Land surveying is the method of measuring 3D points on a piece of land. Construction businesses, regulatory agencies, and property owners all use land surveys to find out about the lay of the land. It’s a critical step in assessing any property for future development. With the help of drones and GPS, it’s simple and efficient.
In this article, we will learn how drones and GPS are used in land surveying and the benefits they offer.
What is Land Surveying?
Before discussing how drones are used in land surveying, it is vital to know precisely what land surveying is. Land surveying is the technique of mapping and measuring to determine the boundaries of a piece of land. It entails mapping out the topography of an area and measuring the elevations of various points.
What is Drone Land Surveying?
Drone land surveying uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to assess huge plots of land. Outfitted with downward-facing, high-tech cameras and sensors, a drone can immediately capture data and images of the terrain below it. Next, advanced mapping software develops the drone data and converts it into high-quality 3D maps and models that exactly represent the land’s topography and geography.
Since drones complete the task quicker, they are also very affordable. You spend less on labor when the job only needs one or two people. Furthermore, drone and mapping software solutions can automate data processing and collection, passing the savings on to you.
Drone land surveys also provide centimeter-level accuracy. Since drones can fly closer to the ground than satellites, the data they gather is better quality. Every pixel on a drone map or point on a 3D model is given with accurate geo-data that is difficult to obtain any other way.
By using drones, you also reduce safety liabilities. Conventional surveyors must occasionally walk through hazardous terrain or in adverse weather conditions to finish a job. However, using drones means that no one will be in danger. Regardless of the slope or terrain, drone pilots can control the drone remotely and out of harm’s way.
Lastly, drones are hassle-free. They are a complete tool that can launch from practically anywhere to cover a vast area and reach inaccessible spaces. They can also survey without interfering with operations on the ground. Therefore, you don’t have to redirect traffic or close roads for drones to work. Drones are the answer when it comes to making the best use of your time and money.
Various Ways to Use Drones in Land Surveying
Drones are used in surveying in various ways. Here are some of the most typical applications of drones in surveying:
Mapping
Drones can be used to generate exact maps of an area. By taking aerial imagery of the land, drones can produce high-resolution maps. These maps offer a meticulous, clear view of an area including its elevation, features, and contours. Surveyors can use these maps to pinpoint areas that might need more examination, such as possible dangerous areas or spaces with unpredictable terrain.
Topography
Drones can be used to map out the topography of a terrain, creating comprehensive 3D models of the area. This data is helpful for construction jobs as it assists in deciding the best place for roads, buildings, and other edifices.
Inspections
Drones can be used to inspect difficult-to-reach places like power lines, roofs, and towers. With their capacity to take high-resolution imagery, drones can identify any signs of damage or deterioration. This information can help avoid accidents and guarantee that the infrastructure is in excellent working condition.
Environmental Monitoring
Drones can be used to monitor the environment. For instance, they can map out the level of a forest fire, observe the health of crops, and study wildlife populations. This data can be used to create strategies for defending the environment and handling natural resources.
Advantages of Using Drones in Land Surveying
Employee safety: Land surveyors’ work doesn’t take into consideration fatigue or weather conditions. The work is usually outdoors regardless of weather and there is additional danger of tough terrain.
Using a drone eliminates many risks associated with land surveying like physical injuries. By just pushing a button, a drone can autonomously survey a site, get a whole aerial mapping of the area, return to its launch location, and upload the information to a secure cloud in just minutes. The entire process doesn’t put anyone at risk of harm or injury.
Survey Speed: When it comes to speed, there’s no similarity between land surveying and drone mapping. Land surveyors work long hours and must make sure the heavy equipment they need makes it from one job site to another.
Instead of days or weeks, drones take minutes to finish a job site survey with the same amount of precision as you would on foot. Drones make it possible for ad hoc flights of whole sites or certain areas of projects to get easy access to the most current information on a work site on a consistent basis.
Project budget: The good news about using drones is you probably already have the budget for them. Using drones can fit effortlessly into your pre-existing budget allowances and can also put money back into the company’s budget and leaving time to spend on other jobs.
Traditional surveyors might need several weeks to map a hazardous 100-acre site. However, a drone can do the job in under 30 minutes. The amplified speed and automation that drones offer allow businesses to safely accept and finish more projects for more clients, on more sites, in less time.
Single tool: Land surveyors can now use drones that autopilot with just the push of a button. These drones can produce the same results as standard land surveying tools minus the exhaustion and heavy lifting. This permits the land surveyors to be safer, spending less time on every job. In turn, the company can re-budget or save money.
Though there are tools that have standardly been used for land surveying, it might be time to put them down and pick up a drone. The use of drones would permit land surveyors to get data just as precise as before but in a more timely and safer way.
What is GPS for Land Surveying?
GPS devices are a vital piece of handheld survey equipment. It is a crucial part of numerous land surveys because of its ability to deliver extremely precise GPS coordinates. GPS works by communication between the survey equipment and sky satellites. Therefore, it must be a clear day for a GPS to give the most accurate measurements.
Land surveyors were among the first to take advantage of GPS since it considerably improved productivity and resulted in more reliable and correct information. GPS is currently a critical part of land surveying activities worldwide.
When used by experienced professionals, GPS offers land surveying data of maximum accuracy. GPS-based information collection is quicker than standard land surveying methods, decreasing the amount of labor and equipment needed. For example, a land surveyor in Colorado can now finish in one day what once took a whole team several days and weeks to complete.
What Does GPS in Land Surveying Entail?
GPS supports the exact mapping of the physical world, from rivers and mountains to buildings to roads to utility lines and more. Features measured with GPS can be shown on maps and in geographic information systems (GIS) that collect, maneuver, and present geographically referenced data.
Unlike standard methods, GPS land surveying isn’t constrained by restrictions like line-of-sight visibility among survey stations. The stations can be positioned at vaster distances between each other and can function anywhere.
GPS is particularly helpful in land surveying waterways and coasts since there are limited land-based reference points. Offshore oil rigs and bridge builders depend on GPS for exact hydrographic surveys.
Land surveyors can carry GPS systems in backpacks or affix them on vehicles to deliver fast, precise data collection. Some of these systems transmit wirelessly with reference receivers to provide real-time, uninterrupted centimeter-level exactness and unparalleled productivity gains.
Advantages of Using GPS in Land Surveying
There are several advantages to using GPS in land surveying including:
- Substantial productivity rewards in terms of labor, time, and equipment needed
- Lesser operational limitations contrasted to standard techniques
- Precise placement of physical features that can be used in maps
- Quicker delivery of geographic information needed to make informed decisions
- Centimeter-level land surveying results in real-time
GPS is an excellent piece of surveying equipment for precise and efficient measurements. In case of cloudy days or inclement weather, surveyors should have backup equipment on hand to use.
Getting Started
Now that you know the fundamentals of drone and GPS land surveying, you can take your next surveying job to a new level.
Here at Baseline, we help organizations with various land surveying projects including using drones and GPS to collect field data. If you’re interested in working with our land surveyors in Colorado on your next surveying and mapping project, call us or fill out our contact form.
