TECHNICAL
Some of the
science fiction-
like possibilities
made available by
drone technology
are already being
realised. Whether it’s something like creating site map mosaics
at different times during construction, or facade and
roof inspections, or leak detection and moisture testing,
once construction is complete, drones are saving
time and money and reducing worker exposure to
construction site or building maintenance hazards on
high-rise structures.
of the drone as a hobby item, the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) needed to step in and create rules
for what was not long ago a simple, radio-controlled toy
for flying around the park. Today, there are two ways
to pilot a drone. First, as a hobbyist, you must register
with the FAA under the Special Rule for Model Aircraft
(Section 336) as a “modeler”, label your drone with a
registration number, and adhere to all of the rules for
hobby and recreation flights. To fly commercially under
the FAA’s sUAS Rule (Part 107), you must register your
drone with the FAA and obtain a remote pilot certificate
from the FAA. Again, you must also comply will all
airspace and pilot restrictions in effect under the rule. The software used in conjunction with drones is capable
of everything from programming a flight to calculating
the volume of a pile of dirt on a job site. Jono Millin is
co-founder of DroneDeploy in San Francisco, since 2003
a supplier of surveying and mapping software for drones
being used in the construction, agriculture, roofing, and
other industries. He says DroneDeploy’s software, “does
a handful of things.”
“We have issued about 90 000 remote pilot certificates
across the country,” says Ian Gregor, public affairs
manager for the FAA’s Pacific Region, adding that
much of the agency’s regulations for commercial drone
pilots are available online. “The provisions of the rule
— formally known as Part 107 — are designed to
minimise risks to other aircraft as well as people and
property on the ground.”
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
55
Marty Laporte keeps her eyes
fixed on her drone.
It seems, with drones, there’s more to the game than
simple aerial photography. As Laporte says, “You can
take photos of these things, but to actually get accurate
measurements, you need the software that’s available
using aerial imagery.”
“The three [areas] you can think about are flying,
processing, and analyzing,” Millin says. “On the flying side,
we have an app on the Google and Apple app stores you
can download onto your iPad, iPhone, or Android phone
or tablet. That [device] plugs into the remote control via a
normal USB cable, like you’ll charge your phone with, and
that remote control is the one that comes with the drone
that you’ll buy from Amazon or from Best Buy or from one
of the manufacturer’s websites.”
From there, Millin says, the user can indicate on a map an
area for the drone to photograph. “From there, we turn it
into the specific detailed commands the drone needs to
February 2019 Volume 24 I Number 12