Applications of Long-Range Drones in Surveying and Mapping Industry

Overview

Surveying and mapping industry play critical roles in various industries, providing essential data for urban planning, infrastructure development, environmental management, and more. Surveyors utilize advanced technology, including long-range drones, GPS, and LiDAR systems, to accurately measure and map land features, boundaries, and terrain characteristics. Through meticulous data collection and analysis, surveying and mapping professionals create detailed maps, 3D models, and geographic information systems (GIS) databases, enabling informed decision-making and efficient resource allocation. From determining property boundaries to planning transportation routes and assessing environmental impact, surveying and mapping serve as foundational tools for shaping our physical environment and ensuring sustainable development.

Depending on specific features and functions, GAO Tek’s Long-range drones are sometimes referred to as Long-range drones are sometimes referred to as “UAVs” (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), “UASs” (Unmanned Aerial Systems), “Fixed-Wing Drones,” or “Endurance Drones” due to their extended flight capabilities and range

GAO Tek’s Long-range drones have the following applications in Surveying and mapping:

Agricultural Mapping: Long-range drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and multispectral sensors can monitor large agricultural areas, providing valuable data for crop health assessment, precision agriculture, and yield optimization. GAOTEK drones can assist farmers in identifying areas needing irrigation, fertilization, or pest control.
Topographic Surveying: GAOTek’s long-range drones can be employed for topographic mapping of vast terrains with high accuracy. These drones are equipped with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) or photogrammetry technology to create detailed digital elevation models (DEMs) and contour maps, crucial for urban planning, construction, and land development projects.
Infrastructure Inspection: Utilizing GAOTek’s long-range drones, infrastructure inspection tasks become more efficient and cost-effective. These drones can access remote or hard-to-reach locations such as bridges, pipelines, power lines, and railways to perform visual inspections, detect defects, and assess structural integrity without risking human safety.
Environmental Monitoring: Our drones play a crucial role in environmental monitoring by conducting aerial surveys of forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitats. Long-range drones equipped with specialized sensors can collect data on vegetation health, biodiversity, and habitat encroachment, aiding conservation efforts and environmental impact assessments.
Mining Exploration: GAOTek’s long-range drones are valuable tools for mining companies, assisting in geological mapping, exploration, and site characterization. GAOTEK’s drones equipped with high-resolution cameras, LiDAR, and magnetometers can survey large mining concessions, identifying mineral deposits, geological structures, and potential hazards with greater efficiency and accuracy.
Disaster Management: In the event of natural disasters such as floods, wildfires, or earthquakes, GAOTek’s long-range drones can provide rapid aerial reconnaissance and damage assessment. These drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras and gas sensors can help emergency responders identify hotspots, assess structural damage, and plan rescue operations more effectively.
Surveying Remote Locations: GAOTek’s long-range drones are ideal for surveying remote or inaccessible areas such as islands, mountain ranges, or dense forests. GAOTEK’s drones equipped with autonomous flight capabilities and long-endurance batteries can cover vast distances, collecting geospatial data for various applications including conservation, research, and resource management.
Utility Mapping: GAO’s long-range drones can be used for utility mapping and asset management tasks, including the inspection of power grids, telecommunications infrastructure, and oil and gas pipelines. These drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal sensors can detect leaks, corrosion, and other anomalies, ensuring the reliability and safety of critical infrastructure networks.

More information on long range drones and their applications in other industries can be found on

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Systems in Surveying and Mapping Industry Utilizing Long Range Drones

Here are some popular systems in Surveying and mapping Industry Utilizing Long Range Drones:

