Unmanned aircraft system enables qUick and efficient

Unmanned aircraft
system enables
quick and efficient
airborne mapping
COWI now offers airborne mapping using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS),
which, despite their modest size, provide valuable information on an area,
quickly, easily and at low cost.
Flight permit issued by the
Danish Transport Authority
COWI is the only company with a permit to
carry out commercial mapping using class-1A
UASs (0-1.5 kg) in urban areas and along major
public roads. The permit has been issued by the
Danish Transport Authority.
COWI’s UAS fleet is remote controlled from the ground via a laptop. The aircraft becomes airborne in just ten minutes and provides results that can be
viewed within 24 hours. To ensure optimum surveying conditions, the UAS
cannot operate under winds exceeding 12 m/s. The integrated 16 megapixel
10x15 digital camera produces pin-sharp photos, while a GPS registers the
position of each photo.
The collected data from the UAS can be used to generate a terrain model
for calculating volumes as well as a georeferenced overview map of the area.
Using surveyed control points on the ground, it is possible to achieve an
accuracy of up to 5 cm horizontally and 10 cm vertically.
Mapping with UAS is a great supplement to COWI’s orthophotos and terrain
models produced using normal aircrafts. COWI draws on more than 40
years of experience in production of orthophotos and terrain photos when
processing UAS data.
Useful for field jobs
The UAS battery capacity is 30 minutes, making it perfect for field jobs and
mapping of small areas. For instance, the drone’s camera can capture overview
photos of an area immediately after a flood, or the UAS fly over an operating
gravel pit to assess the scope of materials in stock, or a field before starting land
development.
Selected references
Client: Nymølle Stenindustrier A/S
Year: 2012-2013
Surveying/flyover before and after
excavation of materials in order to
prepare a volume calculation.
Client: Nord Group A/S, Nyborg
Year: 2013
Mapping of Klintholm landfill to be
used for volume calculation.
Client: The Municipality of Norddjurs
Year: 2013
Mapping of five gravel pits and
a bog. The gravel pits will also
be flown over in 2014 in order to
prepare a volume calculation.
Client: Furesø Golfklub
Year: 2013
Mapping of existing golf course
to be used for design of new golf
course.
Client: NCC Råstoffer A/S
Year: 2013
Mapping of Rønne granite quarry
as well as gravel pits by Bornholm
Airport, Sorø and Holbæk.
Client: Pindstrup Spagnum A/S
Year: 2013
Mapping of part of Store Vildmose
bog to create a terrain model
and orthophotos to be used for
calculation sphagnum quantities.
Client: Danish Defense and
Infrastructure Organization
Year: 2013
Mapping of Grønnedal naval station
in Greenland.
Client: Aarhus light rail
Year: 2013
Mapping of part of the future light
rail in Aarhus.
Client: Rail Net Denmark
Year: 2013
Mapping of part of the future
railway between Copenhagen and
Ringsted.
Contacts
Phone
Email
Jesper Falk
Contacts
Stephan Mølvig
Parallelvej 2,
Parallelvej 2,
DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby
DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby
+45 56 40 10 95
[email protected]
Phone
Email
+45 56 40 16 86
[email protected]
Address
COWI A/S
Parallelvej 2
DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby
Phone
+45 56 40 00 00
fax
+45 56 40 99 99
www
cowi.com