Getting the Microdrones mdLiDAR3000 up in the air and collecting data is a fairly straight forward process when you follow the Microdrones intuitive workflow of Plan, Fly, Process & Visualize. In the second video of our new series, the survey team at ESP Associates demonstrates the “FLY” portion of the workflow.
ESP Associates
ESP Associates (Engineering, Surveying and Planning) is a multi-discipline engineering design and consulting firm that provides their clients with civil engineering, surveying, planning/landscape architecture, geosciences, environmental, subsurface utility engineering, and construction engineering inspection.
Customers include city, county, state, and federal government agencies, commercial and residential developers, colleges and universities, public utilities, healthcare facilities, religious institutions, general contractors, other engineers, architects, and attorneys.
mdLiDAR3000 Makes Light Work of Heavy Projects
The mdLiDAR3000 is the most recent entry into the mdLiDAR series from mdSolutions and it offers the complete package of a high-end UAV and high end LiDAR system. Housed on board the hefty md4-3000 aerial platform, is the RIEGL miniVUX-1UAV LiDAR and a Sony RX1RII for recording color values of points. The end result is a quick and accurate point cloud colorization using accurate system-produced orthomosaics and a user-friendly, seamless workflow.
Another feature of the mdLiDAR3000 is that all components are precisely integrated to perform together. This allows for real-time monitoring since the flight control can run fully automatically. The solution also includes the mdLiDAR Processing Software, tailored to the entire system for creating the corrected and accurate 3D point clouds.
Plan your Mission, Fly the Drone
Chuck Dorgan, Microdrones Sales Director-Americas, explains that flying can be easily accommodated by sticking to the workflow. He says, “You’re using our Microdrones airframe which is very steady, robust, and very rugged. So you’re using the information you collected in your “PLAN” in mdCockpit to fly autonomously, so not only is it easy to operate the system as a pilot, but most of the hard work is done by the software.”
In the video, Chad Bolebruch, Survey Crew Chief for ESP Associates demonstrates just how easy it is to set up and fly the mdLiDAR3000. He says, “In your mission editor, you really just trace out an area with your finger and it draws live onto the screen. From there, you can set your elevation, how tight you want your overlapping, and the hatching you want to fly.”
Work Smarter and Save
The mdLiDAR3000 allows Chad and his team to deliver the best possible work while cutting costs, saving time, and completing projects more easily. Bolebruch estimates they can perform a topography of 4 acres in as little as 18 minutes compared to a normal two man crew taking an entire day.
Brian Flaherty, a Survey Manager for ESP Associates, sees the acquisition of the mdLiDAR3000 as a win-win for their client and for his team. He says, “We’re able to certify the data and get it to the customer faster. That allows the developer to turn around their investment on the property faster, too.”
To learn more about the Microdrones workflow speak with one of our friendly, helpful experts. Click here to request a meeting. Also, be sure to catch the final video in our new series with ESP Associates that highlights the “Process and Visualize” portion of the workflow.