I was trained as a photogrammetric cartographic specialist by the U. S. Air Force in 1974, manually stitching together super-high-res images from satellites and high-altitude spy planes (U2 & SR-71). It’s amazing what you can now do with less than $5,000 in equipment. I appreciate your video! If I could offer one suggestion: try to avoid repetitive phrases in your videos, especially the phrase “go ahead” that I heard over and over in this video. I know it may seem trivial but it really detracts from the obvious professionalism you portray in the rest of your content. It’s probably just a nervous habit or a “filler” designed to give you a split second to form your thoughts before speaking.
What awesome about giving your most detailed information to google?! For inspection? Really!!! Lets work for the FBI and get more money, seems a better idea no?
Looking to learn more about drone photogrammetry? Check out our online course that will teach you all the fundamental skills and technical knowledge to start making money with your drone: www.pilotbyte.com/course/drone-photogrammetry-mastery UPDATE (7/19/2022) The DJI Mavic Air 2s is now supported in Drone Deploy. With its 1” sensor your image quality will basically match that if the Mavic 2 Pro! Pick up the Air 2s for $999 from Amazon (amzn.to/3PkffBr) Hey all, wanted to provide an update for what drones you can use with Drone Deploy. The DJI Mini 2 is NOT a drone that works with Drone Deploy. In the description of this video I have 3 drones that I recommend that work with Drone Deploy! Also check Drone Deploy's website to see what drones are supported! Litchi on the IOS AppStore works and only costs $25 one time if you have an unsupported from DJI that doesn’t work with Drone Deploy. Happy flying!
superb, I just collected my new dji mini 2 hahaha :) I wanted to use it for photogrammetry for making game assets like stones, walls, grounds, tree trunks and other natural objects. I think I still can use it, just need to find a proper affordable software solution but hehe :'D typical^^ yet I'm not unhappy as it's the one that's seems to be the best for it's weight and offers 4k images even though 48mp would have been amazing :) So you're using single pictures or also videos, do you have any experience with both formats? And to give something back to you: Another idea for you to maybe make some or even much more money would be scanning interesting natural environments and make 3D assets from them for games, movies, etc made in unreal engine 5 ;) You could scan some ground with and without plants, other natural assets like trunks, stones, rocks, cliffs and then make a pack of those assets and sell them on unreals marketplace ;) it might even get you much more money, but I'm not sure how many people are actually buying those asset packs, but if you can sell one pack for 100 to 300 bucks and about 100 people buy it, that's some great income (the unreal community is quite big!!) ;) Have a look at an example of such an asset pack in case you're interested: www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/scots-pine-forest-biome www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/brushify-canyons-pack On both websites the last pictures hold the actual content of the packs and it's not that much, sometimes it's just huge assets like canyons, larger rocks, or hills. And it will definitely need a little more work as you should clean up the assets a little. Since UE uses it's new Nanite system, it allows for trillions of polygons displayed in a scene at once without an impact on speed (it's truly amazing tech), so the cleanup is mostly just eliminating "noise" and removing everything but the "asset" itself. But that could be interesting to you. I love the idea of building (fantasy-)worlds out of my mind and such assets help a lot of people doing the same ;) In the marketplace you can also just search for "biomes" or similar to get other such packs you could investigate and look how they are "set up"/made :) Just call them nanite-biomes or something as for older engine versions, you would have to create the same assets several times each time with lower amount of "points" that will be swapped in-game depending on it's size on the screen. But for nanite meshes, I don't think you'll have to clean it up much especially not make lower poly versions of it ;) Thanks for your valuable video, great you were right away talking about photogrammetry ;) Happy flying, hope my batteries are loaded anytime soon :) and regarding you mentioning the chance to get your hands on a lidar system!! Have fun with it. There's a youtube guy who scanned a lot of south americas DENSE woods around peru and similar and they even found ancient locations of places where people once lived, found pots and whatever those people used as tools those days, that was very impressive!!
Could you reach out to me about this? I’d like to potentially collaborate with you on this. Back before I flew drones for a living I dabbled in mega scans and 8k/12k 3d model assets for a little. I’m terms of you picking up the mini 2 for asset scanning it’s actually perfect for that to get started in, I would look at litchi ($25 one time purchase) to do you captured as I believe it works with the mini 2! dylangorman2000@gmail.com shoot me an email!
Great content. Been flying since the beginning pretty much consistently and always knew the practice would eventually turn to profit. Love flying and making memories for my family but its obvious it can be more than a hobby. Subscribed.
Hey Dylan I’ve got a few more questions - How did you reach out to your clients like the shopping centre client? What was your pitch to them? What are they going to use the orthmosaic for? Thanks
Hi @Ethan Buzza and @Matthew Jett, I do not know how Dylan landed the shopping center, but I can offer some tips on how to market your drone services. It's always the best if we have a contact or an invitation, but as you know it doesn't always work that way. If I were going after a shopping center, I might go to my Chamber of Commerce to see who the decision makers are at the shopping center. Your Chamber of Commerce is a wonderful resource for networking in your local community. And then I would try to set an aappointment by phone, or in person. Another tactic I have used is to fly a small portion of a site (be sure to use professional discretion when flying a location) but this can be a way of providing sample data to show the client prospect. I hope this helps a little.
@@GaleForceDrone thanks for the tips and insight. Roughly what should I expect to charge a client for an orthomosaic job if they are interested in it. I'm guessing you do it by the square footage or time it takes to fly it. Also, do you just deliver the images in bulk or as a resource file that can be opened in a special app. I'm unfamiliar with the process. How does one deliver this Ortho job to the client?
We got our first client through a connection and it grew from there! As for charging for services it just depends on the scope of work. We typically charge by the acreage or for the deliverables that we need to send out. There is no “set price”, the price is typically determined by what the client is looking for!
Hello Dylan, im a sophmore student here in Norway studying about drones in Oslo and its quite new you see but watching ur video and seeing that my teacher actually does basically what you do for a living is making more sense to me how i can earn money with just a small little aircraft. thank u for making this video i know its a year old but when i graduate i will take inspiration from ur vid much love from Norway!
I've been doing a lot of 3d mapping, aerial property photography, roof inspections, site survey progression etc and doing very well with my original Mavic Mini. 👍😳⚠️
@@ibrahim2000alwan I approached some building companies and asked if they wanted any aerial photography or site progression etc I pitched it from a safety standpoint ie very small drone with minimal risk etc could fly over while work was in progress, so no disruption to their schedule. The 3d mapping came later when one company asked if I could do that, I hadn't ever tried it but watching some UA-cam tutorials and trying myself with some free software I was able to produce something close to what they wanted. Have done some roof surveys for some smaller independent roofers! Again I pitch it as saving them time and cost putting up scaffolding or ladders, I can give them either photos or video of areas of the roof in detail, like chimneys, gutters, ridge tiles, pointing etc Also worth approaching estate agents that sell larger properties with a plot of land etc or farms, small holdings etc as the aerial footage is very useful to a prospective buyer for viewing on their websites etc One place next door to where I was doing some aerial photography enquired what I was doing and I ended up doing his place, he just wanted some framed photos of his property! 👍 Just keep knocking on doors and ringing companies, you'll get lots of knock backs but I persevered did some example videos, sent them examples amd offered to do the first job as a freebie, treated it as just permission to fly over someone's land but if something came of it like more work then that was a bonus! You'll very surprised once you get a few jobs it often leads to more work.👍
Hey! What software did you use? I’m thinking to buy an Dji Mini 3 Pro to do everything (like a 4x4 haha). Can I get some tips if you don’t mind please?
