GETTING OUR BOOTS MUDDY: MICRODRONES SOLUTIONS, APPLICATIONS AND DELIVERABLES

Matt Rosenbalm, the Microdrones Sales Manager for the Southern United States, regularly spends time on active sites with Brent Scarbrough & Company as they use the Microdrones mdMapper1000DG to create topographic maps of construction projects. Getting his boots muddy is a great way for Matt to interact with his customers and help make sure the Microdrones platform is working effectively.

“Brent Scarbrough is a great user of our products,” explains Matt. “Our platform has allowed them to get topos of their sites more often and not have to put their surveyors in this Georgia heat for as many hours.”

On this day, Drone Operator, Alex Lowry, was operating the mdMapper1000DG for the construction company. Applying the fully integrated workflow, developed by Microdrones, he was able to plan, fly, process, and visualize the job and deliver an orthomosaic image that he uses to get contours and develop the topography. Lowry said, “What impressed me most about the mdMapper1000DG is the time that it saves to do a topo. If we did it by hand it could take up to 2 days.”

A Smart Investment in Technology: mdMapper1000DG used every week by Brent Scarbrough & Company

The good news for busy construction companies is that the Microdrones platform can grow with their future needs. In addition to the mdMapper series Microdrones offers the mdLidar series, the mdTector series, and an entire array of mdSolutions all designed to help cut costs, save time and complete projects more easily.

Matt enjoys showing his customers the interchangeability of these systems and how easy they are to switch payloads. He explains, “To go from flying your photogrammetry payload to your LiDAR payloads to a gas detection payload is a quick two to three minute change in the field. They all have the same type of bracket and mount for the drone. With a quick twist of the wrist and a change of cables, you’re up and flying.”

Each mdSolution has different applications and deliverables. Brent Scarbrough and Company are utilizing the mdMapper1000DG for photogrammetry mapping and surveying projects. It also lets them take advantage of Direct Georeferencing, which factors how the images were orientated at the time images were collected. DG provides the highest accuracy with minimal overlap and sidelap. The processing time required to create mapping products is also reduced, increasing productivity. Matt explains how this can be a huge time saver, “A lot of times if you don’t have your images matched up correctly and you process your time points, they might run two days, and then fail because their images weren’t tagged correctly. Direct Georeferencing allows you to know that your images are tagged correctly because you know how those images are orientated and then can build that rough ortho and stay on track.”

THE FUTURE OF LIDAR.

Elsewhere in the territory, Matt has been busy explaining the benefits of the Microdrones mdLiDAR1000. Direct Georeferencing is also a critical part of this system in order to generate point cloud visualization. The LiDAR system allows you to fly before you get on site or even clear any vegetation. Keeping customers happy and winning jobs is one of the easier selling points for Matt. “With the mdLiDAR1000 these guys can fly first and get an accurate evaluation of how much dirt is actually there. If you’re in the bidding process you can have a more accurate depiction of how much dirt is on there and put a better bid out there to be more competitive than your counterparts. It can help you win more jobs than you normally would by having a good idea of how much dirt is on there more so than anyone else bidding on the project.”

In this video, you’ll see the Microdrones team in their winter boots, demonstrating the mdLiDAR1000 workflow outside of Montreal Canada in the thick of winter. Plan, Fly, Process and Visualize- the system is resilient in harsh weather and conditions.

HAVING A GAS OF A TIME

Microdrones other system, mdTector1000CH4 is one of Matt’s favorites to present. It’s a turn-key methane gas detection system that’s ideal for inspecting natural gas lines, tanks, wells and gas plant infrastructure. “This is great for our guys in the field,” Matt says. “The mdTector 1000CH4 can be used by people working areas where catastrophic events happen. You don’t need to put employees in harm’s way, especially in areas where they might not want to walk. There could be snakes, alligators and other hidden dangers down here in the south.”

Detect the presence of methane gas and see the results in real time during flight as well as post flight with complete visualization tools.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

The payload is versatile too. Up in the air, while the sensor is logging data, it can create a visual “heat map” of the flight path, to help narrow the search for gas leaks. Once the proximity of the gas is detected and the drone is on the ground, you can remove the sensor and attach it to a hand held unit, to precisely determine where the leak is coming from. “The great thing about this whole package is the payload is not stuck on the drone,” explains Matt. “It’s not going to find exactly where the leak is coming from- it’s meant to cover a lot of ground and give you a general idea of if there’s a leak in that area. You can simply take the sensor off the drone and use it on a hand-held unit.”

MICRODRONES- FULLY INTEGRATED AERIAL MAPPING, SURVEYING AND INSPECTION SYSTEMS FOR PROFESSIONALS

Getting on site and working with customers is always rewarding for Matt. Working with the variety of applications and deliverables provided by Microdrones makes it easy to demonstrate that he’s not just selling a drone but a complete solution containing the payload, the software, and the training and support.

Let us know what kind of application you have in mind. Matt and our team would love to help you select the right solution. Start a conversation with us today!

Read more at microdrones.com