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27 June 2023
For her 2018 Travel Channel show, Legends of the Lost with Megan Fox, the actress launched an <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://ageagle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AgEagle/senseFly</a> eBee RTK mapping drone to seek out the potential burial site of the legendary Greek warrior Achilles.
Legends of the Lost broadcast four episodes from December 4 to December 25, 2018: "Viking Women Warriors," "Stonehenge: The Healing Stones," "America's Lost Civilization," and "The Trojan War: Myth or Truth?"&mdash;where the drone was used to search for what may have been Achilles' final resting place.
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<h5>Watch Fox Launch an eBee RTK Drone</h5>
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To see the results of Fox's "Achilles Mission," <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=325406655019002" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE</a>.

Watch Megan Fox Launch a Mapping Drone

3D Mapping

08 June 2023
By Jason San Souci
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The innovative marriage of advanced technology and environmental stewardship has opened new horizons in the management of environmental issues. Among these pioneering developments is the integration of drone technology into the Federal Orphan Well Program, a federal initiative to identify and seal disused oil and gas wells across the United States. These orphan wells, typically left behind by bankrupt companies or simply forgotten over time, pose significant environmental threats, primarily due to their potential for methane leaks, a potent greenhouse gas. The task of managing these wells has been significantly streamlined by incorporating drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), to enhance data collection, site assessment, and monitoring of these sites.
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/SmfzZkbNmgtLneG28IiH5iTiarahT5S4GN7KeEQS.png" alt="" width="569" height="786" /> In this landscape of progressive technological application, companies like Juniper Unmanned have emerged as industry leaders. Recognizing the challenges inherent in locating orphan wells using traditional methods, Juniper has employed drone magnetometry to their advantage. Magnetometry, which measures variations in magnetic fields, is often used in geological and archaeological studies. Juniper's application involves drones equipped with magnetometers, which detect alterations in the Earth's magnetic field caused by buried metallic objects, such as the steel casings of orphan wells. This enables rapid surveying of extensive areas, pinpointing potential well locations with remarkable speed and accuracy. This innovative technique exemplifies the untapped potential of drone technology in tackling intricate environmental challenges.
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/v5SM6JWSacdKacnT7hXJjrQ1vZqcwxNYzZrHjOq9.png" alt="" width="567" height="539" />
 While drones contribute significantly to the efficiency and safety of the Federal Orphan Well Program, they also provide considerable economic advantages. Drones' ability for rapid, accurate data collection and monitoring significantly trims costs compared to traditional methods. Plus, their constant monitoring capabilities can prevent costly environmental damage by detecting methane leaks promptly. To delve deeper into the world of commercial drone applications, Jason San Souci's "Do You Know Drones?" podcast is an invaluable resource. A respected Drone Scientist, Jason offers detailed discussions on the intricacies of drone technology, covering a wide spectrum of topics, from innovative uses to regulatory shifts and future trends. Whether you're a drone enthusiast or a professional seeking to incorporate drone technology in your operations, this podcast delivers insights that can expand your understanding and appreciation of this rapidly evolving field. Staying informed in such a dynamic landscape is crucial, and"Do You Know Drones?" is a premier place to start.
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 In conclusion, the implementation of drones in the Federal Orphan Well Program marks a significant leap in environmental management. Through enhanced data collection, precise site assessments, and efficient monitoring, drones streamline the process of identifying and sealing orphan wells. Innovative methods, like drone magnetometry employed by Juniper Unmanned, spotlight the potential of drone technology in tackling environmental challenges. In tandem, resources like Jason San Souci's podcast offer insights to those eager to explore this exciting frontier further. Together, they illustrate how technological advancements can propel sustainable solutions to pressing environmental issues.
