Guida Uniquely Combines Drone Surveys with Traditional Surveying Methods

Guida Surveying, Inc. (Guida) offers a unique approach to work product delivery by utilizing innovative drone surveying in combination with traditional surveying methods. Guida is well-known in the industry for offering unmanned aerial system (UAS) services to our clients and teaming partners as a fast and affordable way to acquire imagery, measurements, and geospatial features on their projects.

Whether drone surveys are completed for environmental purposes, municipalities, or private developers, Guida can provide a variety of deliverables to best meet the project needs. For example, utilizing dense image matching software based on photogrammetric principles to provide a 3D point cloud of any site we fly. Guida team member can then obtain vector and point data where needed, show a 3D mesh visualization model of the site, provide topographic and planimetric measurements for the technicians using our data, and deliver this information in data sets compatible with the leading CAD software packages.

We have found the use of UAVs can also be helpful in documenting the existing conditions of properties and in capturing imagery for project planning and conceptual design purposes, as well as progress imagery to document as-built conditions. Additionally, the use of drone surveys offers an added safety benefit; allowing Guida’s team members to capture vital data while maintaining safe distances.

Over the past several years, drone surveying equipment has advanced significantly and can provide the kind of precise data that keeps projects quickly moving forward, without sacrificing quality. Guida has been a leader in the safe operation of UAVs for mapping and surveying, providing imagery and digital video utilizing our fleet of in-house DJI Phantom 4 PRO UAVs equipped with a Sony 20MP camera payload. The camera’s innovative design and rapid processing system allows Guida’s team members to capture high resolution images, even at an accelerated speed.

To legally operate a drone survey tool under the FAA’s Small UAS Rule (Part 107), a person must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. This certification demonstrates that the person understands the regulations, operating requirements, and procedures for safely flying drones. Guida’s team currently includes five certified UAS pilots; these team members are located across California and can provide this service throughout the state. If you would like to learn more about the FAA Remote Pilot Certificate process, click here.

A great example of Guida’s use of drone surveys in combination with ground survey methods was our work with The Gardens at Heather Farm in Walnut Creek. The ability to have same-day imagery provided by our UAV pilot allowed for not only actionable data on the survey and mapping side, but also provided the client with beautiful imagery and video that has been used for promotional purposes. For a more technical description of how this innovative approach using drone surveys came together for The Gardens at Heather Farm, click here.