AI-powered drones are zooming in on the construction and building surveying business, helping builders, roofers and other construction-related companies save tens of thousands of dollars, and complete projects quicker, while also performing tasks that would otherwise expose humans to the risk of falls, electrocutions and collisions on the jobs site.
“The future of drones in the construction industry looks promising, with advancements in technology poised to further revolutionize the field,” said Piers Dormeyer, the CEO of EagleView, in an interview with Digital CxO. The Seattle-based company specializes in aerial imagery, geospatial data and AI-driven analytics.
“The way it works, the address is imputed to the drone, and it is completely autonomous, no piloting involved, the drove creates its own flight plan, and then it literally creates a grid across the roof, and then scans about a meter off the surface, so we are talking about very high-resolution imagery,” Mr. Dormeyer said.
The drone can avoid obstacles, including birds, along the way, he said. It usually takes about 20 or 30 minutes to complete the task, and then the drone will autonomously return to its takeoff point. The imagery that the drone captures is automatically uploaded to the cloud, where the next set of AI takes over — the deep learning algorithms that look for damage.
“There are millions of images of damaged roofs, and structures, and missing shingles, hail strikes, and all of those things, so it goes through the millions of images and identifies anomalies, then the user, who could be completely remote, can log in. This could be a contractor, an insurance company, or several interested parties, and they can go facet by facet to look at all the anomalies, and they will see the images, with the anomalies, or elements of damage, circled, and they can create a report based off that. They are incredibly accurate, order of magnitude better than a human being,” Mr. Dormeyer said.
The company also surveys sites with fixed-winged aircraft, using similar AI-powered imagery gathering to survey land and structures, similar to Google Earth, but with about 70% higher resolution, Mr. Dormeyer said. The technology can even assist with solar energy projects, to determine how many solar panels are needed, given the position of the building’s roof and if the roof receives shade from trees or any other fixed structure, such as other buildings or water towers.
According to EagleView, “The future of drones in the construction industry looks promising, with advancements in technology poised to further revolutionize the field. As drone capabilities continue to expand, we can expect to see increased automation and integration with other digital tools . . .The use of drones for precise material delivery and autonomous construction is also on the horizon, potentially transforming construction logistics and labor dynamics. Overall, the integration of drones will drive greater efficiency, safety and innovation in the construction industry.”
AI-powered drones can zoom into hard-to-reach areas, and identify cracks, leaks and structural defects. “It’s really hard to monitor really big structures for defects and wear and tear. Sometimes structures are awkward to get to and it’s difficult to determine if they’re in good condition,” said Mr. Cian Brennan, Founder and CEO of Quantum Contract Solutions. “Drones can help with the quality and frequency of site inspections and monitoring. This will have a very positive effect on quality control, progress tracking and risk assessment. You will be able to mitigate risk a lot faster and identify problems before they become serious.”
AI drones are particularly capable of inventory management. Discarded building materials, such as wood and drywall, account for the largest loss in construction project costs, but drones can help diminish that in several ways, according to KREO, a company that offers AI-powered construction software.
“An accurate takeoff in construction project estimation is crucial for on-time, on-budget delivery,” the company states. “It cuts out waste and inefficiency and steps up project management by pinpointing where to improve through accurate cost and material estimates. Drone tech makes it even better by giving real-time data on project resource use. This data can include information about the quantity of materials used, the number of workers on site, and the equipment available. Construction professionals can then use this info to refine their material purchasing and cost estimates. By comparing drone-captured data with the initial takeoff, they can identify discrepancies and make adjustments. Plus, drones help track project progress from beginning to end. They provide live footage and images of the project site for managers to monitor progress and identify any delays or issues impacting the timeline. In tandem with construction estimator software and construction takeoff software, project managers can take immediate action to keep the project on track.”
Another way that AI-powered drones are being utilized is in disaster areas, particularly with the type of destruction left by hurricanes. Mr. Dormeyer said that EagleView will assist governmental agencies, as well as private contractors, in surveying the damage left by Hurricane Helene.