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Revolutionizing the Federal Orphan Well Program: Drones and the Power of Magnetometry

22 November 2022
By Brad Schmidt&nbsp;
Collecting imagery with uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) is ideal for a variety of applications, including topographic mapping, forestry ground and canopy measurements, powerline corridor mapping, Digital Terrain Model (DTM) generation, high-resolution digital imagery, and orthophoto production, along with support for a variety of other mapping needs.
Historically, aerial surveys were performed only by large, crewed aircraft and not UAVs, due to the size-weight and power constraints of the professional sensor payloads that made them impossible for use on the smaller aircraft. Additionally, it was a challenge for the earlier UAVs carrying basic cameras to meet the requirements for measuring position and orientation with a high enough degree of accuracy to support surveying and mapping requirements, for example when georeferencing a point cloud data set. This meant a network of ground control points needed to be established for georeferencing, greatly increasing the cost.
<h5>Developments in the UAV Industry</h5>
The most rapid development taking place in the UAV industry today is the dramatic improvements witnessed in new and improved GNSS/inertial for direct georeferencing (DG) and imaging sensors purpose built for mapping and surveying from UAV&rsquo;s.
Red, green and blue (RGB) cameras, for example, are continually evolving to hold smaller and lighter form factors, while seeing ongoing improvements in resolution and image quality. Some of these payloads, such as Phase One&rsquo;s iXM 50 and 100 MP cameras are producing results superior to previous generations of medium-format metric sensors being flown onboard crewed aircraft.
Similarly, LiDAR sensors continue to improve with smaller more powerful point-cloud imaging systems. High end, compact, professional mapping LiDARs such as those available from Riegl, YellowScan, and Teledyne Optech, are designed specifically for UAV platforms.
These imaging sensors are integrated with next generation, miniaturized yet full featured GNSS/inertial systems for DG, and can achieve survey-grade accuracy without the use of ground control points. Furthermore, LiDAR systems are now being combined with RGB cameras to produce true color point clouds as the ultimate UAV surveying payload.
All of these advancements can be expertly combined to produce results to meet project requirements including accuracy, cost, and usability.
<h5>Delivering Cost-Efficient, Survey-Grade Data&nbsp;</h5>
Surveyors tasked with collecting and analyzing data from the field can face a myriad of challenges. From inclement weather to uneven terrain, paired with the added inefficiencies of inputting and then analyzing data, a standard survey project can easily extend to several days of work.
Utilizing a UAV to survey an area can be an alternative option to avoid demanding environments in the field. <a href="https://www.microdrones.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Microdrones</a>, a leader in drone LiDAR and photogrammetry surveying equipment and software for geospatial collection and processing, was challenged to deliver point-cloud data according to updated survey grade standards.
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/SJ6hZSOZlrEWNPTDZgBmDxvJktHED95s9fKD8nlf.jpg" alt="" width="699" height="419" />
LiDAR sensors continue to improve with smaller and more powerful point-cloud imaging systems.
Microdrones found a solution by adding high accuracy DG of LiDAR data to their technology stack. DG directly measures the position and orientation of an airborne mapping sensor, such as a digital camera or a laser scanner. This makes it possible to assign a geographical location on the earth to a pixel from a camera image or a digital point from a laser without the need for any ground points or additional measurements referencing the ground. For this level of accuracy, Microdrones turned to <a href="https://www.applanix.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Applanix</a>, a Trimble company. As a prerequisite to implementation, Applanix needed to meet specific requirements to reduce the weight of the hardware, while keeping the accuracy and performance of the inertial measurement unit (IMU).
This integration of hardware and software solutions offered cost and time efficiencies in mobile mapping with UAVs. Microdrones could provide their geospatial customers with a fully integrated system to rapidly capture accurate LiDAR data for surveying, mining, construction, oil and gas, and precision agriculture industries. A simplified workflow involves flying the drone, uploading the data to the cloud for processing, and then downloading the final processed data&mdash;thus making it possible for users to access the most accurate and simplified georeferencing data available via post-mission production. A quick, uncomplicated and inexpensive turnkey solution like this can make it easier and more affordable for surveyors to have access to everything needed for complex surveying work.
