Drone LIDAR

4 New Drone Surveying Equipment Partners in Germany for Microdrones


The June 2021 edition of Business Geomatics features 4 new Microdrones Sales Partners in the DACH region of Germany who will be providing Drone Surveying Equipment and Services. Click the image above to read the German article or read the English summary below.

GeoLanes GmbH

Microdrones recently secured four new sales partners in the DACH region of Germany. This includes GeoLanes GmbH from Nenzing in Vorarlberg/Austria, which specializes in the field of excavator assistance systems. The company acts as a distributor for Microdrones, but also offers its own surveying services.

GeoLanes’ core competence lies in the consultation and sale of equipment for construction machinery controls and assistance systems.   GeoLanes has an exclusive cooperative sales arrangement for Switzerland, Austria and South Tyrol with the French manufacturer iDig. For over 15 years, the company developed the eponymous 2-D excavator system, which is a common and simple retrofit solution especially for smaller excavator weight classes.  iDig will shortly introduce further innovations such as a 3D variant.    “We advise customers, particularly regarding which control systems are best suited for their application,”says Christian Tschann, CEO of GeoLanes. The main question is whether a 3D or 2D control system is the best solution. At the moment, however, the trend towards 3D controls can be seen, for which customers usually need a digital elevation model.

“In order to complete the portfolio, we would like to act as a full-range supplier with the world market leader in surveying drones, and support the earthmover, from surveying to excavator control. The products are the ideal solution, regardless of whether they are LiDAR or photogrammetry-based variants,” says Tschann.

Smaller companies in particular, where digitization is not yet so advanced, do not yet possess the required surveying expertise. That is why, as a service, GeoLanes also offers 3D site surveying and the creation of 3D models used by the machine controls. According to GeoLanes, the market for 3D controls is currently experiencing a boost in several Central European countries through subsidy programs (digitization). Especially small and medium-sized companies that do earth-moving as a subcontractor are also required by larger clients to invest in suitable systems.

AWANDNER Technology Management GmbH

AWANDNER Technology Management GmbH from Solms in Hesse is not just a new Microdrones customer, but a newcomer to the field of drone surveying. The company has been providing services in the areas of technical documentation, quality management, project management and knowledge management for many years. The company has references mainly in the automotive, energy and aviation industries. “In addition to our high affinity for technical matters, we also have special connections to aviation - for example, I also have a pilot's license,” says owner Andreas Wandner.

Building on this, the company is currently developing new business areas and recently entered into a comprehensive partnership with Microdrones. In this context, AWANDNER has taken part in comprehensive training courses, especially in the areas of data acquisition and analysis.

“Surveying is a new topic for us, but we bring to it our extensive experience in the cloud-based processing of engineering data products," says Wandner. It is also planned to set up a training center in central Hesse, which is scheduled to go into operation this year.

Hommel Vermessungs systeme GmbH

Hommel Vermessungs systeme GmbH from Jena is starting to use drones because the demand for these solutions is increasing among the traditional clientele for surveying services. This official Geomax distributor is also under new management, now that Mark Kürner has taken over the business from company founder Matthias Hommel in March. “We have been dealing with the subject of drones for a long time already, and since an increasing number of inquiries were being received, we decided to look for a long-term partner,” said Kürner.

The decision to partner with Microdrones was made because their integrated systems fit customers’ requirements. “High-quality, reliable solutions are needed that guarantee the best data quality and reliability,” says Kürner. It is also important that service and support are strong and based in Germany. “We generally strive for long-term partnerships and are therefore very happy about our new relationship with Microdrones,” said the managing director.

GEOdrones GmbH

Since December 2020, GEOdrones GmbH, as a new Microdrones distributor, has not only been a sales partner in matters of drone purchase/leasing (aaS), but also a consultant on software issues (e.g. Agisoft or Pix4D).  GEOdrones is a newly founded business unit for drone technology and belongs to geoplana Ingenieurgesellschaft GmbH from Marbach am Neckar. geoplana is an “old hand” when it comes to photogrammetry. Since 1965, the engineering office has specialized in image surveying flights using aircraft and aerial photo evaluations.

geoplana has been observing the development and increasing demand in the drone market for a long time. "Having contacted Microdrones, in 2020 we found the right partner for aggressively approaching the market in the new business sector with drone sales as well,” says Jens Knittel, managing director of geoplana.

Microdrones was clearly the right choice for various reasons: “The high quality of surveying equipment from Microdrones for professional applications matched the philosophy and quality of service that Geoplana's customers are already familiar with,” says Knittel. “The lowest price doesn't get you cutting-edge technology.  But the high level of vertical integration, the supply of spare parts, and the Made in Germany quality, combined with the easy access to support, convinced us.”

In addition to the pure distributor partnership, GEOdrones has positioned itself as a comprehensive drone systems company. Hardware and software consulting, as well as drone accessories, are part of the portfolio, alongside drones, cameras and LIDAR, as well as the appropriate software. geoplana itself offers drone flights and, in particular, photogrammetric evaluations from drone images, which can also be provided by the customer. The company focuses primarily on the region of southern Germany.

If you would like more information on using integrated systems from Microdrones, CLICK HERE to speak with one of our professional representatives.