You Want to Capture the Site Frequently
An area where UAV imaging techniques have an advantage over conventional methods of collecting data is the frequency with which they can be deployed. This is why one of the areas of strongest demand for UAVs is volumetric measurement for monitoring pits and stock-piles. Survey considerations are minimal here: Once appropriate survey control has been established for a site, it is relatively straightforward to collect data on same site on a frequent basis.
Hidden Costs: The expertise to treat the data correctly. A spatial scientist or statistician will be able to understand concepts such as the modifiable areal unit problem, and the impact that methodologies for measuring or approximating shapes will have on the volumes calculated.
Since volumetric monitoring projects are frequently used to provide mines or industrial facilities with numbers for production or wastage reports, it is essential that a service provider is able to understand the implications of how they have calculated those volumes. Most importantly, service providers must understand how to identify and correct errors in their methodology before the implications cost their end customer further.
Next Week
So, if you shouldn’t focus on cost when considering a UAV survey method, or simply expect a UAV-method to be cheaper, then what should you consider when deciding whether UAVs are right for you? This will be for the final installment next week.