Drones are a fantastic tool to access otherwise awkward or dangerous locations, particularly roofs, but they can produce far more than high quality imagery.
A recent Levitate project involved generating a visual inspection of a roof that could otherwise only be accessed by scaffolding or a large cherry-picker, along with a 3D point cloud from which measurements could be taken.
The project included the use of Ground Control Points, known coordinates in the spatial coordinate system that are a prerequisite when producing georeferenced 3D models.
The flying was completed (very) early in the morning to reduce the number of people in the area that would have to be brought under control, and also to minimise disturbance to nearby residents and businesses. Within less than an hour we had collected the imagery required.
In addition to high definition images and video, outputs included point cloud and textured 3D model.
Wireframe of the roof being inspected - generated from drone imagery
Point cloud of the target roof
3D textured model
