Trust the professionals when it comes to UAV deployment, UAV data gathering and applications!
The commercial use of UAVs for data gathering is the task of professional service providers such as LOGXON – Here’s what sets us apart:
- Since 2008, specialised in the use of UAVs
- Our very own, widely stocked fleet of UAVs, not restricted to a particular manufacturer or manufacturers
- Failure safety through redundant systems (second system)
- Licensed pilots around the world
- Full service project management from one source
- Flexible use through EU-wide infrastructure (battery management and logistics)
- Worldwide network of partner companies and pilots
- In-house engineers for in-house developments, custom-made products and special solutions
- Data logging, processing and evaluation of data by experts
- Always up to date thanks to close contact with the UAV industry
All required data from one source – Full service and project management provider for drones
We act as a full service provider and offer a professional team which covers all work steps, from planning, execution all the way through to point cloud evaluation and handover in the desired format. 3D measurement data gathering, 3D data logging, point cloud processing and the associated evaluation work is our core competence. For a good-quality and economic result, direct communication and consultation with our customers is essential. The best results are obtained when all details and requirements of the flight and the point cloud evaluation are discussed and developed in detail in advance. That is why we opt for active and customer-focussed project management in order to implement your projects in the shortest possible time and to your fullest satisfaction.
We are highly transparent and fully prepared to share with you our many years of UAV experience in the field of data gathering using drones. To this end, below you will find a presentation of our experience in terms of entering the field of UAVs – Valid up to: 2018
The purchase and operation of a commercially deployed UAV or even UAV fleet for data gathering by means of UAVs
The rapid development of the drone market and the constantly improving sensor technology makes it very easy in principle for new UAV pilots to enter into the industry and to pilot modern UAVs. Due to the variety of consumer devices, entry into the world of UAVs is remarkably easy and, with an investment of between €1,500–€10,000, you can gain your first experiences. However, before you can lift off the ground for the first time, you must have a specific type of insurance policy, a licence (UAV licence), a certificate of knowledge and a flight permit from the relevant federal state (in Germany) – only minor distinctions are drawn between commercial and private use here. If you are going to fly in several federal states across Germany, for example, in different countries, or even on different continents, bureaucratic complexity soars, as do the costs involved. In most cases, distinctions are drawn between UAVs, payload, pilot and application to the extent that registrations and individual flight permits are required for an explicit location and period of time.
So far, so good. UAV bought. Now one can get started with internal data gathering with one’s own UAV!
If you were to believe the marketing promises and the countless solutions in the current hardware market and software offers, then you know it is child’s play to collect data from the air, and to use this in detail, precisely and appropriately for the relevant evaluation or processing software. We, however, can assure you at this point that this is an incredibly time-consuming and/or highly resource-intensive process – unless, in parallel with buying a UAV, you have also appointed the right staff to take on data logging and who will supply the data in the right format in the optimum fashion.
You will try many things out the first time, invest time, learn, crash every now and then and/or leave the deployment location with too few images, unusable ones, or none at all. You will learn from these errors and optimise the processes in as much as you can. You will find out quickly that cheap solutions, as with most expensive solutions, are currently only partial solutions. You are going to come up against all the issues and problems we are familiar with which we have on occasion ourselves painfully experienced in the past. With our service offer for UAV flights, we strive to rescue you all of this. A few cogs need to click seamlessly in the workflow so that sound, efficient and meaningful solutions can be obtained. Anything else merely constitutes either fun, a hobby or just a waste of resources.
For data gathering, save on resources, capital and time by drawing on our experience
Commercial UAVs are complex high-tech systems and require specialists for assembly, operation and maintenance
Buying a UAV and having the data calculated by some simple, cost-effective point cloud processing software can be a practical solution. Anyone choosing this path must have an idea about what they want to achieve and what they can realistically achieve with such an approach. Above all, when dealing with software to be used, you have to invest a lot of time and knowledge so you can efficiently use the programs of the UAV control system through to precise evaluation.
Overview of required software programs (and apps) for common UAV workflows
- UAV control system (manufacturer and flight controller-dependent)
- Flight route software for planning autonomous flight missions for best-possible UAV data gathering
- GPS/waypoint software
- Optional: photo software for the best results (processing RAW data)
- Photogrammetry software
- Evaluation software for point clouds
Personnel is the key factor when using UAVs and gathering data from the air
Despite the in-part highly automated processes and the possibility of flying autonomously, people are still indispensable when it comes to data logging, and especially evaluation. For UAV deployment and evaluation, you require different specialists, and our experience shows that it is very difficult to achieve this with just one person. The profession of UAV pilot is going to become more and more established in the future. A UAV pilot is usually also responsible for servicing their UAV; that is, provided there are no fleet and service staff available like we have. All further steps through to data transfer to the customers are subsequently performed by highly trained back office staff. This, too, costs time and money, and you need to have the right staff and the resources available. If you do not have such staff, they must be sought, employed or first trained.
Service and support bottlenecks with UAV manufacturers
The UAV industry is still partly in its infancy. While products are ready and capable of high performance, service and support is often inadequate for professional users. A sales department or dealer may be able to help in many (minor) cases, but for big problems and crashes, etc. only the manufacturer will help, and they are (currently: the end of 2017) understaffed and mostly overworked, which means long repair times, meaning downtimes when you have no spare devices. You therefore have to help yourself in the best possible way, because many sensitive components increase the chance of problems. On top of this, sensors often do not come from the UAV manufacturer or dealer, and there are frequently issues with interfaces, and this is a major problem when it comes to the assembly. We are therefore always set up redundantly and have all safety and project-related components at the location at least in duplicate to guarantee failure-safety. You currently cannot rely on the service of some manufacturers when it comes to punctual project implementation.
Ultimately, you have to consider all the facts mentioned to decide if you want to and are able to deal with these issues. We are of the opinion that it just simply is not worth in investing in UAVs and the relevant staff for occasional flights. Trust us, the professionals, when it comes to the safe and reliable gathering of data, or UAV data logging. If you require regular flights (daily, but at least weekly) and constantly repeating / similar applications, please feel free to contact us. We would be delighted to advise and support you with the development and operation of an entire flight, as well with data processing. You can access our Contact form here.