<h5>Safety When Surveying in Hazardous Conditions</h5>
Several scenarios exist where the risk posed to a survey crew is significant. One such example is seen in a section of limestone cliffs in France where the natural degradation can generate landslides and falling debris, threatening the land, roads, and people beneath.
Without the ability to map and accurately assess the stability of land formations, the management of this risk currently relies primarily on trajectory analysis. This consists of simulating falling rock masses from ridges to the valley floor, using calculations that consider the size, energy and shape of the material. While this allows for some risk assessment, detailed and correct maps based on high-resolution UAV LiDAR DTM and integrity analysis is required for complete risk analysis.
The configuration and the hazardous nature of the limestone terrain does not allow for crews to operate traditional survey equipment on the ground. Using a UAV LiDAR system enables the rapid generation of cost-effective, accurate DTM and 3D products. In addition, the data can be captured safely in what would be otherwise considered an unreachable area, along with the ability to perform repeat monitoring. This is exactly what L&rsquo;Avion Jaune did when equipping its Multirotor M600 with the YellowScan VX-20 and Applanix APX-20 UAV to map the cliffs in France.
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L'Avion Jaune Multirotor M600 drone.
L&rsquo;Avion Jaune flew four flights of 15 minutes each to map the entire project area over two days. This operation was carried out at sunrise when the road had little traffic. Checkpoints were then surveyed with differential GPS. The data processing involved computation of georeferenced trajectory, matching flight lines, and point cloud classification.
This allowed L&rsquo;Avion Jaune to optimize the choice of material and work with best practices to collect and process LiDAR data required for high-accuracy mapping in dense vegetation. The flexible UAV deployment of resources allowed the acquisition of dense point clouds (100 pts / m&sup2;) and the generation of a precise and exhaustive DTM. The generation of a 3D model of the cliffs that were overhanging a frequented road was essential for the safety of traffic and people below. The site footprint modeled by the YellowScan VX-20 with Applanix DG inside was 200m high, 300m wide, and 2.5 km long, resulting in a high degree of precision without exposing crews to danger.
<h5>Modern Day UAV Mapping</h5>
Impacting everything from how roads are built to extinguishing forest fires to managing the efficient growth of crops, UAVs deliver important information that can be difficult to obtain otherwise. And, today&rsquo;s technology is making it possible to achieve far superior results to other technologies in mapping and surveying. Using methods like DG combined with multiple sensor integrations, professional survey-grade aerial mapping systems for UAVs are becoming more widely available. This uncomplicated and inexpensive solution is not only practical in the ability to combine light weight equipment specifically designed for airborne hardware, but also more affordable for companies of any size wanting to take on more challenging mobile mapping projects.
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Tree canopy.
<h5>About the Author&nbsp;</h5>
Brad Schmidt is the global sales manager of the UAV business segment at <a href="https://www.applanix.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Applanix</a>, a Trimble company. He has more than 30 years experience in the geomatics, remote sensing, UAV and infrastructure industries. Schmidt holds a Master of Science degree in Physical Geography, with specialization in remote sensing and the geosciences. This article was originally published in the November 2022 issue of <a href="https://www.xyht.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">xyHt</a>.

Drones Deliver Practical and Highly Technical Aerial Surveying

<div class="hero-section" data-type="type-1"><header class="entry-header">
<div class="page-description ct-hidden-sm">18 November 2022</div>
<div class="page-description ct-hidden-sm">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="page-description ct-hidden-sm">By Tanner</div>
<div class="page-description ct-hidden-sm">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="page-description ct-hidden-sm">Originally published at <a href="https://www.bluenoseaerial.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Nose Aerial Imaging</a>&nbsp;</div>
In recent years, the construction industry among several others, has witnessed a massive adoption of drone technology. Drone inspection services&nbsp;allow aerial progress monitoring and inspection assessments, along with hundreds of other emerging applications, that lead to safer job sites, better dissemination of information, more accurate and precise measurements, and dramatically improved workflow.