AMAZING!!!! I'm a licensed Land Surveyor and have worked in Photogrammetry!! This new technology is ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!!! That process used to take days and very costly!! Great video of what you do!!!
Hi Dylan, cool video's! How do you share your exports with your clients when they don't have a Drone Deploy account themselves? For instance, when they want to measure themselves on the maps/models that Drone Deploy generated? Thx, Koen - Belgium.
The big pile mesh doesn't seem very accurate. I wonder if the measurements are wrong. The small pile was 100 y³, how come the second one, much much larger, is only 1200 y³?
It uses its obstacle avoidance sensors when en route but I do not trust them as I have had a run in with power lines in the past. What I usually do before every mission is use the minimum height that I’ll be flying and use that as my benchmark when doing a test manual flight, meaning that I’ll launch the drone and fly it around the property to see if there are any objects that may be in the way. If there is anything that is in the way I’ll adjust my flight plan 5-10 ft higher so that I can avoid it.
Hi Dylan. Interesting video. As a Part 107 holder with over 1000 hours of flight time, I have some concerns. What is your RMSE you strive to achieve for each project? What is your GSD for an average project? In this demonstration you are not using Ground Control, nor a RTK machine. I’ve never met a client that only cares about “relative accuracy”. Every project I fly is to survey standards and geolocated. To which the contractor is usually thrilled. Which brings me to my next question. Are you working with or along side a licensed surveyor? In order to do any activity that involves “land survey” or even in some situations photogrammetry its self, you have to be or work under a professional licensed surveyor. It’s videos like this that can mislead hobbyists into thinking they can make a career change tomorrow with one trip to Best Buy. All the best Ps I use a Matrice 210 RTK V2, and set ground control with a Leica CS15 and GS15
Hey Matt, I really do appreciate you calling all of these items out and speaking about your concerns as I truly don't want to spread misinformation. For the most part this video was supposed to be a very high level overview of the possibilities of what drone mapping can do/ provide for clients. When it comes to our GSD accuracy with GCP's obviously I am not using that in this video at all but the reason why 99% of our clients don't care about it is that they are using it to look at the imagery on property. Our clients are property managers not surveyors or contractors using it for earth works. When we do need to have cm accurate maps we will use GCP's (and work with surveyors as we are not allowed to call it survey accurate maps without them), additionally we will use RTK enabled drones to capture that imagery. So I am careful when explaining what we do to clients that we aren't survey mapping but more so relative mapping for that. Our RTK drones include the M210 RTK v2, M300 RTK, Custom RTK drones built in the US and a multitude of GNSS heads and equipment. Again Matt I do appreciate you speaking out about this, It has been an entire year since I produced this video and my understanding on this material has vastly improved! Regardless, thank you for the comment! I will do a better job of educating the masses on topics like this!
@Matt Dornan, thank you for this question. It really made my thinking right about this video. It looked very simple but I told my husband there will be more to it... You rather made things more real to me... I'd rather made the videos and pictures and sell to drone videos buyers than putting myself in this complicated mapping thing
Hi Dylan. Really like your videos, you do a great job of explaining the technology and the opportunities for some interesting work. I have a few questions if you don't mind me asking: 1. How do you get the clientele? I'm living in new York and was wondering how to get started with this. I used to work in construction and was thinking about trying out a few free shoots to get my feet wet. Where else do you think I should look to start? Trying to broaden my chances as best I can. 2. Does drone deploy work for a Phantom 4 pro v2? My drone controller has a built in display screen. I'm worried it won't work without a tablet or iPad. 3. Do you use PPK regularly? From working in construction, I can definitely see the benefits of this. I found an attachment for my drone for about $600 that I think would be a worthwhile investment. What would be your thoughts on this?
Hi Dylan, How do you go about complying with part 107 regulations? Specifically in operations over people like what I’m assuming is occurring in the parking lot imagery used as an example in this video. I’m curious because I’ve encountered an impasse with what I want to do and part 107 regulations about operating over human beings.
So to answer your question about flying over people, we haven’t had an issue and we’ve been doing it for 3 years, we even get waivers from the FAA to fly in restricted airspace to carry out these missions (before LANNC automations were a thing). I’m pretty sure they have eased up on those restrictions but again we haven’t had any issues with it especially since it’s all automated flights rather than manned flights (not that it has any affect over the regulation or not).
I understand this is 2 years later but I am very interested in this. I am a retired detective and FAA licensed UAV pilot, I flew drones for my agency. Id like to do these types of jobs. My agency used Autel drones with thermal ability. Can Autel drones be used for this? Is this still a viable market in 2023?
It wouldn’t surprise me if he gets permission to lock down the area he’s mapping. It’s something that my university did when we do flight ops. It would increase the time to map as he’d have to do sections but it would allow one to stay in the regulations.
Hey Dylan, great video!! I’m curious as to how you get in touch with your clients and what tips and tricks you use to land jobs. Thank you for such a detailed video 👍
Im wondering this as well. Do you just walk up to a construction site and hand out business cards? I understand you now work as a contractor for a larger company, but how would a freelancer go about it? Who do you ask for at a job site? ✌️
hi Dylan from Mexico. Love it! Some real work and honesty on this platform, where there is so much misrepresentation, lying, and deceit! Somebody who is doing something productive, and helping others do the same! **Just subscribed** The only setback i can see is the high entry price to get into this business--those drones are $3000/piece + the cost of the software, plus costs of transportation etc..., hey as an idea, i think you can sell the finished product(s) to various mapping services! (open street map, google, etc)
You don’t necessarily need the big drone that I have in this video! You can get started with something as small as a Mavic 2 pro! It does cost money to get into but that’s the specialized industry for you haha! I appreciate the kind words and thank you for subbing!
@@DylanGorman you're welcome! I just shared this vid with a friend in China! We did one recently on a fully automated app that we use to create income 24/7. I use it and can attest to it!
Great work. One recommendation I'd suggest is getting several orange cones with the reflective tape at the top. Set those around where the drone is taking off or landing at to claim and protect that space, as well as warn people that something abnormal is happening in that area. Mini 3 Pro update - From what I've read, DJI plans on releasing the SDK package in the early 2nd quarter of 2023. I'm looking forward to that to get into the entry level work to get my feet wet and my foot in the door. If need be I can use my brother's Mavic 2 Pro until I am able to upgrade if/as required to bigger and better drones. I've flown drones for 18 years so obviously I love it. I may as well take that skill to make money and supplement my income and get bigger and better toys...errr, work equipment as I'll tell my wife. :0)
Dosnt it get boring? Push bottom thing takes off, Push forward thing goes forward, fly over, auto stick image, push bottom it lands. Its like the most brainless equipment operation on earth, nothing else flys itself like that.
