Networks Europe Mar-Apr 2018 | Page 33

OPINION 33 By Ian Titchener, Ely Aviation www.elyaviation.co.uk How drones can be used in the data centre industry to aid the planning, construction and redevelopment of sites It’s a well-known fact that there are hundreds, if not thousands of uses for UAV technology. Over the past two years, they have become a familiar sight in our skies, but thanks to a raft of new legislation shortly to be issued by the government, the industry is set to thrive over the coming 3-5 years. The data centre industry has enjoyed significant growth over the past few years, with new estate appearing in the press on an ever-increasing basis. For every one of these sites there’s a construction site, and with these construction sites come a lot of everyday issues that can be solved by the use of drones. Being operated remotely immediately solves a lot of health and safety problems for construction companies, and also implements immediate cost savings. Drones can go where people cannot. They can also go where people can go, but in a fraction of the time, with less cost and with a far higher degree of safety Aerial surveying Using software platforms that are readily available you can quickly and easily generate an interactive scale model, either 2D or 3D, which has a high degree of accuracy (low CM accuracy with the use of Ground Co ntrol Points). The resulting files can be pulled into existing software platforms such as Solidworks or Autocad, and easily manipulated to fulfil most purposes. Where a man on the ground would have taken hours, days and sometimes weeks, a drone can be in the air with work completed in a matter of minutes depending upon the size of your estate, and of course, with far lower opportunity for good old- fashioned human error being introduced into the equation. 3D modelling The same software platforms can also be used to generate accurate high-resolution 3D models of any construction site at various points during the building process. This means that you can use the resulting footage as a marketing and communication tool for the end user and keep them informed as to where things are in the build. And in addition to this, from a compliance point of view, they can also be used to track any alleged damage to adjacent property should such a situation arise during construction. Flying a drone Right about now, you may be thinking of rushing out to buy a drone, you may even have one, or a friend that owns one. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. In order to use a drone in conjunction with your business, for commercial purposes, you must have Permission for Commercial Operation (PfCO) status from the Civil Aviation Authority. A PfCO takes months of study, several thousand pounds and an in-depth understanding of aviation law and theory. In short, you can just go out and do it yourself. There are currently over 3,500 CAA certified drone pilots in the UK, many of whom, but not all, will be equipped to carry out any of the above services. So, if you want to make your life easier and help to ensure the success of your data centre project, it might be time to take a top-down view! n www.networkseuropemagazine.com