FEATURE - PROJECTS

DRONES HAVE BECOME THE NEW EYE IN THE SKY.

Recent estimates suggest there are more than 100,000 drones in Australia alone, with 10 times that number in the United States. This growth has seen drone photography become incredibly effective as a marketing, reporting or media tool with strict rules on the use of these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

You must fly the drone “within visual line of sight” (VLOS) with a limit of 122 metres/400 feet above ground level. You must also stay at least 30 metres clear of people, vehicles and structures that are not under your control and stay 5.5 kilometres/three nautical miles away from controlled airports unless Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) approval has been granted.

Adelaide drone operator and photographer Rene Schroeder, 37, began trading as South Australian Drone Services in late 2016. He holds a Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) – gained after completing a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) course – and, by obtaining a Remote Operator Certificate (ReOC), has developed standards and procedures approved by CASA to safely operate Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS).

CASA currently lists 114 ReOC holders on its website for SA. However, this writer is unable to give the exact number of companies providing drone services in SA. Rene is the single operator of his business; if jobs require a ‘spotter’ he employs casual staff to assist with those roles.

“I have always admired that special view from above,” he said, adding: “There are six professions that benefit from drone footage: real estate; construction and engineering, general media and film; insurance; farming and agriculture; and general aerial photos or videos. In three years working in the professional drone industry I have engaged with the engineering, construction, oil

and gas as well as the maritime sectors successfully delivering drone photos, videos as well as drone mapping data.”

His first drone, a DJI Phantom 2, was purchased at the start of 2016. Others followed, mostly acquired via the Internet. They are the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, DJI Inspire 2 and DJI Matrice 210. They weigh from one kilogram (Mavic 2) up to six kilograms (Matrice 210). DJI stands for Dà-Jiãng Innovations.

Rene is licensed to fly drones with up to 25 kilograms take-off weight. The DJI Inspire 2 is rated to fly in winds up to 36km/h. Clients are advised a couple of days in advance if strong winds and/or rain will prevent flying drones.

The drones carry a variety of cameras such as a Hasselblad sensor on the Mavic 2; a one-inch micro four-third camera with detachable lenses on the Inspire 2; and large zoom (30x) and thermal cameras as well as micro four-third cameras, LED lights and gas sensors on the Matrice 210.

They can capture high-resolution photos and video footage and produce footage that delivers vibrant, true colours. Drones can take stabilised video footage up to 5.2K, 20MP photos or create large maps several hundred megabytes in size. (Note: 5.2K is 5,280 x 2,970 pixels; 20MP is a photo of 20 million pixels.)

In the picture showing DJI Matric 210 and DJI Inspire 2 on location at Port Augusta,

the Inspire 2 has a camera mounted below (Zenmuse X5S) and pilot camera in front. The Matrice 210 can mount two cameras, either two below or one below and one on top. In the picture it only has the Zenmuse X4S mounted on top. Both drones are powered by two LiPo batteries giving 20 to 25 minutes’ flying time.

Filming starts only after job safety analyses, risk assessments and pre-flight safety checks, plus site inductions where required. Rene holds licences such as White Card (Construction), Rail Worker Safety Card, Maritime Safety Identification Card and media accreditations (CAMS/AASA – Motorsport).

“After consultation with the client we create shot lists/video briefs to work out what is needed,” he said. “For mapping jobs, we work out the areas to be mapped and the results required such as resolution or export files for surface models, 3D modelling, or point clouds.” (Point clouds are a collection of points that represent a 3D shape or feature.)

A BUSY WORKBOOK

Projects undertaken include the Oaklands Crossing Grade Separation (rail), Darlington Roadworks (road), Flinders Link (rail), Port Stanvac Oil Refinery Demolition (oil & gas), Modbury Hospital Upgrade (civil), Adelaide Casino Development (civil), Brighton Rugby Club refurbishment (civil), Lincoln Gap Wind Farm Battery Storage (civil), mapping

the 220MW Bungala Solar Farm near Port Augusta (civil), filming cargo ships off-shore and in ports in Adelaide, Bunbury, Port Headland and Karratha (maritime), 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge – solar cars driving from Darwin to Adelaide, a 3,000 kilometre journey (events).

Summing up, Rene said: “UAVs provide an opportunity to monitor workers and their environment to ensure everything is safe and up to regulation. It’s easier to routinely monitor a site via a UAV than it is to visit in person and their ability to constantly record whatever they see provides a valuable record of a construction site in the event of an accident or mishap.

“Traditionally, balancing a complicated and time-consuming construction project with the needs of the clients has been less than simple. Not only is a construction site unsuitable for tours, often clients are located a significant distance from where a project is taking place.

“UAVs can be used to bridge this gap by providing an unobtrusive way to feed clients and customers regular videos and images of a project without the need to don hard hats and steel-capped boots. What’s more, these ‘tours’ can be done in real time with the option of live video streaming in order to improve the dialogue between clients and contractors.

“For example, architecture projects using drones to show clients how their building fits in with the wider environment can help them to decide which external façade best suits the surroundings. Successful contractors often aren’t able to stay on-site 24/7 and must rely on others to relay progress back to them.

“With 10 years’ experience working on large construction projects as well as working on a remote mine site, I understand the importance of safety first and the economic pressures companies can experience and the need to find new ways to become more efficient and cost effective.”

Written by John Satterley

Images courtesy South Australian Drone Services.