Everything You Need to Know About Drone Topography

Licenses for drone topography are required for any drone pilot. To obtain one, you must have at least one basic remote pilot certificate (part 10) issued by the FAA. Before that, you must also pass the FAA's General Unmanned Aircraft — Small (UAG) exam. Aerial topography is based on photogrammetry to catalog data.

This technique uses superimposed geotagged photographs to infer the dimension on the ground. To achieve this, your drone needs to have a camera that can capture 4K videos and 12 MP photos. Drone inspection can survey complexes, facilities, campuses, cities and military bases to obtain thermal images. Drone topography allows surveyors to collect data more safely and quickly than traditional methods. When the drone surveys the land, it will use the RGB camera to photograph the ground from different angles.

Depending on topography software and data sensors, a drone can achieve several types of results. Hot water lines, water supply pipes, steam supply pipes and condensation return lines can be precisely monitored with the help of a drone. Multi-rotor drones are easier to fly, while fixed-wing models are better suited for surveying large areas. When you want to complete a drone survey, you follow those basic principles, but you use a drone to gather the information. Construction, waste management, aggregates and mining companies are constantly discovering new efficiencies in their operations thanks to advances in drone reconnaissance technology.