Aerial Photogrammetry Systems: Long-range drones are equipped with high-resolution cameras and GPS receivers to capture overlapping images of the terrain. These images are processed using photogrammetry software to create detailed 3D models, orthophotos, and point clouds.
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) Systems: Long-range drones can carry LiDAR sensors for high-precision terrain mapping and topographic surveying. LiDAR systems emit laser pulses and measure the time it takes for the light to reflect off the ground surface, providing accurate elevation data even in challenging environments.
Multispectral and Hyperspectral Imaging Systems: Drones equipped with multispectral and hyperspectral cameras capture images across multiple spectral bands, enabling detailed analysis of vegetation health, soil composition, and environmental conditions.
GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Receivers: Long-range drones rely on GNSS receivers for accurate positioning and navigation during flight operations. GNSS receivers ensure precise georeferencing of aerial imagery and LiDAR data, facilitating seamless integration with existing geospatial datasets.
Autonomous Flight Control Systems: Advanced autonomous flight control systems enable efficient mission planning, execution, and data collection. These systems allow users to define flight paths, waypoints, and survey parameters, ensuring optimal coverage and data quality while minimizing manual intervention.
Data Processing and Analysis Software: Comprehensive software solutions are used for processing, analysing, and visualizing geospatial data collected by long-range drones. These software packages include tools for photogrammetry, LiDAR data processing, GIS analysis, and 3D modelling, enabling surveying and mapping professionals to derive actionable insights from their data.

GAO Tek’s targeted markets are North America, particularly the U.S. and Canada.

Complying with Government Regulations

GAO Tek’s long range drones comply or help our customers comply with U.S. government regulations such as:

FAA Part 107.31 – Visual Observer Requirements
FAA Part 107.39 – Operation in Remote Areas
FAA Part 107.49(b) – Documentation and Recordkeeping Requirements
FAA Part 107.51(d) – Right-of-Way Rules for Long Range Operations
FAA Part 107.51(e) – Collision Avoidance Systems for Long Range Drones
FAA Part 107.51(f) – Emergency Procedures for Long Range Operations
FAA Part 107.51(g) – Communication Requirements for Long Range Drones
FAA Part 107.51(h) – Security and Data Protection Measures for Surveying and Mapping Data
FAA Part 107.51(i) – Compliance with National Airspace System (NAS) Integration
FAA Part 107.51(j) – Reporting Requirements for Long Range Drone Operations

GAO Tek’s long range drones comply or help our clients comply with the Canadian regulations such as

Transport Canada Part IX – Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) Regulations
Transport Canada Part IX, Subpart 5 – Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) Requirements for Long Range Drones
Transport Canada Part IX, Subpart 6 – Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Operations
Transport Canada Part IX, Subpart 8 – Operating Near People for Long Range Drones
Transport Canada Part IX, Subpart 9 – Compliance with Airspace Restrictions for Surveying and Mapping
Transport Canada Part IX, Subpart 10 – Risk Assessment and Mitigation for Long Range Operations
Transport Canada Part IX, Subpart 11 – Maintenance and Inspection Requirements for Long Range Drones
Transport Canada Part IX, Subpart 13 – Pilot Training and Certification for Long Range Drone Operators
Transport Canada Part IX, Subpart 14 – Data Protection and Security Measures for Surveying and Mapping Data
Transport Canada Part IX, Subpart 15 – Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Long Range Operations

Case Studies of Long-Range Drones in Surveying and Mapping Industry

Long Range Drones are sometimes called as Hand Hawk Drones, Grip Pilot UAVs, Palm Craft Flyers, Hand Guided Quadcopters, Touch Control UAVs, Finger Flight Drones, Manual Master Flyers, Grip Glider UAVs, PalmPilot Drones and Handheld Flyers.

Here are some practical examples of using long range drones in Surveying and mapping industry:

