Factors to Consider for Survey-Grade Drone Data in Winter
Land surveyors must work in every climatic condition. But thanks to modern technology, they can feel free from doing all the survey-related work manually. There are advanced tools that help them to survey the land properly and provide more accurate data.
But when flying the drone during winter, most pilots have doubts about whether they can use it in cold temperatures. Though flying drones in the winter remains a rare choice, waiting for a sunny day to pursue drone surveys is inappropriate. Contact a drone survey company immediately if you want to do a topographical study of a particular land.
What Things Should You Consider Collecting Proper Drone Data During Winter?
1. It is Wise to Avoid Shadows
In most cases, the drone pilot doesn't find a suitable area between a shadow and a sunny location. Primarily, the drone exposes the light areas more to capture the shaded area adequately. If the drone survey company wants to avoid problems because of shadows, they should survey the site on a sunny day.
Remember that you can get muted lightning conditions on overcast days, which helps reduce shadow casting. Winters will be perfect for getting such lighting conditions, mainly to collect optimal data.
Note that when the sun casts the shortest ray on a particular day, you should fly around the drone to survey the area. But the timing may vary based on the location. Therefore, you should know when the sun casts the shortest shadow.
2. Drone Survey Company Should Be Mindful of the Battery
You may know that lithium polymer batteries mainly power drones. You won't face problems flying drones in summer but winter's cold temperature affects the batteries' longevity.
Your drones reduce power quickly, let's say 50 percent faster, because the cold temperature eliminates the chemical activity. It’s better to warm the drone before launching the system to prevent such problems. If you continue drone surveying in the winter, you should purchase a battery warmer.
3. Use the Checklist
We understand that gathering all the information from the project site during less daylight is much more complicated. It is especially true if the first drone survey fails to hit the “sufficient” mark. Therefore, you should build in reliability to restrain the issues. A drone survey company should cover a particular area using drones to get accurate data.
The drone can collect all the information when it captures the data and pictures from all angles. Experts recommend flying drones one to two flight lines across the data boundary to collect appropriate data.
4. Things Should Be on the Checklist
One should tick all the boxes in the checklist to avoid slight mistakes during the surveying. The surveyors know that even allowing a little mistake can affect the whole operation and doesn't deliver accurate data.
For example, you must check the battery, airframe, motors and controller, the system for updates, weather forecasts and propellers. Also, while selecting an autopilot mission, ensure that the SD card has enough storage. Upload data after the flight and check the site for obstructions.
Contact Us
It will help if you consider these factors to get valid data from the survey. Remember that the drone service price may vary based on your location and the drone survey company you hired. However, contact us at Carroll Surveying and Mapping if you have any unresolved queries.