TECHNOLOGY
BACK IN 2012 , the Federal Aviation Administration predicted just 30,000 drones would fill the nation ’ s skies in 2020 . However , right now , about 2.5 million drones regularly traverse America ’ s airspace , with 500,000 of those belonging to commercial organisations . In March 2016 , the FAA updated its forecast to project that 7 million will buzz above us by 2020 .
What ’ s behind this colossal boom ? In a word , drones are addictive . Some new to the technology think they ’ re just sky-high video cameras , but many builders have come to rely on drones for their everyday operations .
Three years ago , one of our clients wanted drone data maps of its construction site delivered monthly . Instead , we began delivering updated maps every day , and site managers quickly came to rely on that data to formulate daily work schedules . When the drone pilot called in sick one day , we received dozens of angry calls asking for the map — including from one person who didn ’ t think he needed a new map more than once a month .
Tech-savvy builders have already begun to realise the benefits drone data has to offer . With the world drone market ballooning from today ’ s $ 2 billion to $ 127 billion by 2020 , drones will soon play integral roles in construction projects around the globe .
Drones and the next industrial revolution Before the Industrial Revolution , construction was arduous and inefficient . Without modern cranes and other industrial equipment , laborers cleared sites and laid bricks by hand . Projects that might take months today then spanned years . The advent of new construction technologies didn ’ t kill the job market , though : It created a demand for workers who possessed the skills of a new generation .
Drones , likewise , represent the next revolution in industrial technology . These are some of the easiest ways to get started using drone data to augment your construction project :
• Earthworks management . Traditional land survey equipment , such as laser scanners or theodolite , can get the job done .
16 November 2016