Introduction

The Indian construction sector is a fastest growing industry in the present scenario. The industry is making extensive use of modern technologies like Drones, 3D printing, 3D Laser Scanning, etc. to achieve a comfortable as well as sustainable housing for everyone.

With the initiative of “Smart City Mission” by our honorable PM. NarendraModi, the widespread use of latest construction technology is gaining advancements.

Photogrammetry is the buzzing word nowadays and is becoming a popular career option for the graduates as well as engineers from any stream. Photogrammetry means merely the combination of Photography and Geometry. It is used to get the accurate data of an object with the help of photographs and is helpful in mapping, surveying, urban town planning as well as development.

 The photogrammetry technology uses drones to click the pictures. Civilian drones are in booming phase and are proving beneficial in almost every sector. Let’s see its benefits in the realm of urban planning and development. Also, we will look into the reasons behind choosing drones for mapping and surveying.

The traditional method of data collection

Conventionally, data is collected by ground-based survey tools. But there were lots of disadvantages like expenses, inaccuracy in data, increased workforce, etc. With the introduction of drones, the jobs are getting done in a very faster way with low maintenance expenses, quick deployment times and different types of installable cameras. The data collection process was faster, cheaper as well as safer as compared with data collection of satellites, manned aircraft, or the road crews.  The drones are useful for mapping road, highway and the railway infrastructures.

Top five benefits of drones in Urban Planning

1. Machine-driven Mapping

With the support of multiple control points, the drone can fly a calculated fly path autonomously at a given altitude. Depending on the facilities, the drone can take common high-resolution color pictures. Each captured image overlaps the previous image 80% to the front and 60% to the side.

2. Spatial Surveying

The land surveyors can make use of drones to define property boundaries for various purposes like selling, buying, renting a building or land. Thus, the identification of boundaries and land features with drone generated image is an added benefit. The way of mapping and surveying boundaries with drones have an essential impact on real estate and appraisal industry owing to the low costs of data collection.

3. Corridor Surveying

The main benefit of the drone is they are ideal for capturing infrastructure facilities. The drones can map and capture all kinds of infrastructure for the Government, urban planners, etc. The images click using drones are geometrically corrected afterward because they often contain inaccuracies as a result of topographic reliefs, lens distortion, and camera tilts.

4. Easy Volumetric Calculations

With the help of drones, it is now readily possible by measuring voluminous materials like spoil heaps, stockpiles, and also material waste pits. After mapping the site using a drone, it is possible to generate a digital surface. Ground-Based surveying as compare to drone surveying is more dangerous as well as time-consuming. It seems quite outdated if a ground-based employee measures the stockpile elevation every 5 to 10 feet. According to a survey, a drone measures a 30-acre site in around 30 minutes while a ground-based surveyor takes a whole day for the same work.

5. LiDAR Mapping

With the help of drones, it is now possible to generate a virtual-high resolution map of the surrounding area with LiDAR. In this process, it creates a brief digital representation of objects, buildings as well as of the ground. The images are more detailed than simple pictures.

 LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) is a surveying technology that measures distances by transmitting beams of light in all directions via a laser source. The technology is useful in collecting the light reflection with the help of a sensor. By measuring the required time for a round trip of the laser light, distances can be easily calculated. A powerful computer generated a three-dimensional map in real time. The large drones are in need for aerial photographs in LiDAR technology.

Conclusion

Drones are placing a powerful impact on mapping and surveying. Well, it would not surprise if GIS experts, as well as scientists and land surveyors, take advantages of drones shortly.