I have started a previous thread about drone services in the UK, asking who uses them, their uses etc. This one is more specific.
Currently I am thinking of completing my drone licence (needed in the UK for commercial work) then teaming up with a few friends to offer services to different companies, such as construction, mining, waste management etc. The standard fare of aerial shots will be a given but we want to go further.
For example in construction, offering progress images and helping with reporting and costing. With the right software it is easy to measure grade and distance very accurately and provide the information to surveyors and site managers. Basically anything where we come in cheaper than hiring full time will result in a winner. In mining for example we would be able to to measure stockpile quantities and progress in hours rather than days.
As you know I am currently a first year AT student but seriously looking into developing a side line of work that means I don't have to do my sh itty admin job (which I am OK with, but ideally would prefer something else).
The research I have done shows there is a huge market for these services, I just wonder how saturated it already is.
So to go over my old thread, what experience have you had with drones? What sort of costs have you heard of per day to hire these sorts of services? The big mining companies have their own drones surely and if not Id assume a rival is already in there (I will research this further but on first glance it seems to have room in there for other companies)?
Before anyone says "haven't you just started your course? Calm down". This is true, but I have a background in 3D design work, mapping and thermal imaging from previous work. Add to the fact I am very proactive and if I spot something, I will pursue it 100%. Plus my friends who would do this with me, one is a structural engineer and one is a site surveyor so we between us have the background to offer the right advice.
Joeuk, ignore Rick, he has a bad reputation on these forums for chatting bullshit.
I have experience with drones and in the construction/surveying industry. I have worked with drones, these services are saturated and most firms off them.
Clients arent too interested to be honest for a number of reasons and a lot of times it's not plausible.
I am in the US, but my firm works only in historic preservation work. We often use drone services when it is impractical for us to survey existing structures, for instance if we are working on a tall (50'+) project that is hard to access via lift. Examples include monuments in a city square or on lighthouses. Otherwise, we would have to scale down the monument (or hire someone to scale for us) or hire a probes contractor with a lift and city permitting to see things personally. We often do hire probes contractors, but for something like a monument done for a city government, the budget is typically pretty tight. For something like a roof replacement, we can normally access that fine and don't use drones.
For project under construction, we don't typically use drones. Cameras are mounted at various places around the site and the feed is continuously livestreamed so that we can login 24/7 anytime we want and see the progress/activity on site. Given, this is typically for projects with very large (for us) budgets that are located in a different state than our office.
By the time you finish your course the whole world will change - point clouds are being used in architecture school now and the technology is getting cheaper but the day.
Tonight is the opening of Bartlet BPro programme - get yourself down to London and get inspired - will open up your eyes to the potential of the technology -
Sep 26, 17 12:35 pm ·
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joeuk
Work at 6am or this is something I would have loved to nip down and see. I will follow it up though online. Thank you.
Joeuk, ignore Rick, he has a bad reputation on these forums for chatting bullshit.
I have experience with drones and in the construction/surveying industry. I have worked with drones, these services are saturated and most firms off them.
Clients arent too interested to be honest for a number of reasons and a lot of times it's not plausible.
Sep 27, 17 9:39 am ·
·
joeuk
Ok, ill take with a pinch but he still put good time into the reply, so any advice is better than I have.
Sep 27, 17 10:10 am ·
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joeuk
What barriers did you come across? What do you think puts them off the tech?
Sep 27, 17 10:10 am ·
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archiwutm8
Problem is why would anyone go to you unless you are RICS accredited? It's the same with architects, in the UK you need to be accredited with RICS.
Sep 27, 17 10:12 am ·
·
joeuk
I think there is more of a gap towards agriculture in the UK. As long as its cost effective, valuable and all insurance etc is cover. I think there is a market. Does RICS accredit drone services?
Drone services
Good morning.
I have started a previous thread about drone services in the UK, asking who uses them, their uses etc. This one is more specific.
