PNG University of Technology Survey Department Advances with Drones of Aerial Surveys

The Department of Surveying and Property Studies at the PNG University of Technology have recently received two state of the art drones to be used by both academics and students to carry out aerial surveys. 

The drones now will enable both staff and students to do real time surveying and mapping much more effective and faster than the conventional way of performing land surveys.

The Phantom RTK Surveying and Mapping Combo drone has been installed with software that will be used by the Surveying and Geography Information System (GIS) Studies of the Department while the MAVIC2 PRO Done will be used by the Property Studies.

Head of Department, Professor Jacob Babarinde said the Department had invested over K40, 000 to purchase the drones from Connected PNG so students could be trained on using such modern techniques to survey lands, collect data and evaluate properties.

Surveying Lecturer, Mr  Navua Kapi said that with these drones, it enables them to effectively  acquire larger spatial datasets and their real time within far less time.

 “Drones have been successfully integrated into Engineering and Planning Surveys because of their ability to remotely capture spatial for multi-professional disciplines and Civilian applications.” 

The Phantom 4 RTK Drone has Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Drone inbuilt RTK GPS GNSS systems with automated Flight Path and multi-powerful sensors to avoid crash obstructions during any launch of Survey. This enables first time Surveying and GIS users to perform no manual maneuvering of the Drone during flight sessions. 

The advantages of using drones for land survey include: decreased field time and costs; less disruptions; more accurate data and precise measurements, and mapping of inaccessible areas.

“Larger sites can take days and sometimes weeks for land surveyors to compile information using traditional methods. Collecting this same data via a drone technology saves time. Capturing topographic data with a drone is up to five times faster than with land-based methods,” said Mr Kapi.

“Drone cameras take a series of high-definition photos at different angles, creating thousands of accurate data points, including geo-references, elevation points, and colors. This allows developers to create 3D models of a site or building. Clients can see more than what a traditional survey provides.”

“Land surveying can be a dangerous job. Drone surveys eliminate the need for surveyors to traverse unknown terrain. This helps avoid high-risk situations navigating areas such as rail lines or rocky terrains.”

Kapi said drones are especially useful in gathering data in hard to reach locations or vantage points that are inaccessible. A drone can fly almost anywhere and can take on steep slopes and harsh areas unsuitable for traditional measuring tools.

Statement

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