Why Orthomosaics are Important to the Construction Industry

by Jim Gibson
Orthomosaic photograph of a commercial construction site

Drone Service Providers (DSPs) that specialize in data collection services for the commercial construction industry offer a vital tool for construction project managers: Orthomosaics. These images, sometimes called Ortho-Rectified Images, provide a bird’s-eye view of the ongoing commercial construction project, giving managers a clear and detailed overview of the site’s progress.

What is an Orthomosaic Image?

Let me break down what an orthomosaic is and why it’s different from a regular drone image.

Imagine you’re putting together a big puzzle, but instead of using puzzle pieces, you’re using thousands of tiny pictures taken from above by a drone. Each picture is like a puzzle piece, capturing a small part of the area you want to map, like a construction site. 

Orthomosaics are ortho-rectified images
Orthomosaics are ortho-rectified images that minimize the impact of the earth’s natural curvature.

How is an orthomosaic unique?

Now, let’s talk about what an orthomosaic does. An orthomosaic is like creating a giant, super-detailed map of that construction site by stitching all those little pictures together. It’s not just a simple collage; it’s more like creating a seamless, bird’s-eye view image that accurately represents every detail of the site, almost like you’re looking straight down from above.

Why an orthomosaic is different from a regular drone image:

  • Accuracy: An orthomosaic corrects any distortions or variations caused by the angle and altitude of the drone, giving you a precise and accurate representation of the site. So, it’s like having a perfectly straight-down view, even though the drone might have been flying at an angle.
  • Consistency: Every part of the orthomosaic fits together seamlessly, like pieces of a puzzle. This consistency is crucial for tasks like measuring distances, areas, and tracking changes over time on the construction site.
  • Detail: Since an orthomosaic combines numerous images, it captures a tremendous amount of detail. You can zoom in and see things with much more clarity compared to a single drone image, making it incredibly useful for analyzing the site in depth.

So, in essence, an orthomosaic is like creating a super-accurate, detailed map of a construction site by piecing together thousands of drone photos. It helps you see the big picture while also allowing you to zoom in and examine the tiniest details, making it an invaluable tool for construction planning, progress tracking, and analysis.

Image of Construction Planning
Construction engineers use data collected from drones to manage complex build details

Construction Project Managers love orthomosaics

For project managers, having a regular supply of ortho-rectified images is like having a constantly updated blueprint of the construction site. They can track progress, identify potential issues, and make informed decisions without needing to physically visit the site each time. This saves time and ensures that the project stays on track.

Why Construction Engineers love em’ too!

Engineers can utilize computational tools to analyze these images and manage day-to-day operations more efficiently. For example, they can use software to measure distances, areas, and volumes accurately. They can also overlay design plans onto the images to compare progress against the original blueprint, ensuring everything is being built according to specifications.

Benefits of orthomosaics in commercial construction

Sharing this data with key stakeholders is crucial for highlighting regular progress on the project. By providing stakeholders with access to updated ortho-rectified images and related computational analyses, project managers can keep everyone informed and engaged. This transparency builds trust and confidence in the project’s progress and allows stakeholders to provide feedback or make adjustments as needed.

Overall, the combination of ortho-rectified images and computational tools offers construction project managers and engineers a powerful way to manage and track the day-to-day operations of commercial construction projects. Sharing this data with key stakeholders ensures transparency and facilitates collaboration, ultimately leading to successful project completion.

From The Editor:

Do you need to hire a professional drone service provider for your construction project?  To speak to an aerial data specialist, fill out a form, email us or for even faster response times, give us a call at (833) FLY-4YOU or (833) 359-4968.  Check out our transparent pricing at https://www.aerialdecisions.com/drone-photography-pricing/ and watch this space as we expand on the above topics and more over the coming weeks and months.  

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Jim Gibson
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