July Product Release 2023

The future of reality capture data collection and AI analysis is here! In this blog post, we'll give a full overview of everything new coming to DroneDeploy.

Jul 17, 2023
July Product Release 2023

Over the past few months, DroneDeploy has continued to build and enhance our platform on the three core pillars of reality capture: Unified, Automated and Intelligent. This July, we’re highlighting advancements on the Intelligent pillar as we leverage the power of AI to create actionable reports and insights for our customers.

Harnessing the power of AI and machine learning, the DroneDeploy platform is setting the bar for complete site reality capture. DroneDeploy now provides advanced insights to help you make proactive, data-driven decisions through easy-to-understand reports and dashboards.

AI Reports

DroneDeploy is leveraging AI-powered intelligence to generate actionable reporting for key industries at superhuman scale. 

We’re excited to roll out two new AI-powered reports in the July release:

Animated example of how Concrete Pre-Pour reporting works in DroneDeploy

Pre-Pour Concrete AI Report

We know that concrete waits for no one. Now you can validate in-slab placement issues and proactively address them in the field before concrete is poured, eliminating risk and reducing costly rework. The report will analyze the drone ortho map against a coordinated plan, and deliver (within 2-4 hours) a detailed analysis of the following conditions:

  • Elements that are observed to be missing
  • Elements that appear to be installed outside of tolerance (>6” or >150mm)
  • Elements that are installed, but not reflected in the drawing.

Learn more

Solar Construction AI Report

Now you can track the construction progress of utility-scale solar projects using DroneDeploy’s Solar Construction AI Report. After your map is processed, DroneDeploy will automatically generate a report detailing the number of piles, racks and modules installed, along with the percentage completion of each construction block. 

These reports can help your team estimate the construction progress of utility-scale solar projects far faster and with greater accuracy than traditional methods. With the insights from the report, teams can take immediate action where needed to communicate more efficiently and ensure their projects are completed on time and on budget. 

Learn more

DroneDeploy

Access to the AI reports is currently restricted to qualified customers.

Screenshot of sitework validation in DroneDeploy

Available to Advanced, Teams and Enterprise accounts

Map with accuracy

Custom grids (Beta)

Save time establishing a custom CRS for your project in DroneDeploy by uploading a Trimble site calibration file. Location annotations and exports will now default to your new custom-CRS for direct comparison to project plan data. Learn more

3D DXFs (Beta)

Now, you can visualize vector drawings and surface models (such as underground utilities, 3D design and grading files) layered directly on top of your 3D data in DroneDeploy using 3D DXFs. Learn more

Map of RTK coverage in Europe

Available to Advanced, Teams and Enterprise accounts

RTK coverage in Europe, Canada, and Australia

Using the DroneDeploy Flight app with your Mavic 3 Enterprise, you can instantly connect to local RTK corrections networks at no extra cost across Europe, Canada and Australia. There’s no need for an external NTRIP subscription or manually entering credentials. Getting sub-centimeter accuracy has never been easier! Learn more about RTK network coverage here.

Animation of new and improved Walkthroughs in DroneDeploy

Unified Platform: Ground & Air

Improved discoverability of project media

We understand that easily finding project media is critical to quickly and efficiently solving issues on your project. With DroneDeploy’s improved Walkthrough features, you no longer have to search by date to find the photo you’re looking for. Simply navigate to any location on your level, zoom in, and open the media group to see all media collected in that spot over time.

The new features available on Levels include:

New Date Range Selector* - The new Date Range Selector allows Walkthrough users to view media on the floor plan that was captured: All time, last 30 days, last 7 days and within a custom date range.

Animation of Walkthrough mapping in Dronedeploy

Walkthrough Selector*

An improved way of selecting which Walkthrough paths you would like to view and explore.

Media Groups*

Media Groups allows you to see clusters of where media has been captured when zoomed out on the floor plan, and after clicking on the group, allows you to see a preview of the images that were captured there.

How to access your 360 photo gallery in DroneDeploy

Media Gallery*

The Media Gallery allows you to find photos associated with a media group and view the images alongside others captured in a similar location at different time capture dates.

*Note: Early access to these features for aerial capture is coming soon.

Other Walkthrough improvements

Privacy Mode

By request only - This feature automatically masks the face and body of any persons detected in Walkthroughs. 

Coming soon: 

  • The new Walkthrough mobile app. Reach out to your CSM to learn more about the approaching beta. 
  • High accuracy processing. Walkthrough paths will be placed with a higher level of accuracy relative to a drawing.
Drone pilot controlling a DJI Mavic 3E on a construction site

Flight app updates

Mavic 3 Enterprise flight modes on DroneDeploy

DroneDeploy’s Mavic 3 Enterprise Flight app now supports all flight modes* on the RC Pro Enterprise smart controller, plus mission chaining. Fly new or existing flight plans, including 360 Panoramas, POI Photo Reports and Videos, Corridor and Facade missions. Take advantage of the 45-minute battery life and chain all of your plans together to complete in a single flight. Additionally, mapping missions are now 20% more efficient due to improved turning speed through flight plans.

New flight modes include: 

  • Panorama
  • Photo Reports
  • Video
  • Corridor - now available to all users!
  • Vertical (Advanced, Teams, Enterprise only)
  • Manual Flight
  • Mission Chaining

*Stand Count and Live Map are not yet supported.

DroneDeploy

Thermal mapping of a oil and gas facility using drone imagery

Mavic 3 Thermal flight support (Beta)

Customers with a Mavic 3 Thermal can fly new or existing plans in the DroneDeploy Flight app on the RC Pro Enterprise smart controller to capture thermal maps and conduct equipment, facility and solar inspections. Visit this page for instructions on installing the DroneDeploy Flight app on your RC Pro Enterprise smart controller. 

*Flight is available to all customers; however, please note that thermal radiometric processing is only available to Advanced, Teams and Enterprise customers.

Learn more about radiometric processing. 

Robotics updates

Asset centric missions (beta)

Simplify the way in which your robots inspect sites. With the DroneDeploy Robotics platform you can now import a list of assets, and a mission will be automatically generated for your robot/s, who will follow the optimal route to inspect those assets. 

Users no longer have to manually record or create robotic missions across thousands of assets as missions are now dynamically generated based on asset locations. This enables companies to perform remote asset inspections, autonomously - at scale.

screenshot of the simplified area capture dashboard

Simplified area capture

Select an area on a map or floor plan and your robot will autonomously capture geolocated 360 panoramas inside the selected area. 

Before, you had to manually create a mission, going to every single position where you wanted to take a 360 photo - taking hours. Now you can select the area you want captured in seconds and the robot will do the rest.

screenshot of the sensor actions dashboard

Sensor actions in 360 view

Now, you can highlight an area inside a 360 image and have Boston Dynamics’ Spot autonomously go out and capture that area with a high resolution PTZ or thermal image. This allows users to capture a higher quality image to get a closer look on anything you can find inside your 360 panos.

Other updates

Updated annotation tools

Now you can create predefined shape annotations (circle, rectangle) with custom size parameters and rotation. Easily duplicate, modify and rotate shape annotations for simplified logistics planning and layout design. 

Performance project caching 

This backend change improves the load time for re-opened projects by leveraging browser caching.

Coming Soon: DJI Dock integration

Our engineering team will shortly be finalizing integration with the latest DJI Dock, which will enable you to plan, fly your site, and automatically send that data to DroneDeploy to create maps and models right from the DroneDeploy interface. 

If you’re considering the purchase of a DJI Dock to scale your existing drone program and want to fly standard DroneDeploy flight plans, please contact us.

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