Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/885126
T rimble is collaborating with Propeller Aero to distribute that company's drone-based site survey and analytics technology. We got our first glimpse of Pro- peller Aero's system in March at the Trimble booth during ConExpo, and it made quite an impression. The system uses UAVs (un- manned aerial vehicles) to fly over a site and register the GPS posi- tions of a series of mats placed on the ground. The mats are approximately 18x18 inches and can be placed anywhere on the site. They don't have to be dialed in or placed over known survey points. The mats – what Propeller Aero calls "ground control targets" – have a black and white check- erboard pattern on them making it easy for the UAV overhead to locate and identify them. The company recommends sim- ply spreading out a dozen or so mats relatively equidistant over the site terrain and then launching the UAV. Once airborne over the site, the UAV registers the GPS coor- dinates of the mats and picks up the elevations and other geospatial location data. That data is then uploaded to the cloud where construction and survey personnel can analyze and use it to build 2D and 3D models for initial site surveys and progress reports on earthmoving operations or complete as-built maps. The col- laboration with Trimble will bring Propeller Aero's data feeds into the Trimble Connected Site solutions October 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com 34 was launched by Intel Mission Con- trol, a flight planning software. Upon return of the second inspection flight, the Insight Plat- form got to work. Krzanich showed the process of uploading images to Insight which, even before processing takes place, gives the user a pre-visualization of the operation just flown. This pre- visualization is like a rough sketch of the inspection surface with the photos organized and placed with respect to their proximity and orientation to one another based on location data. It allows operators to ensure that the operation went as planned before uploading the photos to Insight for processing, which can take a few hours. After the photos are processed in the cloud, they are delivered as a 2D or 3D model. For this demo, Krzanich used a 2D model gener- ated beforehand. He then dem- onstrated a feature called change detection, which Intel says works "like a spell check function," cy- cling through each of the detected changes in the facade between the latest inspection and a previous inspection. During the demo, the software detected large differences, such as sections of chipped stucco or a missing balcony column, and very small changes, like a poorly installed drain bracket and a miss- ing flag mount. Though Insight can produce 2D and 3D models, Krzanich says, it is currently only able to provide analysis on 2D models. "We are looking at being able to do analysis on 3D models," he added. The company says the platform "will address a range of commercial applications and verticals – from inspections and surveying in con- struction, mining, precision agricul- ture, oil and gas, and more." Intel is initially offering Insight only to select enterprise accounts. Automation is the aim During his keynote address, Krza- nich said Intel's work in applying machine learning to drone hard- ware like the Falcon and analytical software like Insight is all in the service of increasing automation. "These systems, these drones have to become more and more automated," he said. "Especially when we think of visual line of sight or flights over groups of people or at night. The system has to become more automated, more intelligent." –Wayne Grayson technology | continued Trimble inks deal with Propeller Aero for drone- based site survey system A drone flies a survey over a jobsite