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<div class="entry-content">
A&nbsp;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/capital-projects-and-infrastructure/our-insights/imagining-constructions-digital-future#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study by McKinsey</a> in 2016, highlighted the major reason for inefficiency in the construction industry is the slow adoption of new digital technologies. But gone are days when the conversation was about what could possibly be done with drone inspection services on construction project sites. Now, discussions focus on the best strategies for flying, capturing, and analyzing the data.
More and more construction companies are benefiting from professional drone inspection services. In fact, in 2018 alone, the sector saw&nbsp;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://theaseanpost.com/article/drones-construction-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 239% increase</a>&nbsp;in the adoption of drone technology due to their unparalleled record of providing increased safety, efficiency, and accuracy for construction projects.
With benefits like providing site managers, risk managers, and architects a literal bird&rsquo;s eye view of the entire project, drone inspection services prove themselves to be a natural fit for the construction industry. If you&rsquo;re a construction company owner, keep reading this article to find out how drone inspection services can add value to your business.
<h5>Construction Progress Videos</h5>
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One of the most common and relatively straightforward applications for drone inspection services today is to make progress videos of the project. Construction companies can make these videos on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to give their stakeholders a &ldquo;big picture&rdquo; view of the progress of the project. These aerial view videos will allow project managers and other key operational personnel to assess the progress and compare that with their planning schedule. These drone footage can also help identify hazards on job sites and provide documentation for compliance with environmental regulations.
<h5>Beyond an Aerial Perspective</h5>
Drones allow the deployment of different kinds of cameras and sensors for different applications, such as installing a thermal imaging camera to look for compromised structural integrity areas or heat leaks. Construction companies can also use powerful applications of drone-collected data in virtual 3D models of construction projects. These drone-generated 3D models will provide a common view of the site and allow senior managers, supervisors, and construction managers to discuss projects from the same vantage point.
<h5>Better Marketing</h5>
From team working shots at the construction site to stunning final outcomes, modern drones with high quality footage have opened up a range of new possibilities for construction companies to market themselves. With a bird&rsquo;s-eye perspective, drone cinematic shots add dimension and movement to your content, leaving an impactful and awe-inspiring impression on your potential customers.
<h5>Mitigating Safety Risks</h5>
It is no surprise that the construction sector is one of the most dangerous. As per a report by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osha.gov/data/commonstats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OSHA</a>, nearly a thousand workers died in 2019, representing one in five workers. These accidents included slips, falls, and ditch or scaffolding collapses. However, with drone inspection services, workers are no more required to inspect a specific area of concern by climbing hundreds of feet. Now, drones provide real-time data, video, or imagery from multiple angles, mitigating the risk of injury or death. Construction companies can optimize worker safety and save money by working with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluenoseaerial.com/">commercial drone company</a>.
<h5>Scouting Risky Trouble Spots</h5>
With drone photography&rsquo;s superior 360-degree view of roads, powerlines, structures, and pedestrian areas that may be affected by the project, your team can locate potential job site hazards and better map out a plan before they can arise as a safety risk.
<h5>Mitigating Financial Risks</h5>
Regular site monitoring with drone inspection services can also help construction companies to avoid overages, cost overruns, and unexpected roadblocks by helping managers easily identify potential financial risks before they flare up.
<h5>Mitigating Legal Risks</h5>
Legal problems like new zoning issues, lawsuits, and regulation changes can easily derail even the most well-organized and well-planned construction projects. But, construction companies that keep a record of the project&rsquo;s progress with drone solutions have enough data and evidence that can be leveraged as a powerful tool when appearing before a zoning board, court, or municipal council to demonstrate correct procedures and due diligence from the start to finish.
