While drones or unmanned aerial vehicles are nothing new to the mainstream media, they have come a long way in both their technical specifications and their capabilities. Modern drones are lightweight, agile, and are operated either from the ground or from remote locations. The drone’s systems consist of an operator, control system, ground and satellite equipment, and communication links, allowing them to live stream video recordings and take high-resolution images. Initially used in the military, drones are now revolutionizing the construction industry by reducing labor, eliminating human error, and providing accurate data gathering analysis. Recently, the Abu Dhabi Municipality rolled out a pilot scheme to use drones as monitoring devices to see how the engineering work is progressing on construction sites for Expo 2020.
Why Run a Pilot Scheme for Construction Site Monitoring?
According to the Abu Dhabi Municipality, the pilot scheme is being run to assess the drone’s ability to withstand harsh climate conditions. During the pilot, the drone’s altitudes and distance away from the construction sites is also being tested, in hopes of understanding how the technology can be used as a support structure for getting work done on the ground.
What Does the UAE Get Out of Using Drones in This Manner?
The drones are being used to remove a lot of the legwork required in monitoring and assessing construction site projects. The legwork includes assessing project progress, photographing the sites, monitoring work environments, and ensuring key environmental factors are in check like sediment erosion and water removal.
How Are Drones Currently Used in the Construction Industry?
- They Are Used for Environmental Monitoring: When working with environments that are prone to environmental issues, you want to monitor these closely. You don’t want the engineering of a site to falter because of unseen soil erosion or problems with sediment movement. A drone can record things like sediment values, vegetation, and erosion data points that will keep you within a safe environment.
- They Are Used for Construction Site Surveillance: For large construction sites, job site security is absolutely required. Drones can aid the security team so that you do not need to hire on as many security team members, and instead use the drone’s regular and infrared cameras to get the job done. Your drone pilot can then indicate whether there is a security breach or not.
- They Are Used for Multiple Job Site Monitoring: A lot of construction site contractors have multiple jobs on the go at once, costing them a lot of time to travel between sites. To cut down on this time, drones can be used to assess whether safety rules are being followed, whether the equipment is being properly used, and whether high-quality work is being done or not. No more driving from site to site, just to find out that your construction crew is out of sorts.
- They Are Used to Provide Aerial Views: When you have clients that are not residents of the area where the project is taking place, having aerial views are integral to showcasing the project’s progress. Aerial shots can be taken of the entire landscape while lateral shots can be taken of any building structures.
- They Are Used for Site Surveys: They are perfect for assessing land, eliminating the need for the use of survey tools and heavy equipment. They can tell you whether the land is perfect for a certain construction project or whether there are issues with the soil, vegetation, or surrounding land.
While the UAE drones may not be in use for all of the above areas, they are being used to assess project progress and provide a little bit of aerial footage to show how the buildings for Expo 2020 are coming along.
If you really like to know more about how Drones Monitoring can benefit your business , please get in touch with the expertise of Let’s Nurture for a free consultation. We will help you explore how your business can benefit from our diverse portfolio of IoT solutions and Mobile App Development.