Drone technology is a tool that improves communication, safety, and marketing, the use of drones in construction can offer many advantages; capturing real-time images from the field.
As Ms. Léa Bienaimé of Dronevolt in France observes,
Africa is one of the newest continents to join the commercial drone market, the wide open spaces in Africa offer incredible opportunities for all types of commercial drone applications.
Therefore, according to Mr. Tomasz Firek of Versa drones in Ireland,
construction is a major aspect that contributes to the growth of the African economy hence digitization of the sector can contribute immensely in the development of the continent.
Moreover, Cherice Torr of ALTIUAS in South Africa mentions that, one of the 3 biggest challenges Africa face in the construction industry is safety on site, rising project costs and lack of communication. There is an opportunity for drones or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to help the construction industry to overcome these problems.
The sheer scale of the construction industry and the projects that are being undertaken on the African continent lend themselves to the effective use of drones which can only add value, provided they are implemented safely and correctly. According to Mr. Adam Rosman of AMS in South Africa, much like the trajectory of cellular phones to landlines, drones allow Africa to leapfrog old and inefficient technology and embrace the new and effective technology to better all industries especially the construction industry.
Compared to many other parts of the globe, most African countries have very little limitations and legislation on the use of drones. According to Marius Hough the director of operations at Dronezone in South Africa, for companies in the position to make use of these amazing high-tech vehicles it certainly spells the word ‘opportunity’.
“In one sentence; the use of UAVs presents African construction firms the opportunity to benefit in a big way from first world technology. Whoever gets in the game with drones and uses them to their full potential, will certainly reap the benefits and rise to the top. Drone technology can be used in a variety of applications around building sites, from the monitoring of progress, to inspection, to security patrols (night or day), to delivery of small key items,” says Mr. Hough.
He further adds that, the use of drones is generally associated with the use of cameras. There is of course a myriad of different cameras with very specific applications. Thermal imaging or ‘infrared thermography’ is using a camera to detect heat radiation.
“Thermal cameras are also very effective for patrolling construction sites at night, clearly showing human activity and enhancing security measures to curb theft and illegal activities that take place under cover of darkness,” he affirms.
Mr. Robin Schardijn of Height Tech from the Netherlands recapitulates that, Drones can be seen as a tool to bridge the gap between a sensor and a target. Collecting accurate data on a safe, effective and efficient way. Opportunities in construction can currently be found in inspection, surveying and mapping applications.
“The future of drone technology will change using fully autonomous systems that can carry out flights on their own. No control needed, by planning a flight-mission the drone will work independently in combination with all available payload sensors to capture your objective the right way. Ground-breaking technologies like thermal imaging and LiDAR created new dimensions for enterprises to do business,” he says.
The challenges like the lack of IT infrastructure in some construction areas can hinder the successful application of a drone in a construction site but opportunities are endless if provided with the right equipment for the right purpose.