<h5>Improving Future Risk Analysis</h5>
With the vast array of data streams through drones, such as still images, video, LiDAR, and thermal, risk managers can use telemetry from past projects to identify previously unknown risk factors and benefit future projects with improved planning.
<h5>Partner With Blue Nose Aerial Imaging For Your Construction Projects</h5>
<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.bluenoseaerial.com/">Blue Nose Aerial Imaging</a>&nbsp;is a veteran-owned drone services franchise. We are a premier full-spectrum drone services provider with years of experience with drones and the construction industry. From Washington to Florida and New York to California &ndash; we are the only franchised commercial drone services provider in the United States. Our professional pilots would be happy to provide drone inspection services to assist you with your next project. From small-time to city-sized projects, our skills can keep up with the demand.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluenoseaerial.com/contact/">Get in touch with our professional pilots</a>&nbsp;to discuss your next construction project today!
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Biz Development: How Drones Can Level Up Your Construction Firm

Sakurajima, one of the world&rsquo;s most active volcanoes, is located in the south of Japan. Scientists are predicting a major eruption within the next 30 years. Happily, Peter Majtan works on a high-resolution 3D model of the volcano for scientists to run various simulations for disaster prevention and response.&nbsp;Majtan, CTO and Co-Founder at DERYL Group K.K works with NHK, SVO, MLIT, and Kyoto University to create an up-to-date, high-resolution 3D model of the volcano.
Additionally, specific areas on the volcano are planned to be mapped in the highest-resolution possible on a regular basis to detect any possible ground deformations.
Here, Majtan reveals the biggest challenges and dangers of his work and how he can potentially help save thousands of lives in the event of a major volcanic eruption.
What is the significance and impact of the project?
Our 3D model is used to simulate pyroclastic flow, lava-flow and lahar&mdash;a cement-like mixture of ash and water&mdash;flow paths for various locations on the volcano. This will be used to prioritize evacuation, disaster response, and management in the initial and secondary stages of an eruption.
What are the technical challenges you are facing in this project?
There are quite a few. First, Sakurajima is a rather steep volcano, and the vast majority of drone-mission planning solutions are not terrain-aware and therefore useless to us.
Then, the area within a 2km radius around the currently active crater is off-limits due to ongoing daily activity. This, combined with the steep nature of the volcano, the complex terrain with pretty much non-existent road access, and the 500m height limit of DJI-based drones all result in extremely complicated flight planning.
Furthermore, the constant daily activity of the volcano, the outpouring of ash and SO2-rich gas&mdash;which is extremely corrosive and deadly&mdash; complicates things in terms of both visibility, as our 3D terrain-mapping method relies on photogrammetry, and the actual danger to the drones and crews. We need to carefully monitor the wind direction, and we are forced to change our location during the day, or, in many instances, completely abandon work for the day.
How long did it take to complete the current stage of the project?
So far we have mapped the south-east half of the volcano&mdash;which is the area of most activity and danger. Due to the technical difficulties mentioned above, it took us more than four months to achieve this.
How will the data from the mapping be used to generate insights?
The scientists are using our 3D terrain model of the volcano to run all possible simulations of the expected Plinian eruption to determine the various paths of flow for pyroclastics clouds, lava, and lahar depending on the actual points of eruption. Even with their powerful supercomputers, these simulations take a lot of time, and it will be almost impossible to run them once the eruption begins and the actual points of breach [new craters] are known.
During a Plinian eruption, the ash column first rises to the sky. It takes at least 30 to 60 minutes for it to start collapsing under its own weight and start generating the extremely dangerous pyroclastic flows&mdash;think Pompeii and Herculaneum. Every minute is crucial. The goal is that the scientists run all the various scenarios in advance, so once the eruption begins and actual locations of the new craters are known, they will be able to quickly determine the likely paths of the pyroclastic flows, and therefore be able to prioritize and focus emergency response and evacuation, potentially saving thousands of lives.
