Benefits Of Manual Surveying

Manual surveys have been carried out for so long that many organisations exist that are fully equipped and can do a fantastic job. The only benefit of these over a drone is to give peace of mind to someone unwilling to accept drones as being just as effective, if not more.

Drawbacks of Manual Surveying

Surveys carried out via a traditional manual method can be an extensive and costly operation. For a land survey, numerous people would travel across an area to plot specific points. The task can be prone to human error and could also be dangerous depending on the terrain. When an aerial view is required, or a roof or tall building survey, the need for scaffolding and lots of extra safety equipment arises, further adding to the cost. 

Even with the correct safety equipment in place, surveys at height can be dangerous and tricky. With the rise in popularity of interesting architecture comes buildings that aren’t so easy to navigate on the outside. 

Due to the constraints of people and equipment, the data from a land survey can take months to be compiled into a report, which isn’t ideal if you’re on a budget and a deadline. This time-consuming task can result in projects getting behind and incurring further costs.

Benefits Of Drone Surveying

Improved safety

Drones can easily access even the trickiest buildings and unknown land areas to provide fast and accurate data with no humans put at risk. A skilled pilot remains safe and collects varied data, high-quality images and video using only the drone.

There is no need for scaffold or other equipment, and nobody has to try and scale potentially dangerous buildings or ground. 

Fast and accurate

Drones can complete a survey in a fraction of the time due to their ability to fly over the area to be surveyed. Drones can scan up to 700 acres per day and have reports ready in 2 weeks. This is a crucial component of keeping projects on track time-wise and reducing costs.

For buildings, again, the drone can simply take to the air and get on with the job with no specialist accommodations required. These fantastic machines are equipped with high-quality sensors that are precise to within millimetres, so there are no concerns over the accuracy of the data.

Images can be taken from specified distances and angles that can be repeated if necessary from the exact same position, something a human wouldn’t be able to do. 

Additional Data

High-tech drones offering these services come with the ability to gather data that humans cannot, such as 4K video, 2D and 3D modelling, and thermal and high-resolution imaging. The data you receive in a report from a drone can be multifaceted, giving a much broader picture.

Drawbacks of Using Drone Surveying

Drones have some limitations, such as the weather. Though a skilled pilot can operate safely in some conditions, there would be instances where it is unsuitable, or the data collection and accuracy would be affected. 

Drones have a limited flight time, but this would be taken into account by the operators and a plan put in place to keep the project moving forward and not dependent on a recharging drone!

Overall, the benefits of having a drone conduct your survey rather than a traditional manual method are numerous and substantial. Keeping humans safer and providing fast, comprehensive service at a fraction of the cost make choosing a drone survey next time a no-brainer.