Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones as they are commonly known as have been around since the 19th century. But it was during WWII, unmanned remote-controlled drones like Argus As 292 and the V-1 ‘flying bomb’ began gaining popularity.
Drones and their Ever-changing Uses
The postwar aggression between countries has only helped in the rapid development of the drone project. The Israeli Tadiran Mastiff, first flown in 1975, is the precursor to the commercial drone. It used a live video-streaming and data-link system for real-time surveillance. These features form the basis of many modern crafts.
Today, we use drones for a variety of non-aggressive purposes. Innovations in energy and AI have gone hand in hand with drone development. As a result, there is a rapid increase in the commercial and recreational use of these machines.
Drones: Present Day
Today, they are utilized in everything from aerial photography and mapping to rescue missions. In fact, the global UAV market is expected to grow to a whopping $11295.1 billion by 2028. The Covid 19 pandemic has spurred the growth of drone companies like Percepto. As the world changes, consumers also find newer ways to deal with these upheavals. Companies like these are helping customers find these new solutions. Therefore it is no surprise that Percepto is included in the list of 2021 CB Insights AI 100 Most Innovative Artificial Intelligence Startups.
The Top Commercial Uses of Drones
Using drone tech to meet your surveillance needs is an excellent way to get on with the changing market. You are free to monitor your assets from the safety of your home without risking your health and your staff’s health.
Aside from the reduced risk of infection, you can benefit a lot more by implementing a drone system in your business. These machines boost your inspection capabilities because they can quickly fly beyond the visual line of sight. Implementing such a system reduces the risk of injury to your manual workforce. It can also save you a lot of trouble ferrying surveillance equipment from one point to another.
Here are other ways how a drone can help your business in a property inspection.
More Data Unearthed
Unlike a manual property inspection, drone-based practices are comprehensive. The footage is detailed, but you can also store it for later review.
Advantages of Using Drones
With a manual inspection system, you have to hire third-party professionals for your property inspection as a business owner. This service entails that whatever information you receive is passed on to you via the property inspector. As a result, many crucial repairing or vulnerable spots may remain in the areas they inspect.
You are the person most familiar with your property and know it like the back of your hand. Aerial drone inspection plays on this by actively making you a part of the inspection process. You receive live footage of your property. You can also direct the drone to any suspicious/vulnerable-looking area for a more detailed look.
Drones for Commercial Use
Unmanned aerial vehicles have come a long way since their inception as incendiary balloons. Major drone manufacturers like DJI make more than $11 billion per year. They make machines with a primary focus on videography and photography.
For example, the company’s Phantom 4 RTK drone specializes in high-level surveying and mapping. It can map terrain with 2 inches/ 5 cm accuracy. This feat is impressive, considering that the average drone accuracy is only 16.4 ft/ 5 m.
The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is an excellent fit for more conventional inspection work. The multi-rotor drone boasts a Hasselblad L1D-20c Camera able to capture images with 20 mp clarity. A built-in CMOS sensor enables the machine to scan your property even in low-light areas. Moreover, the drone has a reduced noise system and an Intelligent Flight Battery to enhance your experience. In addition to decreasing the risk factor, these drones also provide more data within the same time frame. With a manual system, a visual reading, however thorough, is all you will receive. But unmanned flying vehicles can be equipped with more complex equipment. Attaching multispectral and thermal sensors to the drone can give you a highly detailed report of your property.
Less Risk
Dangers of Manual Inspection
Inspection is a dangerous business. From slippery roofs to shakey pillars to loose tiles, the is always a danger of an accident happening. There is always a risk of injury for professionals involved in this field.
For the inspection of high rises and commercial buildings, there is an increased risk. The workforce must rely on more machines to check out a loose scaffolding or a stray line high up. The chances of something going wrong is consistently higher in such cases. Additionally, since these workers have to undergo high-risk situations; the corresponding insurance expenses tend to be hefty.
How Drones Help Mitigate Risks
Using drones to do these highly dangerous things can be an enormous advantage. They efficiently fly into hard-to-reach and tight areas that would typically require a rope and a lot of strategic navigation. In the case of an accident, you can easily fix a damaged machine. But an ill-time inspection can have life-long consequences for humans.
For example, a Japanese corporation deployed a drone after a tsunami struck the Fukuyama plant on March 11, 2011. The Tokyo Electric Power- the plant’s parent company, used the vehicle to photograph its nuclear power plant. Since the disaster had made conditions unstable within the station, they sent the drone in place of human workers.
The inspection helped the company receive detailed data about possible nuclear contamination. As a result, they resumed work only when it was deemed safe for the people to approach the station.
Access to Hard-to-Reach Areas
Places like boiler rooms and equipment storage can be challenging to inspect. In such cases, a drone-like Elios 2 can be beneficial. In addition to this, drones can even give you a thorough review of cramped, inaccessible areas.
This machine specializes in indoor inspections. The cage/shell built around it protects the device even during collisions in tight spaces. Meanwhile, its GPS-free stabilizing system ensures stability during navigation. Other oblique and dustproof lighting features guarantee that you receive the most precise picture on your live steam.
Cost-Effective
In property inspections, there is nothing as essential and frustrating as scaffolding. Not many people understand the hassle and the expenses of building the frame. Constructing temporary structures costs a lot of money and is very impractical in the long run. Especially for taller buildings, property inspections are complex primarily of this.
Using drones on your property can help eliminate this whole tedious mess. Aside from saving on structure building, you also do not have to hire an entire manual team. By reducing the number of personnel hiring, you also cut down on the insurance costs.
Using Drones for Energy Audits
With the advantage of so many benefits at your fingertips, not getting a drone service seems to be an evident loss for your business. Know how drones for property inspection can help you save costs and do more. From analyzing the effectiveness of insulation in the building to knowing where the building heat is being retained (or lost), using drones for property inspections can help you get better insights. Talk to us to know more about how we can use drones to make energy audits more efficient for you.