What is Land/Waterbody Surveying?
Land Surveying is essentially a process wherein a certain stretch of land is evaluated to re-establish its boundaries, corners, lines, etc.
This process is often carried out periodically to assess the structural safety of the land and its topographical features in question.
Now, just like land, even lakes and other water bodies are also surveyed, which is where the usage of Drone Bathymetry comes in.
While a land survey maps the boundaries, lines, etc. of the land in question, waterbody surveying maps the depth of the waterbody in question, which make these maps appear similar to topographic maps.
Before we explore this process in further detail, let us first understand the necessity of land surveying, or lake/waterbody surveying.
What is The Need For Landbody/Waterbody Surveying?
Why do we need to survey land or water bodies?
The reasons are:-
- Preventing disputes between landowners, in case of land surveys
- To have an accurate representation of the layout of the land and maintain updated geographical records, such as in the case of the mayor’s office, etc.
- This procedure helps contribute towards public safety as well since it informs people about features such as unstable ground, etc
- Helps construction firms determine the stability of the land they’re building on, in case of water body surveying.
- It proves useful as local towns can arrange for tourism-centric activities on the prevalent waterbodies of the region since water surveying establishes the depth of water bides in the region.
Having explored what land and waterbody surveying is, let us now proceed to learn more about Bathymetry with the help of drones and its associated aspects in the sections below.
Learning More about Drone Bathymetry
What is Drone Bathymetry?
Drone Bathymetry refers to the process of utilizing a drone and a sonar in conjunction with each other to map or determine the depth of a waterbody such as the ocean, lake, etc.
It is a method that has quite a few advantages when compared with other barometric methods of waterbody surveying owing to its efficiency, safety, and accessibility.
However, in cases of shallow land, or when the sub-surface of waterbodies needs to be measured, GPR or Ground Penetrating Radar is utilized.
What are some of the devices with the help of which the process of Drone Bathymetry is carried out?
Let’s explore the same below.
Devices Used for Drone Bathymetry
Some of the devices used for this procedure are:
- UGCS Bathymetry Drones
While both UGCS Bathymetry Drones & Drone Echo Sounders utilize drones and echo sounders, the principal difference lies in the type of software used.
Now, owing to their sturdiness, drones from the DJI company are used for this procedure, which is why the software utilized is, as the name, suggests, UGCS for DJI something that we shall be exploring in the sections below.
UGCS in itself refers to Universal Ground Control Software, which is developed by SPH Engineering.
- Drone Echo Sounders
The principal software used when it comes to this arrangement is SBES or Single Beam Echo Sounders, which are essentially lighter devices, making them portable and easier to use.
Let us know about the applications of Drone Echo Sounders in detail below.
What Are the Applications of Drone Bathymetry?
Some of the applications of drone bathymetry are:
- Assisting in Search and Recovery:
Owing to the properties of Drone Bathymetry devices, they can be used to recover lost/submerged objects, and people.
- Supporting the process of local marine conservation
The detailed maps of the water bodies obtained by these devices help in understanding the marine habitat better, thereby allowing for better planning to preserve such bodies.
- Advanced Disaster Prevention
Owing to their ability to map low-lying areas, these devices can be used to predict the possibility of floods, thereby contributing to a reduced rate of disaster.
- Inland and Coastal Water Surveys
Since these devices can be used in conjunction with LiDAR as well, apart from UGCS for DJI drones, they are an ideal choice for such surveys, since these surveys prove useful for construction firms, etc.
Let us now learn more about the utilization of UGCS for the DJI drones in the sections below.
Know More about UGCS for DJI
Let’s learn more about UGCs and its various aspects.
What is UGCS?
The first question is, what is UGCS? It refers to Universal Ground Control Software, which was developed by SPH Engineering.
This software is used to help drones carry out a variety of functions, ensuring a myriad range of applications.
This software has quite a few amazing features, which we shall explore below:
What are some of the Key Features of UGCS software?
Some of the key features of UGCS software are:
- Payload Integration
This software is compatible with various physical payloads such as cameras, LiDAR, and echo-sounders, which makes it well-suited for a variety of tasks.
- Custom Map Imports
It allows users to upload custom maps, which helps them better assess the quality and accuracy of their maps and findings.
- Automated Flight Paths
Users can chart automated flight paths with various actions for each of the points comprising the path.
- Compatibility
It supports a wide variety of drones, such as DJI, PX4, etc. allowing for multi-device flexibility.
- Video Streaming
Users can map the progress of their operation in real-time with the help of this software since it allows them to view the progress of the same as it is carried out.
Let us now explore the key applications of this software.
Key Applications of UGCS
This software has 2 key applications:
- Critical Infrastructure Inspection
When UGCS for DJI is used, it allows the user to map the structural safety of dams, bridges, etc. which allows for greater architectural stability awareness
- Advanced Disaster Response
Since these devices can map the depth, etc. of low-lying land, and water areas, etc., they help in preparing the concerned areas for potential disasters.
Conclusion
So, looking back, we can say that Drone Bathymetry devices are quite useful in mapping the depth of a water body, and other geographical features as well, as seen above, which mitigates quite a few disasters.
