As a result of the “Las Roads” investigation project, the company has decided to make use of this technology.
Investigations carried out for the “Las Roads” project, in the I+D+i field (Investigation, Development & Innovation) reveal that the use of drones or UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) has had favourable results for capturing information with regard to the infrastructure Sando builds. The first tests began in 2012 in Spain and Poland with excellent results confirming the system’s capabilities.
For two years, the “Las Roads” project, “Development of a system for extracting useful information from the data captured by land and airborne laser sensors applied to civil construction work", has led to several different types of technology which can obtain information from space, such as the RPAS systems (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) as they are so-called in Europe.
-The first flights were carried out using fixed wing aerial vehicles with no crew, similar to conventional aeroplanes, while more recently they are close to completing tests with multi-copters.
In both cases, a flight plan is designed and the work area is predefined in order to capture data and the precision with which the images are obtained. This flight plan is coded in the drone’s navigation software and in a semiautonomous process the flight orders are executed and the data captured. The process involves attaching a semi-metric camera to the drone (with predefined fixed internal parameters) as well as a series of communication and positioning systems. Simultaneously, the controller on the ground receives data with regard to positioning and angles which will be used for the design work to generate end results.
Obtaining the images is done at whichever height is necessary to ensure accurate results, allowing the operators to generate an end product which will be used as the topographical basis for civil engineering projects allowing them to reach zones which were hitherto inaccessible with traditional topography.
Given its versatility and precision, the work undertaken with UAV capture can save a great deal of time, reduce costs and allows the company to obtain data from inaccessible areas. Integration of the data obtained with existing information means that they can reconstruct the complete reality of the surrounding area and also obtain photographs of what lays behind as well as 360 degree photos.
The use of drones by Sando for civil engineering work gives the best results possible and adds momentum to other investigation projects which will eventually become reality in a not too distant future.
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