Komatsu America Corp. and Propeller Aero Inc. are partnering to boost the efficiency of construction jobsites using drone-powered mapping and analytics software.
With drones becoming an increasingly common worksite tool, Komatsu has identified aerial mapping and analytics as a key component of their Smart Construction initiative—a range of integrated hardware and software products designed to offer an end-to-end workflow for each phase of construction.
Komatsu America Corp. spent several years testing various commercial drone mapping and analytics products in North America. In Propeller, Komatsu found an exceptionally robust product, well-suited to meet the needs of modern construction operations. Propeller expertly balances ease-of-use with survey accuracy and reliability.
Propeller’s processing machinery crunches thousands of drone images in hours and delivers the results as a cloud-based 3D model right to the user’s desktop or tablet. From there, powerful collaboration and analysis tools let users perform height, volume, and slope calculations, and measure change over time to confirm that a project is on track.
Importantly, Propeller’s technology platform supports multiple coordinate systems, including local site calibrations. This allows personnel to capture up-to-date survey data expressed in the specific geospatial coordinates they already use on that jobsite. Local grid support is crucial for ensuring drone-captured maps and models “match up” with plans and previous surveys. For more, visit www.propelleraero.com.
Now available through a widespread network of Komatsu distributors across the US, Komatsu Equipment Company (KEC), a leading Komatsu distributor headquartered in Salt Lake City, was among the first to roll out Propeller solutions to Komatsu customers as a result of this partnership. Based on the positive response so far, KEC is confident the construction sector will be quick to adopt this technology. For more, visit www.komatsuamerica.com.
Modern Contractor Solutions, August 2018
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