Drones are making a huge and positive impact in many industries lately, and those of design and construction can reap the benefits, too. Drones, otherwise known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are versatile pieces of equipment used for gathering real-time, accurate, and high-resolution information about active constructions sites, those that are prospects, and are found very useful in early design phases, too.
Nathan Wambold, owner of OurFocus, a St. Louis area drone consulting and services provider, said, “Drones are the vehicles that allow everyone to see their sites in ways like never before.”
Acquiring data is just one part of the overall puzzle, however. “Drones are computers that fly,” Wambold said, and, like any computer, they require upgrading and maintenance. In addition, getting data is just one part of a process. “Once you have possession of the data, you have to know what to do with it,” he said.
Wambold, an experienced remote-controlled aircraft operator, a photographer, and a licensed architect, said drone technology “is capable of quite a lot, and everyone seems to want something different, but there are limitations, too.” A good drone provider will talk with the client to learn exactly what the client wants in order to determine the best platform and products to give them what best meets their need, he said.