Currently I am thinking of completing my drone licence (needed in the UK for commercial work) then teaming up with a few friends to offer services to different companies, such as construction, mining, waste management etc. The standard fare of aerial shots will be a given but we want to go further.
For example in construction, offering progress images and helping with reporting and costing. With the right software it is easy to measure grade and distance very accurately and provide the information to surveyors and site managers. Basically anything where we come in cheaper than hiring full time will result in a winner. In mining for example we would be able to to measure stockpile quantities and progress in hours rather than days.
As you know I am currently a first year AT student but seriously looking into developing a side line of work that means I don't have to do my sh itty admin job (which I am OK with, but ideally would prefer something else).
The research I have done shows there is a huge market for these services, I just wonder how saturated it already is.
So to go over my old thread, what experience have you had with drones? What sort of costs have you heard of per day to hire these sorts of services? The big mining companies have their own drones surely and if not Id assume a rival is already in there (I will research this further but on first glance it seems to have room in there for other companies)?
Before anyone says "haven't you just started your course? Calm down". This is true, but I have a background in 3D design work, mapping and thermal imaging from previous work. Add to the fact I am very proactive and if I spot something, I will pursue it 100%. Plus my friends who would do this with me, one is a structural engineer and one is a site surveyor so we between us have the background to offer the right advice.
Thoughts? Thank you.
1 Featured Comment
Joeuk, ignore Rick, he has a bad reputation on these forums for chatting bullshit.
I have experience with drones and in the construction/surveying industry. I have worked with drones, these services are saturated and most firms off them.
Clients arent too interested to be honest for a number of reasons and a lot of times it's not plausible.
All 4 Comments
I am in the US, but my firm works only in historic preservation work. We often use drone services when it is impractical for us to survey existing structures, for instance if we are working on a tall (50'+) project that is hard to access via lift. Examples include monuments in a city square or on lighthouses. Otherwise, we would have to scale down the monument (or hire someone to scale for us) or hire a probes contractor with a lift and city permitting to see things personally. We often do hire probes contractors, but for something like a monument done for a city government, the budget is typically pretty tight. For something like a roof replacement, we can normally access that fine and don't use drones.
For project under construction, we don't typically use drones. Cameras are mounted at various places around the site and the feed is continuously livestreamed so that we can login 24/7 anytime we want and see the progress/activity on site. Given, this is typically for projects with very large (for us) budgets that are located in a different state than our office.
Thank you.
By the time you finish your course the whole world will change - point clouds are being used in architecture school now and the technology is getting cheaper but the day.
Tonight is the opening of Bartlet BPro programme - get yourself down to London and get inspired - will open up your eyes to the potential of the technology -
Work at 6am or this is something I would have loved to nip down and see. I will follow it up though online. Thank you.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1536489329744656/
Thank you. The more I read about their capabilities the more excited I am by them. Literally endless possibilities.
Joeuk, ignore Rick, he has a bad reputation on these forums for chatting bullshit.
I have experience with drones and in the construction/surveying industry. I have worked with drones, these services are saturated and most firms off them.
Clients arent too interested to be honest for a number of reasons and a lot of times it's not plausible.
Ok, ill take with a pinch but he still put good time into the reply, so any advice is better than I have.
What barriers did you come across? What do you think puts them off the tech?
Problem is why would anyone go to you unless you are RICS accredited? It's the same with architects, in the UK you need to be accredited with RICS.
I think there is more of a gap towards agriculture in the UK. As long as its cost effective, valuable and all insurance etc is cover. I think there is a market. Does RICS accredit drone services?
I think it makes a lucrative side-money, even with a DJI Mavic Pro($1300+ extra batteries) you can earn more. I am actually contemplating on this
Im looking at the Typhoon.
The Mavic is quite limited I think in a few things.
It is the one i wanted, but I dont think there are any thermal camera options for it. I may be wrong though.
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