@@user-pc8tb7hg1lHandlesRDumb Well, almost every aircraft has and uses this auto flight ability. Commercial aircraft take off and land via pilots, but once they reach altitude, they set waypoints and most of the flight is automated. The pilots keep a watchful eye, but they are not flying the plane hands on for much of the flight. Military aircraft are similar, both planes and helicopters. A lot of people think helicopters can take off and just fly straight up, and although they can, they are not meant to do so. If you watch helicopters take off, they gain minimal altitude and then they push the controls forward and gain altitude while flying forward. The Google satellite view images people look at, they are taken in a very similar manner as the mapping software used in this mapping software used for creating the automated flight in this video. The difference is that all of these aircraft have one or more human lives in the aircraft. These aircraft are a lot more densely populated in their airspace than drones, the aircraft are much heavier and can kill many people if they come crashing down. These aircraft move much faster, and have much greater risk of damage to life and property if they crash. On the flip side, drones do not have human pilots on the aircraft. We keep the UAV in sight most of the time, with the only visual aid being a camera on the drone that gives us a narrow view of the full area around the done in the space we're flying in. These drones are as light as about 1 1/2 baseballs (250 grams), and the Inspire 2 in this video is less than 7 pounds. The cameras are pointed straight down more most of the flight taking photos, and by using overlapping images taken using waypoints via GPS to control altitude, speed and location of the drone and where to take images, that's something done with much greater precision than a human can do from a remote when the drone looks kind of tiny for most of the flight. Using the automated flight provides for more professional results, decreased time in the air and at the job site, which is good because you do not always have unlimited windows of time to capture these images. Depending on the time of day, position of the sun and reflective surfaces, this makes shooting at certain times of day impossible. Mapping is only one aspect of drone flight. If people are shooting images for clips, points of interest, etc., most of this is done without automation. Take a look at Alex's work at the channel QuickAssTutorials. He has tons of amazing video taken from all over the world, and close to 100% of it is all done by hand without automation. Alex wasn't very impressed with the automated flights of drones until the DJI Mini 3 Pro came out. Alex was pretty impressed with the M3P, but I've not kept up with his channel enough to know if he is still avoiding automated flight for his images. Even modern day vehicles have the ability to automate a lot of the driving process. Vehicles can automatically stop 100% if an obstacles is in front of the vehicle sensors and the driver isn't responding quickly enough. They have automated cruise control so you can set the speed for maybe 70 MPH, and if a vehicle in front of you is driving slower, the vehicle will slow down to maintain a safe following distance, and once the slower vehicle moves or gets out of the way, the vehicle will return to the preset speed. With lane assist, people can drive along many roads for long distances with only periodic input to let the computer know the driver hasn't fallen asleep or that they are not 100% disengaged with their driving duties. It may seem brainless, but it's automated due to the mapping requirements that customers require.
@@cinuszek88 No. I just fired up my M3P and checked for updates, and the SDK update hasn't been released for working with these types of mapping software. Worse yet, if you have been following the drone news, the Senate is talking about banning the use of all DJI drones in the US. If you're looking to get a drone, I'd hold off until that is resolved. Here is the weekly update from The Pilot Institute which is a great place to get the education for your UAV part 107 UAV commercial pilots license. ua-cam.com/video/zvYymGGLuUU/v-deo.html. This is from June 2nd, 2023.
I notice that Drone Deploy (as of 10 days ago) now have a BETA version for the Air2S. Good news for me (and a few of your viewers). Excellent video by the way, I've heard about Drone Deploy, a lot, but now I'm tempted to try it out (in the UK by the way so no competition).
Question: how are you georeferencing the final products? Like in your case study you were pulling up volumes for the piles without and ground control, yet you were running an Inspire 2 which doesn't have an RTK module. Did you also shoot ground control in that example, or was the level of accuracy satisfactory to the client without?
These are all great points to bring up. 95% of our clients like the relative accuracy (they don’t want to pay extra for GCP’s). RTK would be great to have but still not worth the expense for the client. The cases that we do run GCP’s for projects we will use a RTK capable drone and tie them into the visual markers as well!
@@DylanGorman Cool! What kind of entry level equipment would you recommend? Im currently just playing around with 3rd party software and a mini 2 to do some rough (but fairly successful) scans just for my own practice and benefit and this is something id like to pursue further I think there is good work to be done here
@@noseblind2088 i have a phantom 4rtk and its amazing value for the money. As the name sugests its rtk capable, has a 30min-ish flight time and nice flight planning software.
Hi, I've been looking for a suitable software for a long time, but I still have two questions: 1. Which drones are compatible and how do you start the flight? (e.g. with DJI, is Dji Go no longer required here?) 2. Does your software also offer the possibility to take measurements? Height and width of a building?
Looking at the website for dronedeploy and this video, it looks like the drone has to have thermal. If that's the case we'll be looking at $10k at least lol.
@@DylanGorman I was looking a bit deeper into the website and pricing but didn't do enough poking around. Was trying to see if an Air2S would be sufficient for what you were doing, saw thermo mentioned quite a bit. Not sure where the confusion came from. Thats my bad!
@@DylanGorman Not to be rude but you didn’t answer the original guys question. I’m also very curious if it’s capable with any drone (ex: DJI Mini 2). Thank you !
Dylan, thank you very much saw your you tube video about drone photogrammetry and watched and loved this. Because I am studying to get my 107 license. I never even thought about that. I am looking at ALL the different options I will have for my drone business. I was always told never put all your eggs in one basket always look for other ways to being profitable. Thanks again!!!
Hey Dylan. I really appreciate that you took the time to create this content. It says a lot about your character that you want to share this knowledge. I was wondering if you could speak on how one would get started with finding clients and how the sales pitch/offering of services works. I have no doubt that I can figure out the technical aspects of the drone and software. And I can sell the heck out of almost anything. However it wouldn’t hurt to get some advice from someone like yourself that is fully immersed in the industry. Subscribed!
Hey Matt! I am actually working on a course that will go through all of those points. I would say for now lean on any contacts or leads you may already have. offer to do the services for free or at a reduced cost to show what you are capable of. I was able to grow our business through word of mouth and giving free demos for the first few months when we started.
So you took off in the parking lot of a crowded supermarket and then flew a mission to map out the property? How did you get approval to do this? Seems pretty complex as you have all of the pedestrians/ moving vehicles beneath the drone.
Hey I appreciate the concerns and questions. For the “crowded supermarket” parking lot portion of your question, FAA has changed its rules on flying over people. The rule really pertains to dangerous maneuvers or flying low to the ground. The drone is flying at 160ft height and is on a automated flight path so the drone is consistently moving. As for approvals, we have a contract with the property owner/ manager giving us consent to fly over the property in order to give the deliverables that they are looking for, for this property they wanted a high resolution scan of their property and parking lots so that is what was done. All of this was done legally and with the correct waivers/ permits obtained before flying. We have thousands of properties that we fly every year (we even have aviation pilots that fly commercial planes, flying properties for us and they all follow the same rules/ regulations).
