Empowering Indigenous Communities Through Drone Technology Subscribe Overview As the CEO of Indigenous Aerospace, Jacob Taylor’s drive comes from his relentless pursuit to ensure indigenous people benefit from drone technology by providing education, equipment, and training that creates business opportunities and revenue from UAV services within local Indigenous communities. In this episode, Jacob discusses the many different ways drone technology can improve the quality of life within indigenous communities, which are located throughout the remote and sparsely populated regions of ..read more

Drone Lidar and The Use Case for Forestry Author: Barry Gregg Co-Author: Frank Segarra | December 14, 2022 Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is an active remote sensing technology used to measure distances and geospatial data with great precision. This technology provides horizontal and vertical information at high spatial resolution and vertical accuracy, offering opportunities for enhanced forest monitoring, management, and planning. Lidar, as a high-accuracy detection instrument, can acquire measurements needed to produce three-dimensional point cloud models of forests with centimet ..read more

Understanding Drone Technology: How Drones Revolutionize T&D Inspections and Asset Analysis Frank J. Segarra | November 10, 2023 The T&D industry is on the brink of a transformative era. As the grid faces escalating demands, the urgency for streamlined, cost-efficient, and secure inspection and maintenance methodologies is undeniable. The synergy of drones and expertly outsourced data analysis is emerging as a potent solution. Adopting this strategy positions T&D companies at the forefront of the industry and assures uninterrupted and safe power delivery to the myriad of hom ..read more

In an era of technology revolutionizing our approach to old problems, safety in confined spaces remains a critical challenge. From complex industrial tanks to tunnel systems and pipelines, confined space inspections have historically been dangerous, expensive, and time-consuming. However, we are now entering a transformative moment. Imagine a world where confined space inspections are carried out not by humans exposed to many hazards but by intelligent, nimble drones equipped with advanced remote sensors and imaging systems with real-time data analysis. Welcome to the future of safety innov ..read more

Drones have revolutionized the way many industries collect data. By using lidar or photogrammetry technologies, drones can quickly and accurately capture data that was previously difficult or impossible to obtain. However, the cost of each drone service can vary widely depending on your final objective for the deliverables and the technology used. Before selecting a drone service for your upcoming project, it is crucial to have an awareness of the intricate technical and pricing aspects of lidar in comparison to photogrammetry for data capture. By understanding the significant factors that i ..read more

Drones have revolutionized the way we capture aerial footage for cinematography. With advancements in technology, drones have become more affordable and accessible, allowing filmmakers and businesses to capture stunning cinematic footage that was once only possible with expensive helicopters, camera rigs, and large production crews. Today, drones are being used extensively in various industries such as filmmaking, commercial real estate, tourism, and sports, with drone accessibility creating new possibilities within these sectors to create stunning visual footage for everything from cinemati ..read more

Drone Photogrammetry Advanced Techniques and Applications Subscribe Overview Johnathan Smeh has had quite the journey throughout his nine years in the commercial drone industry, but drones weren’t initially on the radar when he was pursuing a career in geography, GIS, and manned aircraft. In this interview, Johnathan talks through first discovering the drone industry, its evolving technology, and how it’s shaped both his current work and what he hopes to work on in the future (hint: it’s out of this world!). He also discusses unique piloting stories from the field that required bot ..read more

Capturing Drone Data Using Lidar Technology Subscribe Overview Maude Pelletier was a geomorphologist working in the Yukon territories studying permafrost, generating precise high-resolution aerial images using photogrammetry to get elevation models and more. She tells the story of encountering the first lidar payloads for drones, and realizing how it could make a significant impact to her work. This led to founding a company that created new innovations in drone lidar technology.  In this interview, Maude describes elements of lidar technology, compares and contrasts lidar wit ..read more

How Drones are Being Used in Agriculture Subscribe Overview In 2017, Kirk Floyd combined his RC helicopter skills and a passion for horticulture and arboriculture to create a business within the emerging commercial drone market. In addition to those industries, he also has extensive drone operator experience in movies, media, commercials and as an inspection pilot. Additionally, he is currently working on drone research with the University of Maryland. In this interview, Kirk shares some great stories from the field, and how he used his ingenuity for on-location problem solving dur ..read more