Additionally, aside from the computer simulations, our 3D terrain data&mdash;in particular the repetitive mapping of the most dangerous areas with the highest possible level of resolution and accuracy&mdash;will be used to monitor any ground deformations by comparison with previous data sets. This will help with the prediction of future activity.
How could Drone Harmony help you resolve some of these challenges?
The terrain-aware mission planning in Drone Harmony was the number one reason why we selected it for our project. This was closely followed by the ability to plan various complicated missions for later offline use.
Drone Harmony is also great for managing such a large and complicated site, as well as meet the need to repeat many of the missions on regular intervals for years to come. Finally, we really appreciate the access to top-level management and engineering at Drone Harmony for the personalized support that such a complicated project requires and depends on. I am especially excited about a possibility to develop volcano-specific missions that could be useful for similar projects at other active volcanoes around the world.
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/7RNac4jHNjeNfTgYNiG68UkjAhEXGuZWaoEpA1Lk.png" alt="" width="827" height="465" />
Screenshot courtesy Drone Harmony
<h5>WATCH: Learn About Drone Harmony's Hill Scan Tech</h5>
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Drone Harmony's Terrain Workflow Can Help Prevent Volcanic Disasters

Above: 3D Digital Twins created from professional drone-data captures can be accurate to 1mm, and are useful for inspection, planning, and equipment status monitoring&nbsp;
Drone-based asset inspections have been growing rapidly over the last several years, and the growth is expected to continue well into the future.
Research by <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/06/22/2466780/0/en/The-drone-software-market-is-projected-to-grow-from-USD-5-1-Billion-in-2022-to-USD-11-2-Billion-by-2027-at-a-CAGR-of-17-1-from-2022-to-2030.html#:~:text=filingsmedia%20partners-,The%20drone%20software%20market%20is%20projected%20to%20grow%20from%20USD,17.1%25%20from%202022%20to%202030">ReportLinker.com</a> indicates that the drone software market alone is projected to grow at 17.1 percent CAGR and more than double between 2022 to 2027, from $5.1 billion to $11.2 billion. This high-projected market growth is being driven by the strong return on investment (ROI) enterprises are recording by converting from manual to drone-based inspection. But this doesn&rsquo;t mean winning new business contracts will be easy for drone service providers (DSPs), as the competition is fierce as image quality and service expectations are rising over time. As 3D digital twin models gain traction and adoption among large enterprises, it&rsquo;s imperative that drone-data collection is conducted properly and software capabilities are available for optimal 3D model construction. &nbsp;
<h5>Drone-Based Asset Inspections Are Growing </h5>
While traditional manual inspections have been successfully utilized for maintaining leading-edge infrastructure in modern facilities for decades, companies are always looking for avenues to improve their competitive position by increasing efficiency, lowering costs, and improving worker safety. This is where drone-based asset inspections offer particular advantage in all three areas. &nbsp;
&ldquo;We have customers in the energy industry that can justify the investment in their drone-inspection programs just on the cost savings realized in a single flare-stack inspection,&rdquo; says Adam Watts, Director of Operations for <a href="https://optelos.com/">Optelos</a>. Direct costs for renting and assembling scaffolding, and then indirect costs from lost production from shutting down the process lines associated with the flare stack and allowing it to cool for up to a day before beginning the scaffolding construction can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Further, the plant operations are significantly impacted as the process line is shut down for the duration of the scaffolding construction, inspection process, and deconstruction of the scaffolding. All of this is disruptive to business operations and the maintenance departments of these organizations. &nbsp;
The benefits of drone inspection over the traditional method is clear. A drone-based inspection can be completed while the flare stack is still operational, or shut down for a few minutes prior to flight, allowing observation of issues that may only occur during high temperature operation&mdash;saving time, resources, and avoiding the risks associated with "at elevation" manual inspections. This would explain why the energy industry is rapidly adopting drone inspection to improve the operational performance of their valuable refinery assets, in addition to stretching their limited personnel resources further. As more and more skilled workers retire from asset-intensive industries, taking their decades of experience with them, the requirement to do more with less grows.
