December 31, 2015

2016: Stockpile Reports Predicts It Will Be The Year of the Drone

Author: Stockpile Reports

Did you know that the FAA predicted there would be at least 1 million drones gifted during 2015’s holiday season?

Drones were the must-have toy for 2015. If you live near a park, parking lot or open space, chances are high that someone is probably flying, or trying to fly a new drone there right now.

Stockpile Reports predicts that 2016 will be The Year of the Drone for businesses. Stockpile measurement by UAV will assist site inventory for mining, aggregates and construction companies in 2016.

Soaring Sales

The demand for recreational drones made them the a very popular toy for 2015. They are easily available, come in multiple shapes and sizes, and are relatively inexpensive. For example, you can even buy one at Macy’s. Recreational drones use sophisticated technology, requiring little to no training to operate.

It is much easier to buy a drone than it is to fly it. Here are some of the steps new drone users need to take before flying their drone:

1. Read the guide

2. Charge the batteries for the drone and controller

3. Install the app if it is a camera drone

4. Get the app to work with the drone. You might need to install an update.

5. You may want to register the drone with the manufacturer

6. Register your drone with the FAA

The FAA recently required that drones weighing more than .55 pounds and less than 55 pounds must be registered. That includes adding the weight of a camera to it. The FAA points out if your drone weighs more than two sticks of butter, you should register it.

Recreational drones arrived in many sizes, from large to small, this Christmas. This is a micro drone quadcopter.

Soaring Interest in Flying for Business Purposes

Stockpile Reports  has observed a huge industry interest in stockpile measurements via Unassisted Aerial Vehicles (also known as drones). We’ve had many questions from our clients, asking our advice about measuring stockpiles with a drone. It’s not uncommon for an aggregates, mining or construction company to have a drone on-site, piloted by an internal resource. Similar to recreational models, purchasers have the ability to purchase whatever drone configuration and model that works best for their locations and needs, while purchase prices continue to drop.

However, companies that wish to fly a drone for business use are required to register with the FAA, and get a Section 333 Exemption. Here is the most recent list provided by the FAA of authorizations granted.

UAVs can be considered as a low-cost alternative to manned aerial photogrammetry, and can be advantageous to use for inspection, surveillance, mapping, and 3D modeling. Stockpile Reports has been measuring stockpiles by drone since 2013, in countries where the practice is already accepted and regulated.

Drones are rapidly becoming an accepted stockpile measurement tool for mining, aggregates and construction companies.

From Your Drone to the CFO

Are you completing site inventory measurements with a drone? You fly the drone, and we’ll provide the report results. Business can process drone imagery with a StockpileReports.com subscription at no extra cost. It is your choice: fly an eBee, Phantom, or other drone type. Upload the data, and we’ll circle the piles for you. It only takes minutes to tag your materials. Measurement results are ready for the CFO, auditors and managers in hours.

Our patented platform provides accurate measurements from airplanes, drones or iPhone images. Stockpile Reports is easy to use, provides quick results in hours, and reduces write-offs. We have more than 120 companies in 14 countries who have measured over 200 million tons of materials utilizing our measurement methods.

If you are also excited about technology and how it can benefit your business, please contact us. We’re happy to talk about our success stories via drone measurement, and our experiences utilizing UAVs around the world.