3 features to look for in a drone

By EagleView.  

Drones are a great tool for roof inspections, but it’s important to pick one that will give you the most bang for your buck. 

Whether you are an insurance claims inspector or a roofing contractor, drones can be an incredibly powerful tool. This innovative piece of technology can offer people in the field precise imagery and accurate measurements without leaving the ground. Subsequently, this keeps those working in the roofing industry safer and inspections faster. This tool can become even more useful when paired with the right AI software, resulting in things like automated damage reports. Overall, drones are a key tool that allows your team to work more efficiently than traditional estimation processes. The experts at EagleView, who have been in roof imaging for over 20 years, are here to help you understand how to pick the right drone for your job. 

How to find the best drones for roof inspections 

With many drones on the market today, it’s important to weigh the attributes that are most helpful to your business’s requirements. Beyond getting a camera on the roof, having a drone that can acquire thorough measurements as well as 3D mapping is critical for providing quality roof assessments. As one of the leading providers of drone solutions for roof inspections worldwide, EagleView Assess offers detailed, accurate measurements, high-quality imaging, and aerial mapping and surveying for your roof inspection needs. While you are safely on the ground, the drone does all the work capturing hundreds of images, all the while flying autonomously. It’s easy to use, saving you the stress of climbing a ladder, walking around a slanted roof, and trying to capture several important images yourself. 

Top features to look for in a drone for roof inspections 

All the best drones are equipped with specialized software applications to provide contractors with the ability to generate various roof reports, including 3-D models of roofs! To give you the highest quality experience when it comes to utilizing drones for roof inspections, there are a few features to keep in mind. Here are three of the most important qualities every good roof-inspecting drone should have: 

1 - Camera quality: Naturally, if your goal is to produce high-resolution imagery, then you’ll want a high-quality camera. That’s really the whole point of using it for detailed roof inspections. Once collected, these images will allow you to zoom in or blow up finite details in your assessment while still maintaining its quality. Additionally, less strain is placed on the drone and its operator. It won’t have to be flown in too closely in order to capture the image you want. A higher altitude safely protects the drone from obstacles while also providing an opportunity to photograph the roof in its entirety if you wish. This will allow you to complete roof inspections faster and more efficiently. 

2 - Software compatibility: Once you capture images, you’ll want the right software to interpret them as well as present features that complement your inspection. From 3-D mapping to generating damage reports, the best software makes accessing your data easy, accurate, and professional. From take-off to touch-down, the drone and software should be united in giving you the highest-quality data reports possible. The best drone, coupled with the best inspection software, can offer fast turnaround times on assessments with the greatest accuracy, allowing the job to be completed in one inspection with no need for second opinions. 

3 - Obstacle avoidance: The drone is only as good as its ability to keep itself safe. If your drone is constantly having trouble avoiding objects, then it could be destroyed and unavailable to complete any inspection task you give it. A downed drone means cost in repairs, lost inspection time, and possibly a lost job! The best drones are equipped with 6-way obstacle avoidance. The more sensors, the better. The ultimate drones are able to have 360-degree “vision” in order to avoid anything that comes in their path. 

Why EagleView Assess is the best drone for roof inspections 

With unparalleled accuracy and state-of-the-art proprietary software, EagleView Assess, combined with drones powered by Skydio–a leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight technology–is hands down the number one choice when it comes to choosing a drone for roof inspections. EagleView Assess is simply the gold standard in drone-powered property data. With up to 1mm/pixel ground sample distance and 16 times clearer than satellite imagery, EagleView Assess provides contractors with high-resolution images of the entire roof with options to generate automated damage reports and measurements for fast and accurate repair estimates. Simple to fly no matter who is controlling it, these drones make gathering data a snap: 

• Access complete measurements and roof condition data–anywhere you can fly a drone. 
• Safely capture imagery for the entire roof with automated obstacle detection that maps out each flight path to avoid trees, chimneys, and other possible dangers. 
• Shorten timelines and validate repair estimates with objective, accurate data accepted by leading insurance carriers. 

Drone operators can set the roof boundaries of the area to be mapped on the touchscreen of their tablet. Once the drone is launched, it creates a real-time 3-D map of the property. With damage protection software powered by Machine Learning, it can detect individual roof facets with high-resolution 0.3mm GSD. Safely assessing the roof, it can avoid obstacles in real-time with 360-degree detection. Skydio-powered drones are industry leaders in intelligent navigation.  

Original article source: EagleView