@@DylanGorman Thanks for the response. I am aware of the new FAA regulations on flying over people. Are you referring to subpart D? In that case, I am not seeing the guidance set forth that you mentioned - “flying dangerously and low the the ground”. It doesn’t really go into detail about what constitutes flight over humans other than a brief explanation of sustained flight versus transitional flight. I would say it is safe to assume that as long as you are flying directly above a human being that this would apply, and given that you are flying an automated mission at 160 feet AGL over an area of pedestrian traffic (a parking lot), it would be impossible to determine whether or not you are constantly fulfilling this. The issue is, if your drone became inoperative and we’re to fall out of the sky, it could severely injure a human on the ground. This is especially true if the drone is not properly equipped as a category 1-4 UAS. It occurs to me from your demonstration that your operation would be considered non compliant due to the fact that the UAV does not fit the performance criteria of either category 2 or 3. I came to this conclusion because it is clearly visible that there is nothing guarding the propellers or “rotating bodies”. In response to your comment about your manned aviation flights following the same regulations as your pt 107 operations - Manned aviation definitely does not follow the same rules as UAS. The reason they are able to fly over people is because they have to adhere to air worthiness standards and sUAS do not. I think this is eventually where the FAA wants to go though. Until then, we have no choice but to adhere to the current regulations in pt. 107. All of that being said, you did mention waivers. I know that operations over people are waivable; however, I don’t have any experience getting a request like this granted. I think it would be smart to clarify this as some of your audience may get the wrong impression in the future and actually go out and perform this type of flight thinking it is okay. Of course, if you are granted a waiver it is permissible; however, you did not expressively state this.
Thank you for all of that! I see where I may have been misleading. I do know that recently the FAA has loosened up their rules about flying over people else I would not be doing it as frequently as I have all of our pilots do. But all of that being said with our waivers/ permits that we get, alongside with our insurance policy and our extensive network of highly qualified currently commercial aviation pilots/ retired military personnel, it’s safe to assume that if they are following through and flying all of these drone missions without any pushback then I don’t see any issues at all. If you have any other questions or concerns I can put you in touch with my chief pilot who has been a commercial airlines pilot for over 47 years who also has connections at the FAA who grants us all of our permits to fly the missions that we do. He’s very knowledgeable and will explain things very throughly. Appreciate your comment regardless, have a great day!
@@DylanGorman The pleasure is all mine! They have indeed loosened up a bit and I hope they continue to go that route. Before, it was pretty much impossible to fly over people period. With this new regulation, I am glad that they give a somewhat “clear” cut path (I say clear, but the FAA isn’t all to clear on a lot of things) to do it safely. If that’s the case then I wish you the best of luck in your business endeavors and hope that they are fruitful as ever!
@@B1g_Salad As Dylan Mentioned in regards to flying over people, the general rule is as you stated. However, many drone businesses do get waivers and what he mentioned about " The rule really pertains to dangerous maneuvers or flying low to the ground" sounds like what was included in a waiver vs the public rules. I'm not saying that is the case but I have looked at a lot of waivers and the types of things the FAA wants to grant a waiver. If you asked for a special waiver to fly over people w/o any mitigation then they just say nope. But if you asked and laid out detailed plans for how that it would be done i.e., not fly below XXX alt, only with automated software, have special riders on business insurance, etc. Then you can get a waiver, and waivers can cover large areas and last, iirc up to 18 months, before needing to be renewed. I am simplifying this a lot because waivers can sometimes be dozens of pages long and very specific detail is needed. There are lawyers and companies that specialize in helping drone businesses get waivers. One of the big requirements is usually a well established business that has been around for years, has several employees etc. That isn't specifically required but it is one of the factors that is considered. Dylan mentioned his chief pilot was an airline pilot and has contacts with the FAA this likely helps streamline the process, not because they are getting special treatment but because the FAA will have all his safety records, so it helps.
Studying a drone photogrammetry unit as part of my surveying/geomatics degree in Australia. It's incredible what it can do!!! Hope to follow this as a multi disciplinary surveying business in the future.
Great advice. I have a few questions that perhaps you, Dylan would know about or someone in the comments; How did you get into photogrammetry? Seems that the cost of entry is such a gamble prior to getting any practice or experience in it as an individual. Is it a case of just paying for the software and hoping that you get clients? Secondly, does anyone know what licensing you'd need for this in the UK? I have the A2CofC but I am wondering if you'd need the GVC qualification. Or perhaps just a 249g drone? Thanks
Any business is going to be a gamble. The more you plan and prepare the less of a gamble it is. If you go in with the mind set of hoping you get clients you won’t succeed. Put a plan together to get clients. Do a business plan before you spend any money on starting the business.
What drone do you suggest for volumetric modeling? What's the minimum drone you suggest for this type of work (construction sites etc). Cost is not my MAIN concern. I know there's always better more expensive, but I'd like to get a capable drone that can capture what most clients will need, but also at an efficient price point. 1-3K is my budget.
