Drone Mapping

[Renee Healion]

Matterport. Hmm--that is interesting. It looks like google street view inside a building, sort of very smoothly-stitched high-definition stills, mmmokay. But THEN, the 3D models of whole buildings is great! It is stitched, too, but shown all together. When I go through a place with owners, I often say (mumble) as I am sketching "so we are over..." (whatever room below) because I think vertically while I am sketching horizontally, so to speak. Or just like to keep oriented to have the building make sense to me. These are nice to see.

 

[RCA]

They are designing the drones to fly autonomously through volcano lava tubes where people can't go (not safe on the moon and Mars). They have to fly fast and avoid collisions on all sides. Pretty much the same requirements as flying through a home with open doors.

The point is, with a ton of money going into NASA research, which we expect to be open technology, it will be available for commercial use. If you watch Roku you can get a channel called "Curiosity Stream" (I'm sure you can get on the Internet as well). One of their latest videos is "Return to the Moon". About half way through they interview and show work at Astrobotics on their development of a drone for exploring the volcano tubes on the moon and Mars. You can get more information there.

Anyway their current prototype looks a bit too large to fly through doorways. However, they are working on what they call a much smaller "BatBot" that will also be able to fly in the dark and not use propellers. Space stuff.

There are of course many other companies working on commercial drones. But most of them fly over agriculture, mining and construction areas, taking photos and measurements from above. Interior flying drones are still on the "bleeding edge" of drone technology. But I would expect rapid development.

Also, I should mention that GIS readings will certainly be used to fix approximate anchor points. But I would expect that the AI side will use very exact laser and ultrasound measurements of interiors and reconcile those with exterior measurements and GIS readings to get very exact layouts of whatever structures they are mapping. Couple that with extreme photography (very high res and low light) with efficient low lighting and you can imagine the things possible.

Added: The since the lava tubes are the only safe places for lengthy stays on the Moon and Mars, capable of protecting against surface radiation and providing a barrier against meteorites, they are probably some of the most valuable real estate - especially if located near water. So, the race is on. [ So, someday, this real estate gets appraised, sold and bought - just like real estate on earth. As well as space stations at prime locations such as the Lagrangian point between the Earth and Sun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point).]

 

[NachoPerito]

Matterport looks interesting! Perhaps one day appraisals will use it instead of still photos. I have seen listings using in on high end homes regular homes does not seem in use much for mid price or below.

No matter how how high tech it gets buyers usually want to see it in person and seeing it in person is always a bit different (same for appraiser )

I am looking for a house to buy right now that is 100 miles away. I am only going to drive 100 miles if there is matterport that I have already seen. No brainer for an agent. Otherwise, i will wait until I am up there some weekend and I will see it without matterport, but by that time the houses are gone.

 

[Artemis Fowl]

Decade or so away at least. Tech needed to do what we need still very expensive.
I love the thought of just walking down a street while my drones zip in and out of yards taking measurements and photos.

 

[Mr Rex]

Simone has to operate the drone skillfully and there are privacy concerns and FAA laws around their use as well. Would need owner permission.

I can see use of drones more for large tracts of land or remote/ hard to reach properties or commercial properties /vertical measure rather than residential . .

Habib in Pakistan will fly the drones just like the Air Force guys in Cali fly the military drones in the middle east.

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

since the lava tubes are the only safe places for lengthy stays on the Moon and Mars, capable of protecting against surface radiation and providing a barrier against meteorites, they are probably some of the most valuable real estate - especially if located near water. So, the race is on.

I've got a few choice parcels of 100 acres on Mars including the lava tubes for sale.
Way better than the bridges those other guys want to sell you. Buddy.

 

[RCA]

They are designing the drones to fly autonomously through volcano lava tubes where people can't go (not safe on the moon and Mars). They have to fly fast and avoid collisions on all sides. Pretty much the same requirements as flying through a home with open doors.

The point is, with a ton of money going into NASA research, which we expect to be open technology, it will be available for commercial use. If you watch Roku you can get a channel called "Curiosity Stream" (I'm sure you can get on the Internet as well). One of their latest videos is "Return to the Moon". About half way through they interview and show work at Astrobotics on their development of a drone for exploring the volcano tubes on the moon and Mars. You can get more information there.

Anyway their current prototype looks a bit too large to fly through doorways. However, they are working on what they call a much smaller "BatBot" that will also be able to fly in the dark and not use propellers. Space stuff.

There are of course many other companies working on commercial drones. But most of them fly over agriculture, mining and construction areas, taking photos and measurements from above. Interior flying drones are still on the "bleeding edge" of drone technology. But I would expect rapid development.

Also, I should mention that GIS readings will certainly be used to fix approximate anchor points. But I would expect that the AI side will use very exact laser and ultrasound measurements of interiors and reconcile those with exterior measurements and GIS readings to get very exact layouts of whatever structures they are mapping. Couple that with extreme photography (very high res and low light) with efficient low lighting and you can imagine the things possible.

Added: The since the lava tubes are the only safe places for lengthy stays on the Moon and Mars, capable of protecting against surface radiation and providing a barrier against meteorites, they are probably some of the most valuable real estate - especially if located near water. So, the race is on. [ So, someday, this real estate gets appraised, sold and bought - just like real estate on earth. As well as space stations at prime locations such as the Lagrangian point between the Earth and Sun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point).]

BTW, in case any one looked at that link on the Lagrangian Points (wouldn't surprise me if no one did), L4 and L5 are the only two "stable" points for sizable colonies, as they actually pull bodies into to their center. However, L1 and L2, while relatively unstable have special properties that make them very useful; in fact, only L1 and L2 are being used right now for satellites. L1 one is right between the Sun and Earth - and I have to wonder whether it could be used to construct a network of shields to help control the weather on earth and reduce the effect of sun flares. L4 and L5 contain asteroids that could be used for construction and shielding from radiation. There is also a set of Lagrangian points between the Earth and Moon and the Sun and Mars ... But there so far isn't a lot of info. Real Estate agents would like to know, (someday in any case), just how much real estate those areas could hold. Inhabitants though will be mostly robots. Haven't come across any research on the subject yet.

 

[RCA]

Looked at Matterport in more detail.

1. There are two basic models suitable for large homes: Pro2 at $3,395 and BLK360 (Leica) at $18,500.
2. The Leica spec says it takes about 1hr:10min to map a 2,000sf home. I assume one of average complexity.
3. You have to move the camera around where it tells you to, so that it can map around posts, corners, stairs and so on. It takes about 30 sec for each scan, so it will tie one person up for at least 1 hour for a 2000 sf home. More for larger home.
4. It takes 24 hours to process the data (Leica).
5. There is also a monthly fee for the service, starting at $69/month. Plus you pay $14.99 for floor plans
6. Some companies around here say they are offering the Matterport service for $300 with floorplans. But I wonder: https://www.f8re.com/

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

There are some very sophisticated GPS systems on tractors and combines that cut or plant using GPS but occasionally they boo boo slightly. And the driver is still at the wheel. But they can concentrate on watching the planter or cutter and less so on the actual driving. The cheapest system is about $4000 and retrofits many tractors 20 years old or older.

Why Wheelman | Hands Free Farm

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