Payload solutions are a critical aspect when using drones for mapping, survey, and inspection. All these use-cases need data, the quality of which is determined by the payload in use.
A drone can have all the required qualities for a certain application, say aerial 3d mapping. These include a reasonable flight time, the ability to hover over areas of interest, and vertical take-off-and-landing capability.
However, a good drone on its own is not enough to guarantee the effectiveness of an aerial 3d mapping task or a wind-turbine inspection project. The payload used will play a huge role.
To begin with, the payload affects the quality of the sensors used for data collection, which affects the quality of data collected.
It also determines the flight time. The heavier the payload, the less the flight time. As such, payload solutions for drones should be compact and lightweight.
The payload you use can also determine your productivity. For example, some payloads come with an extended range of interchangeable lenses.
Moreover, a good payload can help you extend the utility of the drones that you own because you will be able to use them for more applications.
As we have seen above, the choice of payload is important. And one of the most important aspects when deciding which payload to use is compatibility. Integrating a payload with existing hardware and software can be a nightmare, which is why truly plug-and-play payloads are all the rage.
But what does a plug-and-play payload mean?
What Is a Plug-and-Play Payload?
To understand exactly what plug-and-play payload solutions mean for industrial aerial drones, it’s important to first understand the alternative – a situation where payloads are not directly compatible with drones and the software they use.
The Compatibility Problem
Such a situation arises from multiple factors.
For example, some manufacturers in the aerial imagery space produce proprietary hardware and software. This means that if you want to use one of their solutions, for example a payload, your whole system has to be made up of their proprietary solutions. Otherwise, a stand-alone solution from such a manufacturer will be useless.
When integration isn’t automatically out of the question, getting components from different manufacturers to be part of a synergistic system can be cumbersome. The integration process can be extensive, sometimes requiring the addition of third-party products.
The compatibility problem comes with a lot of issues. For example, companies will be hesitant to invest heavily in industrial aerial drones because the products they have could become unusable in the future if they are not compatible with newer products.
This affects the ability of such companies to scale their aerial imaging operations.
The Solution: Ready-for-Flight Systems
As a company looking to use drones and aerial imagery products, for example an aerial 3D survey camera, there are several ways to get around the compatibility problem.
The first is to look for payload solutions that are designed specifically for the drones that you use or plan to acquire. This works especially well for popular drones like the DJI M300, commonly used for inspection. Payload manufactures will design products that are ready-for-flight when used with popular drones.
The other approach is to use open-source systems as opposed to proprietary systems. Leading payload manufacturers may not have a payload designed for the drone you have but they are likely to have a solution that integrates with open-source systems.
With an open system, you can control your aerial 3D survey camera from the pilot app that you’re used to, and without a lot of fuss – you just plug and use.
You Can Work With a Wide Range of Plug-and-play Payloads
Drones aren’t like other aerial systems, for example helicopters. There is a limit on the payloads you can use, usually due to weight.
The maximum weight a professional drone can carry is 15 lbs – around 7 kg. Still, there is a wide range of payloads that drones can carry.
Visible Light Payloads
The ideal RGB payload for a drone will have a high-quality sensor and be designed for fast, efficient, and safe data collection.
It should come with a wide range of interchangeable lens options to cater for different scenarios and bolster productivity. For industrial aerial drones, the sensor should have a resolution of at least 50 MP. And if you really want the best quality, a drone camera can have a resolution of up to 100 MP.
Thermal Payloads
For applications such as solar, roof, and crop inspection, where thermal data is useful, thermal payloads are instrumental.
Most thermal payloads are compatible with drones from major manufacturers like DJI.
Multi-Sensor Payloads
In some cases, it might be useful to collect multiple types of data about an asset or a space. For such scenarios, companies can use multi-sensor payloads, with the ability to capture not only both visual and thermal data but also laser data, which helps determine distance.
Conclusion
Compatibility and the cost of integration should be major factors when deciding on the choice of aerial imagery tools to use – regardless of the use-case.
Plug-and-play payload solutions are easy to integrate into existing systems.
Companies can go a step further by using open-source systems – this not only makes integration easier in the present but also increases the probability of their tools being relevant in future.