Not required under Federal law. It turns out that the federal law which comes before the Constitution the most basic and highest ranking set of rules for the US is called common law which are the most Basic Essentials that Define a life worth living or livable. For example, Common law allows you to be married to your choice of mate simply by selecting your mate and then living together for 5 years. Although it seems obvious, this state is observing your choice as being just as official here as any church or a state document that is normally required. And again this is why common law ranks higher then constitutional law in terms of precedent. One of the fundamental tenants of common law arose from a troublesome situation in Great Britain at the time my ancestors declared independence. The British ruling class were systematically able to defraud and paralyze anyone with horse and carriage by requiring one of the most absurd rituals ever seen in an animal species. British bureaucracy were in the habit of requiring permits that had to be presented when taxpayers meaning citizens wanted to move from one place to the next! Imagine if driving a car required obtaining some kind of state identification card or even paying for that card on top of this insult that one is not free to move about in one's home or nation of origin. Despite your familiarity with items like driver's licenses, do not be fooled no such document is required by any us Traveler at any point in time. Note that the law has a clever catch which defines a driver as a commercial Traveler like a truck for example moving Goods to Market and that only drivers meaning commercial vehicles are required to obtain any government document to move about. By defining simple Travelers who use cars as commercial drivers also known as drivers the law eventually tried to overthrow itself and reestablish this form of Taxation that was used to game and play British citizens as though they were Pawn pieces locked in place without the government's permission to move about. Am I saying that you don't require a license in the US no that is what the US federal law says under common law and when you challenge it you always win in court so long as you are respectful and not drunk or dangerous when you drive, and by Drive remember the word is travel always travel never identify yourself as a driver what is any of this got to do with drones? Everything. The most basic freedom I can cite under us Federal common law is the explicit unconditional freedom for travelers to travel freely Within their home nation without any form of permission from the state or State Control. There are no exceptions other than driving commercially which again is classified under the term driving. A term you should never ever use or respond to when an officer says anything like, driver step out of your car! Immediately correct him or her by identifying yourself as a traveler and not a driver. This is what police dread hearing the most, the statement traveler says you have no jurisdiction to even stop me to begin with go about your business and follow the law! Here's where your drone comes in. Common laws rule or allowance for free traveling is not at all limited to horseback it is not limited to traveling on foot, it extends to all forms of travel and it is the reason that thousands of drivers in the US are continuing to drive without any license plates or insurance or driver's licenses at all. In fact when you apply for a driver's license you sign a document that you are giving up your rights under common law and that you will always require a license which you we're in fact never required to possess before signing the document to obtain one! All Americans and by that I mean free americans, who are smart enough not to obtain a license in a new state to which they move, are granted under federal law, full privileges of driving a vehicle on the road with absolutely no cost for license plates, meaning no license plates at all, no insurance, no registration and no driver's license. The implication for any free animal is absolutely insulting that any form of permission need to be issued by your rulers to allow you to move. That would be tyranny and unlivable in the end possibly in the middle or even in the beginning! In terms of drones and the relevance to drone operators, as American Travelers we are permitted to have Scouts. A drone of any size or make is a Travelers tool for looking ahead of the path as a scout and under this classification, meaning the moment that you define this to be the case your scout along with your foot travels while controlling it are fully immune from having to be registered or obtain any type of state or federal documentation whatsoever there are no exceptions to this freedom we can travel in all cases whether by land or by air without any permission from any government agency without any form of training or formal document we are free from ever being approached and hassled or from having a document of any type demanded from us while we fly, before we fly or after we fly. There are no exceptions under which you should give up your most American freedoms in this fundamental tenant of our Nations core values and Freedoms. Do not identify your drone as anything but a traveling tool and you will not be required under any state or federal law to obtain any type of documentation for surveying or cruising or traveling in any direction at any speed you are completely free to do as you wish so long as you safely respect others. Enjoy your freedoms don't you dare pay a cent or pay attention to any agency that tells you to pay them for some type of permission to travel whether by foot by car by plane or by drone you are free to travel As You Wish uninhibited without any form of permission whatsoever from any government agency. There are no exceptions to this rule and although you may receive a ticket a dirty look or a confrontational interaction with some type of official so long as you follow through show up for your court date and present the facts you will be treated as an American and there are no further steps that any agency can take against you. You are free to leave and continue flying as a traveler or as a scout. I have used this personally and it has always worked in my favor, to the extent that I have been able to fly over a woman's prison in Niantic Connecticut in front of police officers who showed up and listen to my explanation only to smile nod and get back in their cars after wishing me a good day. Had they wish me a mediocre day or issued a ticket The Next Step would have been no different. You are free to go and continue traveling at will on your own accord and without anybody's permission. That's how all other animal species live and it's an animal right that we share in the us as well so don't give it up for a moment or be tricked by anyone's statements to the contrary. Enjoy your travels.
Hey Dylan, excellent video. Is there a way to see what drone services are provided in my are or what drones services are in demand? I am interested in getting started but don't know which area to do. I was thinking inspection, mapping and thermal. Thank you for your time and support.
Hey Jamie, thats a great question. Unfortunately I don't know a direct answer to see what competition is in local areas but what I would say is to just reach out to a few companies in your areas and pitch some of the services that you can provide with Drone Deploy or other software's similar to it. Free demos also go a long way and processing data is little to no extra money nowadays!
That was very gracious of you to share your knowledge about photogrammetry. I've become a little worn down from creating real estate videos, which are extremely labor intensive. The amount of return in compensation does not even begin to match up to the amount of effort expended. I have been thinking about checking photogrammetry out, and this was just the impetus I needed. Thank you very much!
Super happy to hear that! I have a few more videos planned (one that I am working on with Drone Deploy at the moment) that will give more insight into mapping and photogrammetry overall!
Just came across this, I’ve been wanting to get into this for a while! Great video! One question for you, are you using a rtk drone to get these high accuracy readings?
I believe he is using the DJI Inspire 2. In the U.S you need to have a FAA Part 107 license to be able to fly a drone for commercial purposes. (Anytime you get paid to fly you need this license, but not for recreational flying.)
@@kclark4920 Awesome. I appreciate the apply. Sort of wild there's levels of license like piloting. But it's all air space, so it makes sense. Thank you.
@@DylanGorman usually can take a full day or so depending on weather and keeping batters charge the solar sites go by sections and they fly one section at a time usually after clearing is done and all the brush and trees are Burnt.do to have a clear image of the ground and anytime weather causes changes to the project we can compare elevations to the original topo of the site
Great video! Thank you. To fly drones, passing the initial aeronautical knowledge exam is enough? and can I actually measure some exact dimensions such as the length of any cars or parking lot lines in feet or inches with the DroneDeploy?
Hey Devin, I am just now seeing this comment! Passing the exam is just one part of it, know your drone and its capabilities is another thing. It's just like learning to ride a bike or drive a car for the first time. Sure its going to be tough and you may not get it right away, but with time and a lot of practice, you'll have a great understanding of the basic fundamentals of flying a drone that you'll easily be able to start charge for services with it. I would say with the application of using an automated flight software like Drone Deploy, all you really need to know is the limitations of your drone as well as how to get it out of a sticky situation if need be. Drones have come a LOOOONG way over the last 10 years to the point where they are very easy to get up and going with little hardware/ software errors. Long gone are the days of stressing about they drone flying away because of a weak signal. These drones are smart enough to fix themselves without you having to worry (still need to be actively paying attention though).
To answer your question. Yes, a photogrammetric model can be very accurate depending on your GSD, and can measure vehicles and lines. At the BOR, I have used drones to make models to measure and track mm crack propagation on a concrete Dam. We have gotten very accurate with these things even on a global scale. I just wish DC. would let us continue that work...
This is an Awesome Video Dylan! How do you find clients for this and what are the key points to give them to get their business?? This seems like a very viable income opportunity! -Ray
One of the dumbest questions you can ask “where do you find clients?” 😂😂😂 like they’re just hiding under a rock somewhere to be found 😂😂😂. If you have to ask this question then you’re not cut out or ready for running your own business.
Great video! I just have a couple questions. How did you go about finding your first clients? Through emails? Utilizing your social network? Land a few then get more through their recommendations? Also, I'm from Wisconsin. We're a little behind on a few things and this is the first time I've ever heard about drone photogrammetry. Do you operate on the west coast? In your opinion would there be less opportunity here in the Midwest? Edit: I would love another video where you dive deeper into your business if you're willing to share!
Thank you for your questions! Ill answer them in order. I used my social network as well as landing a few demo jobs to build out my clientele with word of mouth referral. I then sold my drone business to the company that was providing me 99% of the work. We now hire out pilots across the country to do these same services (not for the same price that I mentioned because we cover the cost of the software but that allows for our pilots to not have to worry about shelling out a few thousand dollars a year for it). We have work in WI all the time, I would be interested to hear more about what your capabilities are! Ill do my best to make a video about the business, it will more likely come out in a full Photogrammetry course that I am currently working on that teaches you everything that I have learned over the last 3+ years of flying photogrammetry missions and how to build a business model around it.