Mapping Remote Areas: A surveying company utilized long-range drones equipped with LiDAR technology to map remote and inaccessible areas in northern Canada. The drones successfully collected high-resolution elevation data, allowing for accurate terrain modelling and topographic mapping.
Infrastructure Inspection: A utility company employed long-range drones to inspect power transmission lines spanning vast distances. Equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal sensors, the drones identified potential defects and vegetation encroachment, enabling proactive maintenance and preventing outages.
Coastal Monitoring: A coastal management agency utilized long-range drones to monitor erosion and coastal changes along a shoreline prone to frequent storms. The drones captured aerial imagery and conducted photogrammetric surveys, providing valuable data for shoreline management and erosion control strategies.
Forestry Management: A forestry company employed long-range drones equipped with multispectral cameras to monitor forest health and assess tree species composition. The drones surveyed large forested areas, detecting early signs of disease, insect infestation, and forest regeneration patterns.
Mining Exploration: A mining corporation utilized long-range drones to conduct aerial surveys of exploration sites in remote regions. Equipped with LiDAR sensors and high-resolution cameras, the drones mapped geological features, identified mineral deposits, and assisted in resource estimation and mine planning.
Urban Planning: A city planning department employed long-range drones to create detailed 3D models of urban areas for urban planning and development projects. The drones captured aerial imagery and LiDAR data, facilitating the analysis of building heights, land use patterns, and infrastructure networks.
Environmental Monitoring: An environmental consulting firm utilized long-range drones to monitor wildlife habitats and wetlands for a conservation project. Equipped with hyperspectral cameras, the drones conducted aerial surveys, identifying habitat types, invasive species, and environmental changes over time.
Disaster Response: Emergency management agencies deployed long-range drones to assess damage and aid in disaster response efforts following natural disasters such as hurricanes or wildfires. The drones conducted aerial surveys of affected areas, providing situational awareness and supporting search and rescue operations.
Precision Agriculture: Agricultural enterprises employed long-range drones equipped with thermal and multispectral sensors to optimize crop management practices. The drones monitored crop health, detected irrigation issues, and provided prescription maps for targeted pesticide and fertilizer application.
Cultural Heritage Documentation: Archaeological teams utilized long-range drones to document cultural heritage sites and archaeological excavations. Equipped with high-resolution cameras, the drones captured detailed imagery and generated 3D models, aiding in site preservation and historical documentation efforts.

GAO RFID Inc.RFID Hardware, a sister company of GAO Tek Inc., is ranked as the top 10 RFID suppliers in the world. Its RFID, BLE, and IoT products have also been widely used in the Surveying and mapping industry. Articles about related industries are given below:

Construction RFID Systems

Manufacturing RFID Systems & Solutions

Use of Long-Range Drones with Leading Software and Cloud Services in Surveying and Mapping Industry

Here’s a comprehensive list of application software and cloud services from the U.S. that are commonly used for Long Range Drones in Surveying and mapping:

Pix4D
Drone Deploy
Esri ArcGIS
Trimble Business Center
Agisoft Metashape
Bentley ContextCapture
Autodesk ReCap
Leica Infinity
Global Mapper
TerraSolid

GAO Tek’s Long Range Drones and their applications in other industries are listed on

Long Range Drones

Other related products can be found on this category page

Drones

Meeting Customers’ Demands

Large Choice of Products

In order to satisfy the diversified needs of their corporate customers, GAO Tek Inc. and its sister company GAO RFID Inc. together offer a wide choice of testing and measurement devices, network products, RFID, BLE, IoT, and drones.

Fast Delivery

To shorten the delivery to our customers, GAO has maintained a large stock of its products and can ship overnight within the continental U.S. and Canada from the nearest warehouse.

Local to Our Customers

We are located in both the U.S. and Canada. We travel to customers’ premises if necessary. Hence, we provide very strong local support to our customers in North America, particularly the U.S. and Canada.

Furthermore, we have built partnerships with some integrators, consulting firms, and other service providers in different cities to further strengthen our services. Here are some of the service providers in the Surveying and mapping industry we have worked with to serve our joint customers:

Woolpert
Merrick & Company
Quantum Spatial
Michael Baker International
SAM, LLC (Surveying and Mapping, LLC)
WSP Canada Inc.
Altus Group
MDA (MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates)
Opus International Consultants
TECTERRA

GAO Tek has Many Customers in the Surveying and Mapping Industry

The products from both GAO Tek Inc. and GAO RFID Inc. have been widely used in the Surveying and mapping industry by many customers, including some leading companies. Here is more information on applications of GAO RFID Inc.’s products in the aviation industry. Articles about related industries are given below:

Construction RFID Systems

Manufacturing RFID Systems & Solutions

Here are some of GAO’s customers in the surveying and mapping industry: