Digital Transformation Opportunities to Deliver Augmented Project Management Intelligence using Drones

 A discussion of Artificial Intelligence in Project Management would not be complete without a further review of how Drone technology is being widely adopted across the Construction and Energy industries.  Project managers and construction managers have seen significant value from drone technology, coupled with advanced imaging capabilities like LiDAR*, Infrared and high-resolution video.  

Drones are rapidly expanding their capabilities and reach for mobile IoT Technologies, with low-cost and safer alternative to address issues at Project sites, and for key Assets.   Drones can be configured to handle a variety of tasks, and carry specialized equipment to both collect data and transfer the data to IoT end points, or other Cloud-based repositories for analysis.    

These technologies provide faster and safer Construction site and Asset inspection capabilities to evaluate project progress, while supporting advanced inspection capabilities over the life of an Asset.  Beyond the significant safety improvements provided by drones, the high precision imaging available from advanced 3D and spectral GPS-enabled imaging technologies, like LiDAR and Infrared remote sensing.   For Plant interior inspections, where drones may not be practical, LiDAR imaging can he deployed via backpacks to allow operators to perform walkthough inspections.

*- Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.

Autonomous drone flights and ground-based walkthroughs allow you to virtually document every stage of your construction project, capture every angle of your asset, or visualize your entire construction site. Drone makers and Cloud-based Drone Data Service Providers (like Drone Deploy) are collaborating with the major Energy companies to develop custom drones with data collection technology to obtain real-time insights.  

For progress tracking and reporting, construction project managers can now map their entire job site each week. This regular, overhead site imaging is invaluable when it comes to tracking progress, inspecting for safety issues, and keeping real-time tabs on every corner of a site. Because drone maps are geo-tagged, it’s even possible to take basic area measurements and instantly estimate stockpile volumes for on the spot decision-making, using real-time information.