575 
There was a time not so long ago when the construction of a high rise building was a difficult, involved process. In order to make sure that construction proceeded as planned – that everyone’s sticking to the original design of each building – construction companies were traditionally forced to either rent an aerial vehicle or climb up and investigate. Then drone technology started to hit the mainstream.
Initially, unmanned aerial vehicles were mostly for photographers and robotics hobbyists. They didn’t really serve much purpose beyond taking a few pretty snapshots from the air. But then other industries started to pick up on the value of the technology – today, drones play a vital role in Canada’s forestry industry, and serve as valuable tools for surveying dangerous regions of the Canadian north.
In most cases, the drones aren’t really equipped to do much other than observe or deliver supplies – but that’s generally more than enough for them to be of great value. Through the use of aerial mapping, drones can quite literally give their operators a complete birds-eye view of whatever site they choose. In so doing, they allow businesses both to save money and operate more effectively.
We’ve already talked a bit about the power of UAVs where marketing and sales are concerned. That isn’t the only area which drones can offer high rise developers something of value, however. They can also be an integral component of the construction phase, allowing firms to quickly and accurately make assessments that might otherwise have taken hours to complete.
“The value of drones in construction, at least for the time being, is more or less tied to their ability to venture where humans and heavy machinery cannot;” writes Nick Lavars of Gizmag. “This dictates that the vehicles remain small, agile, and with minimal payload, zipping around with high-res cameras and relaying progress shots and aerial surveys to construction teams on the ground.”
“Through monitoring and aerial mapping,” he continues, “drones are proving indispensible for forward-thinking companies looking to stay one step ahead. By negating the need for expensive and heavy-duty safety equipment, the robots are saving time and money, while also delivering precise information more reliably than otherwise possible.”
With the right software drone photography firms can further equip their clients to engage with the building process in an entirely new way, according to Skycatch CEO Christian Sanz. The San Francisco-based Skycatch recently joined up with Japanese conglomerate Komatsu to test out a new aerial mapping platform. This platform is, in turn, being used in the company’s smart construction venture.
“Right now, drone technology is providing a competitive edge to the companies who’ve successfully adopted it,” Sanz told Gizmag. “They use their equipment and resources more efficiently, communicate better through accurate maps and data, and now have highly quantitative means of measuring their progress against their schedule. In the future, the construction industry will realize aggregate benefits such as much better safety record and fewer projects that are completely late and off budget. “
Skycatch uses a fleet of specialized drones equipped with high-resolution cameras to put together a comprehensive image of the construction site. At that point, the information gathered from that image can be transferred over to an interactive dashboard that allows construction firms to significantly speed up construction. Perhaps the most impressive part about this process is that it’s entirely automated.
“Some of the world’s biggest construction and engineering firms have experimented with drones on the job site, using aerial imagery for surveying, logistical planning, and monitoring activity,” says Fortune’s Clay Dillow. “By piping the data directly to the cloud in real time, drones allow engineers to collaborate remotely on planning and execution. Analytics tools help them monitor supply stockpiles, better deploy materials and manpower, and regularly track site progress. On major projects, that can shave off weeks (and millions of dollars).”
And it already has for many high-rise developers in Toronto. The Sky Guys, a longtime strategic partner of Skycatch specialized in high rise condominium development, makes use of specialized mapping & inspection drones along with the Skycatch dashboard application. The end result is an automated aerial mapping service that makes inspection of high rise constructions sites smoother, less expensive, and more extensive.
“Skycatch is definitely one of our most valuable partners,” explained Sky Guys CEO Adam Sax. “Thanks to their mapping tools, we’re able to provide our clients with far more than aerial photography – we can offer them a comprehensive solution that spans the entire life-cycle of building development, from the planning phase straight through to marketing.”
“Eventually, drones are going to play an even greater role in the construction process, delivering materials and putting together building components in areas that are too dangerous for human beings” continued Sax. “For now, it’s enough that they represent a revolutionary new surveying and mapping method capable of both providing awesome marketing tools and shaving a ton of time off construction – both huge advantages in such a competitive market.”
Drone photography and filmmaking is still a booming field – and likely will remain as such for the foreseeable future. Business leaders have, however, discovered a wide range of additional uses for UAVs – and aerial mapping is one of them. The technology has the potential to transform a number of different industries, including and especially high-rise development.
To learn more about The Sky Guys or to request a quote, visit http://theskyguys.ca/