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/4V1aMDusW3da7Td9UhOQUfxDYwfQD9CRyBmskdyL.png" alt="" width="739" height="450" />
Above: &ldquo;We have customers in the energy industry that can justify the investment in their drone inspection programs just on the cost savings realized in flare stack inspections." &mdash;Adam Watts
<h5>Benefits to Organizations of Drone-Based Asset Inspections&nbsp;</h5>
Droned-based inspections are particularly valuable to asset intensive industries that require frequent routine inspections, new technology rollouts, or mandated regulatory compliance upgrades. This explains why telecom, power utilities, and energy companies are moving to drone-based inspections, where the high ROI from drone-inspection projects is evident, as well as the ancillary benefits inherent in digital inspections, including:&nbsp;
Data sharing and team collaboration: When an inspection is competed digitally, the inspection results can be securely shared globally. This allows enterprises to leverage rare competencies and specialties that may not be present at every site. Use your turnaround specialist in Dubai to review your flare-stack results from Houston. This saves travel costs, improves the quality of life of these high-demand specialists, and reduces burnout and turnover. Companies can also reduce costs and speed repair-project initiation by sending detailed equipment inspection results simultaneously to multiple approved vendors for competitive quotes, driving faster action and decisions.&nbsp; &nbsp;
Clear documentation of inspection results and monitoring of progressing issues: Performing drone inspections and managing the data in Optelos&rsquo; organized, unified database allows organizations to monitor evolving issues over time and estimate when repair will be required in the future. This allows enterprises to avoid unexpected maintenance actions and reduce "scope creep" on turnaround activities, while also better managing budgets and grouping like projects together for more efficient repair contracts. &nbsp;
Eliminate return site visits and loose ends: Forgot to measure a bracket, inspect a coupling, or verify available rack space? No longer do you need to send a crew back to a site to collect data missed the first time, costing time and consuming additional budget. Utilize your 3D digital twin models to complete desktop engineering and verify component status, dimensions, repair parts needed for a job, walk through pre-project briefings, and verify accuracy job quotes versus documented repair requirements. &nbsp;
Precision measurement and analytics: 3D digital twin pointcloud models can be extremely accurate when the data is properly collected, offering up to 1mm in accuracy. This allows engineers to complete extensive pre-project preparations with tight tolerances and a high degree of confidence. Verify equipment will fit where planned, define where to place equipment, and shared resources during a turnaround project (cranes, lavatories, decontamination tents, tool sheds, etc.), and verify work was performed per spec with a post-project digital twin.&nbsp;
Implementation of machine learning/computer vision AI analysis: AI offers one of the largest opportunities for improving asset inspection capacity, accuracy, and efficiency.  With the proliferation of visual data from robots, drones, mobile phones, and IoT sensors, enterprises are overwhelmed with the mountain of unstructured data that requires review and analysis.  AI computer vision, when properly operationalized, automates the analysis of this data at scale.  This enables enterprises to scale their visual-inspection operations without creating bottlenecks in image analysis and repair prioritization. The Optelos platform includes all the capabilities needed to develop, test, and deploy machine learning to automate any visual inspection process, then direct actions to the precise geolocation of the defect. Integrating with ticketing and dispatch and ERP systems further increases capacity, enabling the automation of work-order generation, job assignment, and repair-part inventory availability and planning.&nbsp;
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/wCm8IKWrihj6wX9rmlc3wyHDmFNGKXs4YanWO3vB.png" alt="" width="729" height="427" />
Above: The future of asset inspections lies in implementation of machine learning to process vast amounts of visual inspection data.
