in the air. But, if purchasing your own drone and having a licensed pilot or team on staff would be a better fit for your company, then where do you start?
It may seem like there are a ton of choices. Really, when we look at what we have been hired to do and where the industry is at right now there really are only a few choices. We are not here to tell you "go get this and this and this". We want to show what will work and then train you how to use it. That's what we do better than anyone.
Think about it like this. What are you going to take from your drone?
Are you a full survey firm? Do you need to have RTK? Do you have an experienced pilot that has the hours to understand and handle a $30,000.00 Matrice 210 RTK V2? There are a lot of things to think about. How fast does the tech change? Do we even know what we don't know?
We have trained hundreds of commercial Part 107 pilots. Of those a fair amount have been from the construction world. What we have learned is that as fast as drone tech and software is changing it is in the company's best interest to start with the lowest cost UAS that will do the job. If it is going to fly once a week and just take progress pictures then a a Mavic Pro or an Autel Evo is perfect. If it is going to fly everyday and gather data for cut/fills and volumatics or 3D mapping that needs to be real time then maybe you do need a DJI Matrice.
Below we will discuss the merits of the top 5.
It may seem like there are a ton of choices. Really, when we look at what we have been hired to do and where the industry is at right now there really are only a few choices. We are not here to tell you "go get this and this and this". We want to show what will work and then train you how to use it. That's what we do better than anyone.
Think about it like this. What are you going to take from your drone?
Are you a full survey firm? Do you need to have RTK? Do you have an experienced pilot that has the hours to understand and handle a $30,000.00 Matrice 210 RTK V2? There are a lot of things to think about. How fast does the tech change? Do we even know what we don't know?
We have trained hundreds of commercial Part 107 pilots. Of those a fair amount have been from the construction world. What we have learned is that as fast as drone tech and software is changing it is in the company's best interest to start with the lowest cost UAS that will do the job. If it is going to fly once a week and just take progress pictures then a a Mavic Pro or an Autel Evo is perfect. If it is going to fly everyday and gather data for cut/fills and volumatics or 3D mapping that needs to be real time then maybe you do need a DJI Matrice.
Below we will discuss the merits of the top 5.
- DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2: This is a top choice drone that has object detection and collision avoidance. It is also equipped with a 1-inch 20MP camera that records video in 4K with a 100mbps bitrate. This camera is excellent for 2D/3D mapping and has a exceptional gimbal. This is a professional grade drone that will get most jobs done for under $1500.00.
- Autel Robotics EVO: This is a compact folding unit equipped with a powerful camera on a 3-axis stabilized gimbal that records video at 4k resolution up to 60 frames per second and a recording speed up to 100mbps at 12 megapixels. Integrated advanced computer vision systems provide forward obstacle avoidance, rear obstacle detection and bottom sensors for more accurate landings and stable indoor flights. EVO boasts flight times up to 30 minutes with a range of 4.3 miles (7KM). Additionally, EVO offers failsafe features letting you know when the battery is low and it’s time to return to home. EVO includes a remote controller which houses a 3.3-inch OLED screen at 720p HD video. for under a $1,000.00 it is a solid platform.
- DJI Mavic 2 Pro: The second iteration of DJI's Mavic Pro delivers the sharpest videos and stills of any consumer drone thanks to its gimbal-stabilized Hasselblad camera, which boasts a 1-inch CMOS sensor. Pictures are brighter, more detailed, and noticeably superior to those taken using the previous model. DJI has made improvements on the software side too, with new modes for capturing photos and videos - including hyperlapse, which creates stunning aerial videos. It is pricey for the size.
- DJI Mavic Pro: It is an older model, but this is still one of the best drones around. Don't let the size fool you. This pint-sized flyer boasts the kind of performance that DJI's larger drones are famous for. The camera is 12MP mounted on a gimbal, It delivers outstanding results with both photos and video in good lighting. The Mavic Pro has a top speed of around 40 mph and the battery is good for around 20 to 25 minutes. Range is way out past VLOS (3 miles!) and it all comes in a compact easy to carry and deploy package.
- DJI Inspire 2: This tough magnesium-aluminum covered drone is known for superb flying ability and agility and is a firm favorite for these wanting to do top-quality aerial photography. Combine this great drone with the X4S and X5S gimbal cameras and you have a solution with both the flying ability and camera quality ideal for inspections. The Inspire 2 brings 5.2K Cameras, allows for CinemaDNG and ProRes Recording has CineCore 2.0 Image Processing for great aerial footage. Full advanced Obstacle Sensing. The dual batteries will provide just under half an hour of fly time and and redundancy that brings a new level of safety to the game.
There are other options that will work and we feel that the old standard DJI Inspire 1 with its ability to carry FLIR and so many other payloads should get an honorable mention.
When you are ready to pull the trigger and get your company in the drone world, We are here to train and consult on how to build your team and hardware.