{"id":4652,"date":"2020-05-05T18:30:44","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T18:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/?p=4652"},"modified":"2024-10-03T15:11:33","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T20:11:33","slug":"reality-capture-unmanned-aircraft-and-3d-laser-scanners-reduce-risk-improve-accuracy-save-time-and-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/imegcorp.com\/insights\/blog\/reality-capture-unmanned-aircraft-and-3d-laser-scanners-reduce-risk-improve-accuracy-save-time-and-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Reality Capture: The many benefits of drones and 3D laser scanners"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Eric Vallejo<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One of the coolest parts of my job is that I get to play with a lot of new toys \u2013 or \u201ctools\u201d \u2013 that are taking over the AEC industry, like drones and high-tech 3D laser scanners.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Recently, for example, I had the opportunity to create a 3D map of\u00a0<\/span>a large medical center<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in California<\/span>. IMEG is providing full-service engineering and design services for the campus, so we flew one of our drones and mapped almost 200 acres in less than four hours. Farther up the coast in the Northwest, we spent\u00a0<\/span>several days flying our drones and conducting 3D scanning<\/a> to aid in a master plan development for\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0Veterans Administration<\/span>\u00a0medical center.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Aerial imagery is nothing new<\/span>, b<\/span>ut the construction industry doesn\u2019t benefit from photos that are static, may be 10 years old or older, and don\u2019t capture data<\/span>\u00a0(e.g., Google Earth)<\/span>. Using a combination of state-of-the-art drone and\u00a0<\/span>3D laser\u00a0<\/span>scanning technology,\u00a0<\/span>however,\u00a0<\/span>we can capture a current look at the actual site, the lay of the land, buildings and other structures, and\u00a0<\/span>collect\u00a0<\/span>an immense amount of data.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Before I get any deeper into what we can do with these tools, I want to cover some common terminology and details:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As cool as all the technology is, what we can do with it is even more impressive \u2013 showing owners a flyover of their proposed or in-progress site development,\u00a0<\/span>creating\u00a0<\/span>a 3D map of large areas that would take days to map, or\u00a0<\/span>taking\u00a0<\/span>highly accurate measurements of multiple buildings on a campus. We\u2019ve even used our 3D laser scanners to measure the surface area of a water tower so the municipality would know how much paint would be needed to repaint it.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Our drone and 3D laser scanning services are not limited to civil projects. Basically, if we can see it, we can map it, so we work closely with our other disciplines, from structural to MEP, to create some\u00a0<\/span>incredible<\/span>, information-rich\u00a0<\/span>models for clients in all markets. For example, we can fly drones to provide exterior structural inspections;\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>provide 3D mapping of a space destined for renovation to determine where new infrastructure will fit; or scan an existing mechanical room to determine if it can accommodate the size and dimensions of a particular piece of equipment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The uses of 3D scanners and drones are endless, especially when used together. But the best part of using these technologies is the benefit to our clients. These include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Time savings:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>An area that\u00a0<\/span>used to take days or weeks to manually map with a GPS or a traditional survey<\/span>\u00a0can now\u00a0<\/span>be flown and mapped\u00a0<\/span>in hours or a few days, depending on the size of the project<\/span>.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>L<\/span>ess time\u00a0<\/span>spent surveying\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>t a<\/span>\u00a0worksite translates to cost savings for clients<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 and helps speed up the entire construction timeline.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ease of access:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Need to inspect the structure underneath a bridge section? No need to utilize a lift or float in on a barge. Just fly a drone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Increased data and accuracy:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0The immense amount of data captured is extremely accurate and is always available for future extrapolation for other projects. Once you have a point cloud of your site, roadway, or interior space, you\u00a0<\/span>can reference that<\/span>\u00a0information forever.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Safety:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Not only do these tools capture unprecedented amounts of data, they allow us to create safer work environments for our surveyors and our clients\u2019 personnel. No one needs to venture into any potentially dangerous situation when a drone is available.<\/span>\u00a0(According to the blog\u00a0<\/span>Drone Base,<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of the 991 workplace fatalities that took place in the U.S. in 2016, 21% happened in construction.<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Construction industry reports and forecasts all point to the continued rise in the use of drones and 3D scanners.\u00a0<\/span>Considering<\/span>\u00a0the many\u00a0<\/span>benefits<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>se technologies<\/span>\u00a0provide, there\u2019s no wonder why.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n