Mapping Big Projects Over Time: An Interview with Drone Pilo…

Recently we met business drone pilot Jason Singleton, who has over ten years of expertise creating maps utilizing GIS (Geographic Information System) information collected by drones and different means for personal and governmental shoppers.

Right now Jason is working to map an enormous venture for the town of Kalispell in northwest Montana. The venture is a revitalization of an area park known as Glacier Rail Park, and Jason has been documenting the progress of the town’s work utilizing orthomosaic maps.

We sat down with Jason to study extra concerning the work he’s doing for the town of Kalispell, and the way he’s inputting maps made on completely different dates to indicate progress.

[By the way, to orient you as we talk through the Kalispell project, here is a link to a webpage featuring the maps Jason has been creating for the city, hosted on ArcGIS. All screenshots featured below come from this page.]

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Begin Interview

What form of work do you do with drones?

I’ve been working in GIS—Geographic Information Systems—for a very long time, which basically means mapping. I do that work by way of my enterprise, GeoControl LLC.

All of my mapping is web-based, which suggests I can share the maps I make with anybody, wherever, utilizing a hyperlink to the hosted map.

Tell us concerning the Kalispell venture. What are you doing, and the way are maps getting used?

In 2015 the town of Kalispell, Montana bought a TIGER Grant, which offered the town with a lump sum of cash to improve the downtown and assist make enhancements that may assist the native financial system.

The grant has primarily been put right into a venture to relocate an enormous grain elevator to a brand new location within the Glacier Industrial Rail Park, to take out the railroad tracks which can be presently there, put in strolling and bike paths, and in addition open the world to new actual property alternatives. Basically, it’s a full revitalization of your complete downtown space. It’s an enormous alternative for the city, and a very optimistic factor.

The mapping venture I’m engaged on was created by me and some different folks right here on the town. The thought was to supply transparency to the folks residing in Kalispell on how the venture is progressing, and the place the TIGER funds are being spent by creating maps of the location over time with information collected by way of drone.

We now have orthomosaic maps of the work web site that present the way it has developed over time, because the venture started. Our objective at this level is to create a map each month, and in some situations twice a month, relying on how a lot progress there’s to doc on the web site in a given time period.

The venture will take just a few years to finish, and after we’re executed the town could have a historic doc of the way it was accomplished.

[What is an orthomosaic map? An orthomosaic map is an in depth, correct picture illustration of an space, created out of many images which have been stitched collectively and geometrically corrected (“orthorectified”) in order that it’s as correct as a map.]

A Map of the Work Site Hosted on ArcGIS

How do these maps work, and what sort of info do they comprise?

We’ve created 3D maps at numerous dates, which may be seen on the Glacier Rail Park web site—you’ll be able to scroll right down to see an inventory of DroneDeploy hyperlinks, situated to the appropriate of the video embedded on the web page.

We’ve additionally created a layered map hosted on ArcGIS, which may be seen right here.

The layered map exhibits modifications to the location over time—if you happen to go to the map and click on the layers icon (proven within the picture under), you’ll be able to see all the maps we’ve created of the location as layers.

What’s nice is that all the stakeholders can view these maps, together with personnel from development firms, engineers, and the general public. Engineers may even obtain the purpose cloud information and use it to create fashions as an alternative of sending out surveyors in particular person.

In addition to exhibiting progress over time, the layered map hosted on ArcGIS has a number of different options that assist share info.

One function is that you would be able to ship somebody a hyperlink on to part of the map, so that you could present them precisely what you’re speaking about. For instance, here’s a hyperlink to a zoomed-in portion of the ArcGIS map.

A Zoomed-In Portion of the ArcGIS Map of the Kalispell Work Site

You can even depart notes on these maps, so that you could share info with anybody who must know. These notes on the ArcGIS map are indicated by small yellow circles:

Basically, the ArcGIS is each a dynamic, working doc of the location, and in addition a historic doc, offering perception into how the location has modified over time. It’s an extremely highly effective instrument for sharing info, and for offering transparency to those that merely need to know the way issues are progressing.

What is your course of for creating one in every of these layered, interactive maps hosted on ArcGIS?

First I begin with DroneDeploy, and create a flight plan.

A Flight Plan in DroneDeploy

Then I fly the mission, acquire the information, and have DroneDeploy generate an orthomosaic map.

After the orthomosaic map has been generated in DroneDeploy, you’ve gotten the choice to generate an ArcGIS internet tile layer.

[A web tile layer is just a way of adding a layer to your ArcGIS hosted map, like the layers shown earlier in this interview.]

When you click on the button to generate an internet tile layer in DroneDeploy, you get a really lengthy URL.

ArcGIS Web Tile Layer Generated by DroneDeploy

After producing the net tile layer, you go to your ArcGIS web site the place you’re internet hosting your map, and use that URL within the ArcGIS Online Web Tile Layer app so as to add the layer to an present map, or to create a brand new map if you happen to don’t have an present one.

Using this app you’ll be able to add layers to an present map, identical to we now have on the ArcGIS hosted map, so that you could present progress on a venture over time. This is ideal for the work we’re documenting in Kalispell, nevertheless it may be utilized in every kind of different situations.

For instance, let’s say you had a contract with a farm to fly a mission over each three months for 5 years. You may create these mapping layers not simply with the imagery—that’s, not simply with orthomosaic layers—but additionally with NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), which is what farmers use to observe their crops. These maps would assist the farmer monitor the well being of his crops, and they are often overlaid to indicate modifications over time in order that the farmer can click on from one to the opposite to see what issues seemed like say, one 12 months in the past, or three months in the past, and so forth.

What software program do you employ, and the way do you employ it?

For GIS, I take advantage of ArcMap, which is the primary product from E.S.R.I.

To create my orthomosaic map layers I take advantage of DroneDeploy, after which deliver these pictures into ArcGIS Online, which hosts the precise map so that you could have a hyperlink to share with folks.

I additionally use the ArcGIS Online Web Tile Layer app to assist layer in maps.

[Want to learn more about drone mapping software? Check out our introductory guide here.]

What different kinds of initiatives have you ever executed with drone mapping?

I’ve executed internet mapping for mountain climbing trails, in addition to some work in actual property.

I really like the concept of doing vegetation evaluation over time, and I’m hoping to create maps that can be utilized to observe orchards or vineyards, which may assist farmers discover alternatives to enhance their yields.

What drones do you fly, and the way a lot battery life do you want for many missions?

I fly a Phantom four Pro, and I take advantage of an iPad to fly it. Most missions I fly are beneath 30 minutes and take only one battery, however I prefer to have a second battery readily available as a backup.

What do it’s essential do this sort of mapping work?

You must have the GIS background, and it’s a must to know the best way to use ArcGIS Online.

ArcGIS prices about $1,500 a 12 months, which provides you the license and the flexibility to host maps on-line.

These are expertise you’ll be able to choose up. They take time and dedication to study, and the sphere is at all times altering, nevertheless it’s one thing you are able to do if you happen to determine to place within the work.