Hi Dylan - been loving your videos lately. I have been pitching dronedeploy to the company I am working for, but I am having problems finding the best Plan subscription as a starter (limited users, limited share options). I saw that you started in a similar way, what plan would you recommend me to start off with where clients get benefit as well as me?
Hi Dylan, do you think the new DJi Mini 3 Pro could be used for photogrammetry, or is it too small? _Edited to add:_ never mind, I just went to look at the Drone Deploy site which lists all the drone models they use. Thanks!
Hi that was really cool, the information you spoke about and the tools you explained are just Amazing. I’m 62 and lived before computers and cell phones And though I think it has done a lot of good I also can see the damage it’s done to our country and society. With that being said I have had a few cheap drones, I just got a Dji phantom 3 and I’m learning to fly it. I’m like a sponge taking all this information in and I thank you for it. You’re very good at what you do and really good on camera. I wish you all the luck with it. I do have a couple of questions. One is what kind of drone you use and the other is what camera do you use also. I would like to get in the mountains and get some really good pictures and video. I would appreciate you letting me know. Im retired from the local govt. and I have a lot of time on my hands and I need to fill it so I don’t get old 😎 Thanks again Darrell
First off, thank you so much for this insanely informative video! I've been flying different generations of Mavics over the years and would love to actually start making some money using drones. That being said, while the title of you video definitely got me interested in pursuing this as a career, hearing that you work within a subdivision of a larger company and have many other pilots flying drones and even planes for your company has me a bit apprehensive about trying to break into this job market. Do you think this is something that could be profitable even if it's just one person doing it freelance? Or would I need to start thinking about creating a company that hires out other pilots in order to make a living with this. Again, thank you for taking the time to create such a helpful video!
Thank you for the honest comment. I will do my best to give an honest response! The drone industry is seeing a mass of new pilots joining each and every year but only the top 5%-10% who dedicate learning additional toolsets/ invest into software solutions are able to succeed and charge way higher than market rates. I did sell my drone service company to the company who was supplying 95% of our work and have been with them for over a year building out a private pilot network to fly all the properties that they service and inspect. It's companies like mine where we can supply consistent work as it is harder to find that on your own as a freelancer. Some agency will bring you on as a fulltime pilot, others (like my company) hire out contractors in strategic regions so that we can keep consistency between all of our pilots. I hope that sheds some light on it, it is possible to tap into the market and make 5 to 6 figures, you just have to be willing to add to your toolbox!
@@DylanGorman and for your answer, you just gain another sub! And this is my first video, I’m looking forward to watching more of your videos the next hr or so lol
Hi Dylan, I loved the video - thanks for taking the time to produce such high quality. I am using a Mavic Air2s to produce an orthomosaic in the coming days of a castle as a first attempt. Just wondering. 1. Why do you prefer Drone deploy over PIX4D? I was planning on using the latter. 2. Have you used consumer drones to produce client work?
I prefer Drone Deploy as I have been on their platform for almost 3 years now. With their suite of tools and process of allowing us to pre plan missions for all our pilots that fly for us, it makes it a no brainer on a large scale operation that I run. Consumer drones are used 85% of the time. As long as you capture the data properly and go through to proper process up uploading the data, a consumer drone is more than enough for the deliverable that we are sending to our clients.
Very insightful, thank you. I guess the biggest question remains - how to find the clients interested in this kind of drone data + those who don't yet have people contracted by them to do this work, aka who might hire you...
Great video. I sat through all 16+ minutes of it, without flinching. Really opened my eyes on other possible ways to use my drone (Mavic 2 Pro), and the possibility of actually making money with it. Until now it was only a hobby, and I just spend money on it, but I might rethink it. A few questions are what is the exact name (names) of the software you use? How much does it cost? And, since it's in the cloud, do you have to pay for every single use of it, or do you buy it once and that's it? I liked and subscribed, and will check out other videos you uploaded.
Thank you for watching! For software it is Drone Deploy, its a monthly subscription that they have. I have a few other videos on it as well! Pricing is on their website as well as supported drones!
I've done a bit of photogrammetry with my Phantom 4 Pro V2. But other than working alongside a surveyor (generating contours, volume calculations etc) I'm struggling to know what other clients could use this service? Why would a shopping centre want this? How do they view and utilise the data? Please let me know what other clients could use this service. Thanks!
I see where you are coming from on this, I have another video that I partnered up with Drone Deploy on where I go into some of the industries that you can use drone mapping for (video is on my channel). But if you don't have time to watch it, here is what I would suggest. If still revolving around the real estate world, you could partner up with a local (or a few local) roofing contractors to help them map a roof for inspections and estimates. You can also do a little agronomy (the science of soil management and crop production) and help farmers or land vegetation management spot possible weak spots of ill plants. Drone Deploy also has a host of resources and industries that you can look into on their website too! Hope that helps answer you question to some extent!
Hey Dylan, I currently only have a DJI Mini 2 operated on a Xiaomi 10T Pro, and running on low budget. What would you say, what's the lowest entry level drone one can start working with either in photogrammetry or in surveying? Can beginner level drones run either DroneDeploy or Pix4D? If yes, what are their disadvantages compared to a much more expensive industrial-grade drone apart from minor differences in resolution? Thank you very much in advance!
Mavic Air 2 (which I believe I have linked in the description) is the cheapest drone that is compatible. Just keep in mind that you will have to work with surveyors for accurate mapping and tie your maps into GCP's!
Hey Dylan, great video! Are any licenses required to do this besides a drone operators license? Do you need to be a professional surveyor to run a business like this? I am currently in college getting a degree in Surveying and I am very interested in getting started doing this as soon as possible and I would love to know if I could start this as soon as possible or is there a more complicated process you have to go through? A video on this would be awesome if you had the time! Thanks!
If you're doing this sort of land photos you shouldn't need any other license. If you're trying to help zone the area etc you may need special training to know you're doing everything to code.
Hey Porter, Oregon PLS here. Other than a Part 107 to practice Photogrammetry you need to be under the supervision of, or licensed as a Professional Photogrammetrist. What is happening in this video technically isn't photogrammetry. It's a process called Structure From Motion and it can walk a fine line between needing a license or not. I suggest looking into your state's statutes on Land Surveying and Photogrammetry. Hope that helps!
Hey Dylan I’ve got a few questions about this business. How do you go about any safety regulations in the area regarding drone flying? How do you deliver the final product to the client? How did you land your first client? Thanks and great work!
Hey Ethan! For safety regulations we also fly with the correct permits and waivers needed in these locations. A lot of them are in uncontrolled airspace so we often times don't need to apply for the waiver. All of our clients know that we are operating on their sites and we also wear safety vests so that others know we are working on site. I landed our first client from a family friend by showing a demo of Drone Deploy, the rest is history as they loved what we did and had saved them money in the process.
Hey Dylan great video, very interesting stuff! How does your service to your clients work after you uploaded the photos and have complete files. Do you give them reports about the volym for example? Do they also use Dronedeploy to be able to use the files? Thanks in advance!
How do you market yourself and get clients? I’m currently flying as a contractor for about 7 nationwide drone companies. Tired of being paid peanuts by them.
