Over the past decade, drones have evolved much from their traditional applications; one of the recent breakthroughs has been to create 2D and 3D models by compiling hundreds of images using sophisticated software to stitch the photos together!
The biggest question though is "How is this useful?"
In recent year's drones have been highly integrated into commercial society in ways that surprise even us. From local police officers locating criminal hideouts, firefighters scanning areas for water checkpoints, to farmers counting their crop yield. The creative and effective use of drone-captured 3D models is groundbreaking and we're here to tell you all about how various industries utilize these 3D models.
The Agriculture Industry
Drones have revolutionized the agricultural sector, providing the industry with much-needed technological support which is desperately needed now that farmers have been moving out of this industry for years. Drones came just at the right time, providing workers and farm managers with informative 3D models which make crop monitoring, measuring, and managing faster, easier, and safer than ever before.
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Photography drones paired with highly sophisticated software algorithms are able to detect the status and health of crops, pests, weeds, disease, and water stress, along with being able to determine your crop count, flowering levels, and many other details.
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Quickly identifying large problems with water stress, weed infestations, early detection of pest infestation, and plant disease analysis could save farmers thousands of dollars a year. In addition to detecting problems, software algorithms can also count plants and calculate overall yield with an exceptionally high rate of accuracy.
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Drone service companies such as ours can cover around 500 acres in less than 2 hours and 3D models can be produced within 24 hours, making this an incredibly fast alternative to manually checking crops. This map can then be carefully examined by an agricultural expert in order to produce a wide range of vital information that may have been invisible to you while on the ground.
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You can use this valuable information to create preventative countermeasures to save your crops, plan for next years' seeding, or to measure crop outputs.
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In an industry that is rapidly moving towards automation, utilizing drones to gather and analyze agriculture data is an essential step toward maintaining a competitive edge. Advanced drone techniques such as drone mapping can pave the way for healthier crops and increase yield productivity.
Oil And Gas Energy Projects
One of the significant challenges that engineers face when working on energy plants is the need to gather complete and accurate data. A very tedious survey will inevitably lead to delays in deploying the project. The use of drone technology in this sector has been considered a game-changer since traditional techniques require the movement of equipment from one place to another, or having to use a lot of manpower, which can lead to logistical problems that slow down the process overall.
You can use 3D models to measure stockpiles, perform detailed calculations, create mock-ups, detect plan deviations, conduct equipment and infrastructure inspections, monitor site progression, update aerial photos, or for generating site plans with a fully interactive product.
Since drones have the ability to keep moving as they scan, they also allow engineers to inspect vast swathes of land in a short period of time. Drones are also equipped with thermal imaging cameras which can also be turned into a 3D model, giving you an even greater understanding of equipment status or land surveys.
3D models based on data produced by drones can be updated regularly with little effort since they can be processed within 24 hours. Using a detailed 3D model, investors and engineers are better able to make decisions, allowing the project leaders to execute the project with greater confidence since their model is based on accurate and current calculations.
Telecommunication And Infrastructure Modeling
Using drones for inspection, up-keeping, and modeling telecommunication assets offers a greater advantage than traditional methods. Drones not only capture 3D models from all angles but are also able to provide video, high-quality photography, and HD live feed for inspection. 3D models created using drones infused with the power of live feeds are far safer and faster than previous methods of inspection!
Evaluation through a 3D model also ensures that the asset remains fully operational and functional throughout the process. These Models provide highly accurate mathematical readings that can open doors for future design, alterations, and new additions. They can also be used to keep track of existing dishes, towers, and other assets, ensuring that every part of the region is well-connected and integrated. Further benefits also include inspection for any telecommunication project that can be done remotely without involving any person on the project site, ensuring safety and security for all workers.
Urban Planning
As the world population continues to grow, cities are adapting to larger populations and need clear, accurate, and up-to-date information. Urban planning has become more important than ever, but it needs a clear understanding of human administration and metropolitan rhythms. With the use of drones and 3D models, architects can better understand the environment and implement data-driven improvements.
