Year: 2016
DJI’s Foray into the Enterprise Drone Market
Will its reliance on channel partnerships address the real needs of commercial operators? THE FACTS: Without the usual fanfare associated with a new product release, consumer drone manufacturer DJI opened up a website (http://enterprise.dji.com) in July 2016 that is dedicated to commercial / enterprise use of their drones. The website lists five industrial uses: agriculture, … Read more
The Truth About Drones in Mapping and Surveying
According to 2015 statistics from the US Department of Labor, there are 44,300 surveyors in the United States. But mapping is practiced by a larger population of cartographers, topographers, photogrammetrists, civil engineers, and geographers – it’s not exclusive to the surveying industry. The American Society of Civil Engineers lists more than 150,000 members in 177 … Read more
Is Esri’s Drone2Map a Game Changer?
Features should appeal to Esri users, but will they appeal to non-Esri users? THE FACTS: In June 2016, Esri released an application called Drone2Map for ArcGIS. Drone2Map (D2M) takes raw image data from drones and creates digital surface models, orthomosaics, 3D-point clouds and 3D PDFs that can be shared. Data processed by Drone2Map can also … Read more
New Report: Drones in Public Safety and First Responder Operations
It may not seem like it, but drones are still in their infancy and only proving themselves through the rigorous testing done privately, commercially, and by state and federal government agencies. Despite the tangible benefits that drones can provide, the public has mixed sentiments about their use by law enforcement, firefighting, and search & rescue … Read more
QuickTake: Can Kespry Overcome Its Brand Challenge?
Its enterprise drone is fit for construction, mining, and insurance companies, but the question is whether companies already catering to those audiences and adding drone capabilities will win out over this well-funded newcomer. THE FACTS: In June 2016, drone manufacturer Kespry announced the close of a $16 million Series B equity financing round. It included … Read more
The Truth about Drones in Construction and Inspection
We just released a new research study titled “The Truth about Drones in Construction and Infrastructure Inspection.” The free report is the second in series of studies sponsored by BZ Media that looks objectively at each major commercial market for drones and drone technology. In the report, we show how drones have been used successfully … Read more
The Truth about Drones in Precision Agriculture
Over the past few years, the press has emphasized how much commercial drones will be used to improve farming. The assumption is that drones provide more accurate data for use in variable rate technology (VRT) so farmers who use drones will experience increased yields. But truth be told very little has been written about the … Read more
Market Impact of the FAA Small Drone Rule
Barriers to entry are lower, but high margin operations are still restricted. THE FACTS: By now you probably know that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finally released Part 107, the Small UAS Rule (June 21, 2016), which covers operational use of commercial drones in U.S. airspace. This comes after several years of missed deadlines. You can … Read more
QuickTake: Hivemapper’s 3D Earth Maps for Drones App
It’s innovative, but will companies embed it for their mission control? THE FACTS: Last week Hivemapper introduced its 3D earth maps Android app for drones. The preview I received a week earlier was impressive. Hivemapper is a mapping and navigation tool for drone operators to fly more safely and plan missions with awareness of the … Read more
Insights from New Market Research on Drones Sales
We just released “Drones in the Channel: 2016 Market Report,” a research study examining drone sales and distribution channels in North America. It’s the first in-depth study of drone sales channels and reveals mixed distribution tactics as well as pinpoints market share of major UAV brands. The report is a result of a three-month project … Read more