Hi Dylan. Thanks for taking the time to make this. I was actually inspired to try this out thanks to a post I found on Twitter. Your video explaining how to do made me want to really do it. Question. A friend knows someone that does commercial real estate. I'm looking to have a meeting with them and doing one pro bono job to build my portfolio. What are some things I should consider when talking to this potential client? Thank you again!
I appreciate the comment! I would ask 2 very important questions. What are they currently paying for for drone work as well as the deliverables they are receiving. Second question I would ask is what would they like to see different or better. If they can't give you an answer for the second question I would simply point out what they are not getting with their current drone work deliverables and explain how mapping is the new way to go with all the added benefits that mapping comes with (automated volumetric reporting, historical data, elevation maps, point clouds, etc). Hope that answers your question! Cheers!
To all the prospective drone buyers: by the time you're hearing about a hustle, the peak of it has probably already passed. Look into more recent opinions before investing.
going to have to start researching this more. always been into remote control technology and have been looking into drones for fun. maybe ill look into drones for the hustle instead.
The guy is well connected in the real estate industry. These results are not typical. 99.99% of people will NOT get any work like that so this video can be safely disregarded as the guy just seeks publicity.
I would agree partially with your statement. Starting out I had one contact that gave me a chance. I proved out my work and word of mouth was the key to my success. Sometimes it only takes one but that’s half the battle. There were 100’s if not 1000’s of hours dedicated to building out the infrastructure to get work like this. It’s not something that just happens because one has connection, it’s a culmination of things that go into it.
@@DylanGorman This is a highly lucrative work that you got into because of who you know. It is also impossible to screw up - and other businesses will also give you work because who you know. My strong advise to you would be to change the clickbait title of the video and focus on results NOT the money. Literally ANYONE can do this job and you are incredibly lucky to be well connected and have uncles/family members willing to keep you busy so that you'll stay away from drugs. It is a tax write-off for them.
You are right, it is all about the results. The money comes with it. In this community that I work in there are people earning 10x what I put in my “clickbait title”. I’m showing what my results were from the work that is demonstrated in my video. All the tools are out there to build your own success, I’m just highlighting the ones that I used to get to where I am. There’s about 2 years worth of work to get to where I am when I posted that video.
@@DylanGorman: so its not "in 6 months" but in "2 years 6 months".... that's like 5x the difference. Change the title. It gives others unrealistic hopes and vibes. This doesn't apply to you but most other people will struggle after investing 5k+ into this business just to crash the drone learning how to fly it while there IS NO WORK because there aren't any rich uncles around writing checks. The industry is oversaturated as is. I appreciated the time put into the video BUT the message overall is that its "easy" when in fact it is not mostly because projects are not just dropping to your mailbox. Perhaps make a video highlighting your Project Management Skills? Or give marketing highlights.
No, 6 months to earn what I earned in the video title. I’ve made a whole lot more doing other things related to drones. In the video I go over what generated me that money through figuring out what softwares and applications people will pay me for the deliverables. I laid out all the tools in the video. I can change the title to something more misleading to included the other 24 months that was put into it? If you can dedicate time and effort into building out a business which includes struggling to figure things out then by all means your deserve to complain about my title. But clearly you are viewing this without understanding that it’s not as simple as spending $5k to generate 6 figures. If it were that’s easy everyone would be making 6 figures.
How it can measure dirt volume without lidar? I own company that does a lot of this kind of work and I would love to have ability to check if investor has rights amounts in their project too not work for free (they lie often about amounts). I thout that to scan a site to measure amounts of material a need lidar on drone. What should I buy to has this ability (sorry fo my English)
In your description you write: "1) DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 (This is the best mapping drone to date, do NOT get the "+" version as it is not supported by mapping software at all)" Isn't the only difference between P4P V2 and P4P+ V2 that you have a screen on the controller? What software does not work? Drone Deploy? Pix4D? Can anyone confirm this?
A man who cares more about sharing and helping out others than caring less about creating his own competition.
There’s plenty of work out there in this industry, no way one person can do it all haha. Just hoping to inspire people to get into it! Thank you!
its how poor people think, you need make this stuff popular, make people know and want it. no way to make it alone
This is the actual rich people mindset. When we share, people start to know and the demand started to increase
Hey Dylan, what equipment are you using and how much it cost
I am not, I am and have been a paying customer for over 4 years now.
Thank you, I'm trying to figure out where I want to go with my drone business, and this info really helps.
Glad it was helpful!
I was trained as a photogrammetric cartographic specialist by the U. S. Air Force in 1974, manually stitching together super-high-res images from satellites and high-altitude spy planes (U2 & SR-71). It’s amazing what you can now do with less than $5,000 in equipment. I appreciate your video!
If I could offer one suggestion: try to avoid repetitive phrases in your videos, especially the phrase “go ahead” that I heard over and over in this video. I know it may seem trivial but it really detracts from the obvious professionalism you portray in the rest of your content. It’s probably just a nervous habit or a “filler” designed to give you a split second to form your thoughts before speaking.
lmao why i was reading this comment he said "go ahead" exaclty when I read that part
Clint Eastwood might object to the unauthorized utterance of his most famous movie line.
Wish you more success and wealth man, the world needs more people like you!
Absolutely awesome, impressive, and unbelievable how this technology has been developed. Dylan, great job. The best going forward!
Thank you so much!
What awesome about giving your most detailed information to google?! For inspection? Really!!! Lets work for the FBI and get more money, seems a better idea no?
@@saedabumokh9577 lame
I appreciate the effort put into the description of the vid. From the updates, more info, and the time stamps. Thank you, 👍🏽
How do you deliver the data to the client? Do you create geotiffs? Are the outputs in standard formats?
It’s dépend of what type of datas
I use photogrammetry everyday at work and I never thought about drone photogrammetry!! Nice video!
What do you do that work on and how is it captured then?
OMG, this is awesome!!! Where do you advertise and sell your services?
Looking to learn more about drone photogrammetry? Check out our online course that will teach you all the fundamental skills and technical knowledge to start making money with your drone: www.pilotbyte.com/course/drone-photogrammetry-mastery
UPDATE (7/19/2022)
The DJI Mavic Air 2s is now supported in Drone Deploy. With its 1” sensor your image quality will basically match that if the Mavic 2 Pro! Pick up the Air 2s for $999 from Amazon (amzn.to/3PkffBr)
Hey all, wanted to provide an update for what drones you can use with Drone Deploy. The DJI Mini 2 is NOT a drone that works with Drone Deploy. In the description of this video I have 3 drones that I recommend that work with Drone Deploy! Also check Drone Deploy's website to see what drones are supported!
Litchi on the IOS AppStore works and only costs $25 one time if you have an unsupported from DJI that doesn’t work with Drone Deploy.
Happy flying!
superb, I just collected my new dji mini 2 hahaha :) I wanted to use it for photogrammetry for making game assets like stones, walls, grounds, tree trunks and other natural objects. I think I still can use it, just need to find a proper affordable software solution but hehe :'D typical^^ yet I'm not unhappy as it's the one that's seems to be the best for it's weight and offers 4k images even though 48mp would have been amazing :) So you're using single pictures or also videos, do you have any experience with both formats?