Drones provide a relatively low-cost way to gather data; thus, firms extensively use them to gather information about population-dense areas. This would allow the planners to create a
model and determine which areas will benefit from green space or extra parking. Roof modeling is also a major part of Urban planning. Generally, rooftops remain unused, even though they cover a large part of urban surfaces, but a quick 3D model of a town can pinpoint rooftops with the capacity for green improvements.
Models such as these can also be imperative to road designs, new construction, park planning, traffic analysis, and MUCH more! They can do all of this without once having to shut down roads and impede local traffic. Needless to say, drones will become a common tool for urban development as we move toward a faster-growing society that demands faster urban construction.
Video Game Production
We all know games are becoming more and more realistic because of the technological advancements in both software and hardware, but we are also seeing that companies have stepped up their game-making by bringing in drones for ultra-realistic environments. Big players such as PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox, and Windows are rapidly implementing drone imagery for their video games.
Currently, if a game developer wanted to recreate a place like Seattle, they would have to model every blade of grass, every window, every crack in the cement, every building, every road, every signpost, etc. This method takes a lot of time and it can be incredibly hard to recreate the simple things that give a town its atmosphere. You can try to recreate Seattle and all the unique architecture and artwork that the locals know and love, or you can get the real deal in a matter of days.
We can now take pictures of Seattle and compile it all into a highly accurate 3D model that you can then drop into a video game. We have already done it! Remember that gum you put on the gum wall, that graffiti you pass by every day, or that troll living under a bridge in Fremont? It would all be captured in a drone-created 3D model and would forever be in a video game! Don't worry though, the 3D model can be edited as much as you'd like so you can take out any unsightly objects or buildings.
This method shaves thousands of hours off of video game production! This means video game designers can focus on storylines and gameplay rather than creating a hyper-realistic environment. This is also an exciting prospect for gamers like myself. I'd love to fight off zombies in a video game version of my backyard!
Outdoor Activities And Terrain Inspection
Drones are extensively used in both indoor and outdoor activities! Things such as mapping a good location for the next stadium, checking the structural integrity of current stadiums, and recording events are just a few examples!
The state governments have also started employing drones to map out national parks and dangerous mountain terrain for developing roads and other infrastructure. Similarly, professional mountain climbers and skiers have used drone-generated models to predict their safest routes for travel. These models can also serve as a tipoff against potential hazards or environmental disasters such as avalanches or hidden cliffs.
Geologists routinely use drone-generated models in the exploration of mineral deposits and have achieved great results. Nowadays, precise geology maps can be prepared thanks to high-resolution images provided by drones and the development of image processing techniques.
Drones also offer a cheaper and easy-to-use method for open-pit mining. It is gradually replacing traditional ground-based and conventional aircraft-based mapping, especially in inaccessible areas. Drones can calculate the depth, height, width, and area of any given terrain with incredible accuracy! Making it a lot safer and faster at collecting important information.
Reconstruction of 3D Accidents/Crime Scenes/Historical Cities
Drone 3D models are increasingly used to recreate a variety of scenes or capture a scene as a whole to then be later evaluated by professionals. Two such examples are; recreating a crime scene and surveying an archeological site.
In the past, police spend a lot of time preparing documentation by using conventional methods. These processes can be time-consuming and can oftentimes contaminate a crime scene. It can also be hard to envision a crime scene and all of the elaborate details when everything is on a whiteboard. 3D models have given investigators a new tool for recreating crime scenes where all details of the site are accurately preserved on a computer where you can later measure and analyze the crime scene in detail.
Similarly, archeologists face difficulties in excavating entire cities and then modeling them on computers later using primitive techniques such as pen and paper. Drones can now accurately recreate these cities and even discover hidden monuments. In fact, drones have already discovered lost cities! After analyzing a 3D model, archeologists noticed something strange in the development of a mountainside, only to discover the lost city of Natounia!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are SO many ways to use 3D drone models! This is only the start too! As we continue to improve drone technology, we will continue to find ways of implementing this groundbreaking technology in more creative projects. Eventually, the 3D drone modeling software will become so accurate that it'll be hard to deny the benefits.
Whether it's for mapping out the terrain for new hiking paths or recreating lost historical sites in a virtual reality simulation, it's no doubt that drones are slowly pulling various industries into a future of faster, safer, and easier project management.
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