<h5>Drone Inspections Are Step One. Dependable Data Management is the X-Factor&nbsp;</h5>
While the advantages offered by the digital transformation of asset inspections are clear, how to manage the vast amounts of data that come from such programs has been a struggle for many large enterprises due to specific challenges presented by visual media and detailed models. This leads many enterprises to abandon their digital-inspection programs, as they aren&rsquo;t realizing the value from their investments, because they can&rsquo;t effectively manage the vast amounts of data that come in daily from routine inspection actions. Any Drone Service Provider (DSP) working with a large enterprise needs to help their customer across this data-management chasm or risk losing the customer should they conclude they&rsquo;re not realizing the value required to justify the expense of their drone-inspection program.&nbsp;
The most common challenges encountered by enterprise customers are addressed by features and functionality built into the Optelos visual data-management platform, based on years of VOC (voice of the customer) gathered by Optelos Software Engineering and Operations team members. The most common issues that large organizations encounter are: &nbsp;
Unstructured file format: Visual data is referred to as &ldquo;unstructured," which simply means its datasets (typical large collections of files) aren&rsquo;t stored in a structured database format. That makes the files hard to systematically organize, parse and search so that you can find just what you want. Prior to using Optelos, many of our customers struggled with multiple-data silos, file-naming conventions, and time-consuming data upload and management protocols (which typically break down). Optelos solves this with its patented algorithms that extract the underlying time stamp and GPS location metadata from image files to create a searchable, unified database that can ingest, sort, and store vast amounts of visual data in a user-defined, predictable, and visually intuitive manner so that the data you need is right where you expect it to be, every time. &nbsp;
Data Storage limitations: Image files are huge and consume a lot of storage resources. Optelos offers unlimited cloud-based storage on industry-leading services AWS and MS Azure (depending on your preference), ensuring you can store, quickly access, and securely share your files with anyone you choose around the globe.&nbsp; &nbsp;
Opening and sharing massive files: We all want the highest resolution images and models possible, as it makes reaching consensus and making decisions easier when the images are clear and unambiguous. The downside, however, is that the higher the resolution of your inspection images and models, the bigger the file and the longer it takes to open and manipulate the file. Not with Optelos. Optelos has proprietary technology that autoscales the resolution based on the zoom level. This allows you to pull up a massive 50GB 3D model of an entire industrial site in seconds. As you zoom in to the specific area of interest, the platform will automatically increase the resolution as you require the increased level detail. No longer will you need an advanced desktop system with ultra-fast Internet speeds to interact with these files. It&rsquo;s now fast, secure, and simple with Optelos. &nbsp;
Underlying software licenses: In addition to the limitations of opening 3D models due to their large file size, its also a challenge if you or your boss don&rsquo;t have access to the underlying software license that works with the model. Optelos comes packed with file viewers, allowing team members or outside vendors without access to the custom software licenses to open and view the files, enhancing project collaboration and communication.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/oh3ZJe9i679YuC9qtpU3eRDwqYKifCjCx8rIId4U.png" alt="" width="755" height="416" />
Above: A well-organized, unified database is required to effectively leverage visual inspection data.&nbsp;
<h5>What&rsquo;s Next?&nbsp;</h5>
We&rsquo;re currently in the messy middle of the digital transformation of asset inspections. Many enterprises see the advantages, can articulate the benefits versus existing procedures (such as improvements in speed, cost and safety), and can typically estimate ROI if they have run a test case or POC. What typically drives organizations to embrace new technology and the willingness to incur the pain of implementing new processes and procedures is a clear business case that justifies the time and expense. &nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s face it&mdash;few people enjoy change in their professional lives, which often entails uncertainty, a degree of risk, and, initially, some extra work. As enterprises gain traction with drone-based inspections by utilizing digital twin technology and AI-powered autonomous drones, as well as experience improvements in collaboration and project management from powerful visual-data management platforms like Optelos, the doubling of the market over the next five years may be a conservative estimate.&nbsp; &nbsp;
<h5>&nbsp;More Info on Optelos</h5>
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