DroneDeploy was founded in 2013 in San Francisco, California. The original concept was to create software that could help park rangers in Kruger National Park, South Africa, to monitor the entire park area covering more than 7,500 miles. DroneDeploy is the first drone mapping software on the market, and it has evolved into one of the most popular software solutions for drones. The following sections offer a more in-depth insight into DroneDeploy and its functions.

What is DroneDeploy?

In short, DroneDeploy is a pioneer in drone mapping. It eases the process of capturing aerial images and uses computer vision to process them into 2D or 3D maps. It is considered the leading mapping software currently used by professionals in various industries and fields for both private and professional purposes.

Land inspections play a crucial role in numerous industries and sectors, including farming, insurance, oil and gas, construction, and many more. The main reason for choosing DroneDeploy is to eliminate the time-consuming, labor-intensive human inspections that can be prone to errors and even dangerous. DroneDeploy is a one-stop solution for implementing quick, efficient, and consistent protocols.

DroneDeploy Features

Real-Time Flight Options

DroneDeploy offers a user-friendly mobile app for flight control and automation. This can capture photos, videos, and panoramas and turn them into maps. The app boasts complete data capture abilities available for both iOS and Android devices and allows you to plan autonomous flights with only a few taps. You remain connected to your drone in real-time, and it is compatible with the most popular drones on the market. Some other features of the mobile app include:

• Share flight plans with others
• Pre-flight checklist for safety
• Automatic operations, including flight, take-off, and landing

Apart from this, DroneDeploy generates thermal and orthomosaic maps, along with plant health. These are turned into a live map in real-time without requiring internet or a memory card so you can conduct your land analysis in real-time. DroneDeploy Live Map is compatible with iOS devices only, and it does not require any waiting. It offers real-time 3D mapping directly to your phone, so it is one of the fastest ways of collecting insights and aerial footage and photos of your site, turning it into useful maps without any time-consuming processing. This function is only compatible with DJI Phantom 4 drone models and newer.

The software is exceptionally intuitive and easy to use. The DroneDeploy mobile app requires only one tap to select the target area for your drone. Then, it flies autonomously to the destination and starts taking photos at an interval you define. These photos are geotagged, which allows you to create 2D or 3D maps. As the drone is flying, you will be able to see a real-time 2D map. Once the flight is over, you can upload the materials on the DroneDeploy website, where they will be turned into a 3D model.

In addition to this, the mobile app allows you to switch between automatic and manual flights at any time. It supports FPV (first-person view), NDVI for monitoring vegetation health, orthomosaic mapping, and digital elevation maps. It also measures and shows the area and volume.

Drone Operations Management

Apart from the mobile phone app, DroneDeploy offers access to a comprehensive cloud-based platform that automates and simplifies numerous processes. It can manage hundreds of pilots simultaneously, allows for data sharing, and has an automated report that details the drone’s performance.

DroneDeploy provides peace of mind in terms of compliance due to the pre-flight checklists and ability to record each pilot’s digital credentials. The platform also provides an easy way to access automated authorization. Other measures regarding compliance include:

• Collecting and storing data regarding the last pilot and flight, total flights, registration, and more
• Ability to add expiration dates for licenses
• Compliance with federal regulations through a partnership with Airbus UTM

Live Streaming

DroneDeploy is one of the top choices in terms of mapping software. It is capable of quickly identifying problems, damages, or hazards and sends the information in real-time. Boosting situation awareness, the software can help your business improve its response time in case of emergencies.

DroneDeploy Integrations

The software is highly compatible with other applications. Their broad network of partners can help you streamline your business activity. For instance, Procore workflows can be added to DroneDeploy to ensure seamless communication between the job site and the office. Their app center has several dozens of third-party apps to ease your workflow.

DroneDeploy Applications

Solar Energy

Numerous businesses around the world use DroneDeploy to install and monitor solar panels. The high-resolution 2D and 3D models help to quickly and accurately measure the roof. In addition to this, the ability to carry on thermal inspections can help monitor solar panels or generate energy usage estimates.

This allows for lower labor costs since accurate roof measurements allow for more precise planning, while workers enjoy improved safety due to the reduced time they need to spend on the roofs. Finally, in case of damages, the live thermal map allows you to quickly detect problems and keep photographic evidence of the damage.

Construction Sites

The software holds numerous benefits for construction companies. Using its smart features, businesses in this field can now share every stage of the project with all stakeholders. This saves time and money as it is a one-stop solution that captures the entire construction site and digitally reconstructs it. This allows for an in-depth analysis of the construction process, ensuring that you are on time and budget.

Oil and Gas

Oil and gas operations can be expanded to new levels and standards when using DroneDeploy. First of all, the software ensures on-time delivery and continuous, efficient maintenance of buildings and facilities. The data collected can be easily shared with all stakeholders using reports.

In terms of safety, the software can help you reduce the necessity of inspections in unsafe locations since the teams will be deployed at the facility only when maintenance issues are recognized by the software using real-time 3D maps.

Mining Industry

DroneDeploy offers the ultimate solution for efficient measurement and recording of stockpile inventories while conducting inspections of your infrastructure. The software can create and analyze elevation maps while adhering to government regulations regarding safety and maintenance.

This means that mining firms benefit from timely information, avoiding waste and inventory issues. The software can also export all the information to your chosen record system regarding the quantity and even the value of your inventory and materials.

In addition to this, users can cut down the time waste by managing logistics. For instance, you can compare site conditions and track the process of site excavations to ensure timely process finalization. You can easily view and measure routes for efficient logistics on your site.

Farming

Another product offered by DroneDeploy is known as Fieldscanner. This is used by farming businesses to record changes during the growing season. It saves time and money because farmers can now identify troubled areas before they spread to other crops, improving the yield and decreasing expenses.

Other Applications

The software can be useful for nearly any industry or field in which real-time decision-making is critical. For example, engineers or other professionals can quickly examine a large area and identify problems. Law enforcement authorities may use mapping software to identify missing people, criminals or localize suspicious vehicles.

The company also has a philanthropic program. It is known as Flylanthropy, and it aims to provide free access to software to non-profit organizations. Data shows that the software saved approximately one life per week between 2016 and 2017. Some people consider that drones and aerial mapping will turn vital for disaster relief efforts in the future.

DroneDeploy Services and Training

One of the best highlights of the software is the extensive guidance offered to users. The company provides both online and on-site training, helping you to design your workflows and drone operation.

The DroneDeploy Academy offers standardized training which is not only safe and consistent but also compliant; apart from this, they also help you define and monitor your return on investment, compare your program against industry best practices, and more.

Flight services are also available on the DroneDeploy platform. They provide customized flight templates, while there is also the option to train pilots using the platform.

DroneDeploy Pricing Plans

Despite its impressive complexity, DroneDeploy is highly affordable. Individuals interested in mapping have the opportunity to choose the Pro plan that costs $99 per month (billed annually) or $149 per month when billed monthly.

This option allows access to one person and one drone. Apart from this feature, it supports HD live mapping, up to 1,000 images per map, unlimited flight, volume measurement, app integrations, and email support.

The Business plan at $299 per month (billed annually) or $449 per month (billed monthly) includes all the Pro features and 3,000 images per map, chat support, panoramas and videos, stockpile reporting, ground control points, local projection systems, and others.

A fully customizable plan is also available. Prospective customers must contact DroneDeploy to receive a quote according to the size of their organization and needs.

Summary

All in all, DroneDeploy is the leading mapping software on the market. It employs cutting-edge technology to provide users with a complex, immersive experience. The applications for this software are comprehensive since it covers all sectors regarding drone mapping.