Drone Technology in Architecture, Engineering and Construction

CHAPTER 11The Future of UAVs

Drone technology has disrupted how we collect and view data in our surroundings. What once took weeks of field collection can now be collected in a matter of days, often hours. Areas once considered unreachable, or at least uncollectable from a data perspective, are now thought of as no problem. The precision of the data collected via drones makes us question how we traditionally collect data and what that precision means. On top of this, technologies traditionally used in a lab or very small scale settings are finding new uses in landscape scale projects because of drones.

Although this book focuses on site and physical data in architecture, engineering, and construction industries, the application of drone technology already reaches far beyond these. Within these industries, drones are also being used with LiDAR sensors, thermal sensors, infrared/multispectral sensors, and NDVI sensors (Figure 11.1).

Within other industries, drones are being used in a plethora of new ways. Drones have been used to uncover hidden archaeological sites with LiDAR and ground penetrating radar. Entire software packages have been developed to use drones for construction administration and monitor construction progress matched up with BIM design drawings. Full turn-key operations for automated drone site surveillance have been developed for security operations. Drones are being used to monitor ice shelf changes and movements. Drones have helped to track wildlife poachers ...