GIS and Earth Observation University

As you probably may have already noticed following the current trends in geoinformatics from any standpoint, UAVs have revolutionized the industry in many ways and still are far from reaching their peak.

One of the main reasons that this is happening right now is because drone operations help both the public and the private sector in saving big money by reducing the time that they need to spend on the field, by providing huge piles of data in a short amount of time and simultaneously reducing the dangers involved for the mapping/surveying personnel.

The potent of drone use is expanding continuously but if you have some experience in geoinformatics and are considering making the jump to the UAV mapping technology sector, I have good news for you! It’s not so difficult.

The sectors you will want to invest time on for mastering the process of drone mapping can be divided at two parts. 

First the aerial part. This includes selecting the right drone specifically for your business projects, (as the market is already packed with many options). Then learning to fly it and getting legally certified and insured for it. Along with the correct drone, you will need to select an appropriate air mapping software and learn to use it according to your needs. In GEO UNIVERSITY platform you can find available the course introduction to UAV mapping which can help you  master all major aspects of the procedure and provide you with all the basic knowledge you will need, so that you can be able to take all necessary decisions for  your own projects without getting caught in the traps of a huge market.

Secondly the post processing part. After completion of aerial works, you will need to be experienced with an aerial photogrammetry software that will transform your aerial data to the spatial products you will need   for geoinformatics analysis. These are usually point clouds, digital elevation models and orthomosaics. As this kind of software is usually highly automated it would be wise to get acquainted with the scientific context behind the processes so that you can increase your efficiency.

Regarding this matter you will find very helpful the course Orthomosaic map generation using Agisoft Metashape also available in the GEO university platform. Metashape is an extremely efficient software which can significantly increase your productivity and save you time and money introducing a workflow you can easily learn with some proper guidance.

So, knowing that sometimes opening up to new technologies can look like a frightening step and sticking to traditional methods may look safer, I would encourage you to try it out, and see for yourself that it will pay you back soon.

GEO University platform is always up to date with the current tech trends and will be there to provide tools for support for your professional evolution so make sure you check on it frequently for new courses and articles.