The construction industry has been talking about how drones can be used for years, but now we are seeing greater adoption in urban planning as infrastructure spending ramps up for things like infrastructure improvements. In the future, we can expect to see more drones flying high above our infrastructure to identify inadequate road drainage, as one example, to mitigate it.
Consider the example from the PennDOT (Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation), which recently tackled such a project in an urban area. Faced with a smaller project area, dense tree vegetation, and a need for a quick solution, T3 Global Strategies proposed drone LiDAR surveying. PennDOT approved the use of drone technology to provide topographic planimetric mapping data and high-resolution orthophotography.
Here is how this can help in urban planning:
- PennDOT engineers will use data to implement better drainage.
- Minimize the amount of flooded roads, traffic disruptions, and property damage.
- Address infrastructure challenges faster than before.
Looking to the future, we will likely see the use of drones in many industries, helping to collect necessary data from hard-to-reach places. For many organizations, this will quickly become the fastest and most cost-effective way to gather data from some of the most remote locations.