Mine & Quarry Surveys, and our clients, have been appreciating the benefits of using "drones" as survey tools since 2015, and for the past four years we have been constantly advancing our understanding and usage of these platforms, leading to accurate land and stockpile surveys that are consistently quicker, cheaper and safer than traditional methods.

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High quality UAV cameras or LIDAR can capture far more points than traditional total stations. When tied to Ground Control, the result is a significantly more comprehensive Depth Map of certified accuracy. The high resolution Orthomosaics of sites can demonstrate to auditors both the practice of survey and validity of results, with stockpiles, property boundaries and other site features visually evident. Orthomosaics are often also a useful organisational and promotional resource. 

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The practicality of UAV surveying for large outdoor sites is confirmed with each survey. Data collection over an 80 Hectare site would once have taken multiple teams of our surveyors at least two weeks. Today, we fly these sites in two and a half hours, to a resolution of under 2cm a pixel. Reduced time on site is reduced inconvenience to operations and reduced cost for our clients.

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But the fundamental benefit of the UAV platform, and the reason we recommend it where practical, is the reduced risk. By flying over sites, rather than walking through them, the risks of slips and trips, falls from height or contact with site vehicles and machinery are greatly reduced.

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There are of course many areas where a UAV mounted instrument is not the right tool for the job. But, for large outdoor surveys, be they volumetric, deformation or other, we often find UAVs to be the quickest, cheapest and safest option. 

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