From Dirt to Data: How Drones are Revolutionizing the Construction Industry

Brief 

Discover how the construction industry is using drone-generated data to improve jobsite planning, bidding accuracy and even automate equipment work path. Learn how Trimble’s new path planning technology is changing the game.

 

Insight

The use of drone technology in the construction industry has been evolving deeper into jobsite planning, turning dirt works into pay dirt. By yielding more accurate bids, preventing jobsite over and undercutting, and even making it possible to integrate technology that automates the work path of equipment, drones are becoming a game-changer for the industry.

However, despite being a mature technology, the construction industry is still in the early stages of adoption. The driver for implementing this technology within construction companies, both large and small, has been younger individuals who are more open to new concepts.

The latest innovation in the field is the ability to use drone-generated data to automatically control equipment working on a site, a technology that Trimble, an international software developer, recently launched. This software-based technology gives Trimble end-users and equipment manufacturers the ability to optimize and automate the trajectory, speed, and overall path design of industrial equipment.

The new technology is a further integration of how traditional use of drone information obtained for programs such as construction grade design can be utilized to gain onsite efficiencies.

Using drones for data gathering has significantly reduced the time and labor required for construction grade designs. What used to take weeks can now be accomplished in just minutes, and with far greater accuracy. This is thanks to drones such as the Wingtra drone, designed for survey work, which rapidly flies over the area collecting visual and grade information. This data is then used to create a site map that is overlaid with the engineering design of the proposed project, resulting in a grade control guide for the equipment operator.

The technology is highly versatile and can be used for a wide range of projects, including paving, excavating, and dozing. Having accurate measurements on a site can impact fuel costs, the amount of equipment needed, and time spent onsite. It can also provide contractors with better information when bidding a contract, making it easier to determine how much dirt needs to be removed and how much to charge the customer.

Overall, drones are transforming the construction industry by making jobsite planning more efficient, accurate, and safe. As the industry continues to embrace this technology, it is likely that we will see further innovations that will make construction projects even more streamlined and cost-effective.

 

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