And to give something back to you: Another idea for you to maybe make some or even much more money would be scanning interesting natural environments and make 3D assets from them for games, movies, etc made in unreal engine 5 ;) You could scan some ground with and without plants, other natural assets like trunks, stones, rocks, cliffs and then make a pack of those assets and sell them on unreals marketplace ;) it might even get you much more money, but I'm not sure how many people are actually buying those asset packs, but if you can sell one pack for 100 to 300 bucks and about 100 people buy it, that's some great income (the unreal community is quite big!!) ;) Have a look at an example of such an asset pack in case you're interested:
www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/scots-pine-forest-biome
www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/brushify-canyons-pack
On both websites the last pictures hold the actual content of the packs and it's not that much, sometimes it's just huge assets like canyons, larger rocks, or hills. And it will definitely need a little more work as you should clean up the assets a little. Since UE uses it's new Nanite system, it allows for trillions of polygons displayed in a scene at once without an impact on speed (it's truly amazing tech), so the cleanup is mostly just eliminating "noise" and removing everything but the "asset" itself. But that could be interesting to you. I love the idea of building (fantasy-)worlds out of my mind and such assets help a lot of people doing the same ;) In the marketplace you can also just search for "biomes" or similar to get other such packs you could investigate and look how they are "set up"/made :) Just call them nanite-biomes or something as for older engine versions, you would have to create the same assets several times each time with lower amount of "points" that will be swapped in-game depending on it's size on the screen. But for nanite meshes, I don't think you'll have to clean it up much especially not make lower poly versions of it ;) Thanks for your valuable video, great you were right away talking about photogrammetry ;) Happy flying, hope my batteries are loaded anytime soon :)
and regarding you mentioning the chance to get your hands on a lidar system!! Have fun with it. There's a youtube guy who scanned a lot of south americas DENSE woods around peru and similar and they even found ancient locations of places where people once lived, found pots and whatever those people used as tools those days, that was very impressive!!
Could you reach out to me about this? I’d like to potentially collaborate with you on this. Back before I flew drones for a living I dabbled in mega scans and 8k/12k 3d model assets for a little.
I’m terms of you picking up the mini 2 for asset scanning it’s actually perfect for that to get started in, I would look at litchi ($25 one time purchase) to do you captured as I believe it works with the mini 2!
dylangorman2000@gmail.com shoot me an email!
Litchi can do it as well!?
I believe it can, I haven’t tried it out yet
What about the Mini 3?
Great content. Been flying since the beginning pretty much consistently and always knew the practice would eventually turn to profit. Love flying and making memories for my family but its obvious it can be more than a hobby. Subscribed.
Who is buying this? Why are they buying it? Is there a market? Where are jobs posted? All left unsaid. This is an ad for some software.
@@noname-zg8lh exactly what I was thinking
Me too😂
IDK how you only have 8K subs. This video was made very well! Can't wait to see more in the future.
I appreciate it!
Hey Dylan I’ve got a few more questions - How did you reach out to your clients like the shopping centre client? What was your pitch to them? What are they going to use the orthmosaic for? Thanks
I want to know this too. I have just started a new business and looking to get started in this area.
Hi @Ethan Buzza and @Matthew Jett, I do not know how Dylan landed the shopping center, but I can offer some tips on how to market your drone services. It's always the best if we have a contact or an invitation, but as you know it doesn't always work that way.
If I were going after a shopping center, I might go to my Chamber of Commerce to see who the decision makers are at the shopping center. Your Chamber of Commerce is a wonderful resource for networking in your local community. And then I would try to set an aappointment by phone, or in person.
Another tactic I have used is to fly a small portion of a site (be sure to use professional discretion when flying a location) but this can be a way of providing sample data to show the client prospect.
I hope this helps a little.
@@GaleForceDrone thanks for the tips and insight. Roughly what should I expect to charge a client for an orthomosaic job if they are interested in it. I'm guessing you do it by the square footage or time it takes to fly it. Also, do you just deliver the images in bulk or as a resource file that can be opened in a special app. I'm unfamiliar with the process. How does one deliver this Ortho job to the client?
We got our first client through a connection and it grew from there! As for charging for services it just depends on the scope of work. We typically charge by the acreage or for the deliverables that we need to send out. There is no “set price”, the price is typically determined by what the client is looking for!
Our clients are using ortho’s for inspection and property updates as Google maps can take years to produce new imagery
Hello Dylan, im a sophmore student here in Norway studying about drones in Oslo and its quite new you see but watching ur video and seeing that my teacher actually does basically what you do for a living is making more sense to me how i can earn money with just a small little aircraft. thank u for making this video i know its a year old but when i graduate i will take inspiration from ur vid much love from Norway!
I've been doing a lot of 3d mapping, aerial property photography, roof inspections, site survey progression etc and doing very well with my original Mavic Mini. 👍😳⚠️
how can i get started on that?
I have the mavic mini aswell. Want to put it to good use. Any tips on how to approach this?
@@ibrahim2000alwan I approached some building companies and asked if they wanted any aerial photography or site progression etc
I pitched it from a safety standpoint ie very small drone with minimal risk etc could fly over while work was in progress, so no disruption to their schedule.
The 3d mapping came later when one company asked if I could do that, I hadn't ever tried it but watching some UA-cam tutorials and trying myself with some free software I was able to produce something close to what they wanted.
Have done some roof surveys for some smaller independent roofers!
Again I pitch it as saving them time and cost putting up scaffolding or ladders, I can give them either photos or video of areas of the roof in detail, like chimneys, gutters, ridge tiles, pointing etc
Also worth approaching estate agents that sell larger properties with a plot of land etc or farms, small holdings etc as the aerial footage is very useful to a prospective buyer for viewing on their websites etc
One place next door to where I was doing some aerial photography enquired what I was doing and I ended up doing his place, he just wanted some framed photos of his property! 👍
Just keep knocking on doors and ringing companies, you'll get lots of knock backs but I persevered did some example videos, sent them examples amd offered to do the first job as a freebie, treated it as just permission to fly over someone's land but if something came of it like more work then that was a bonus!
You'll very surprised once you get a few jobs it often leads to more work.👍
Hey! What software did you use? I’m thinking to buy an Dji Mini 3 Pro to do everything (like a 4x4 haha). Can I get some tips if you don’t mind please?
Im also wondering the software😊
AMAZING!!!! I'm a licensed Land Surveyor and have worked in Photogrammetry!! This new technology is ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!!! That process used to take days and very costly!! Great video of what you do!!!
Hi Dylan, cool video's! How do you share your exports with your clients when they don't have a Drone Deploy account themselves? For instance, when they want to measure themselves on the maps/models that Drone Deploy generated? Thx, Koen - Belgium.
The big pile mesh doesn't seem very accurate. I wonder if the measurements are wrong. The small pile was 100 y³, how come the second one, much much larger, is only 1200 y³?
During the automated flight, how does the drone account for trees or powerlines that might be in the way of the pre-routed path?
It uses its obstacle avoidance sensors when en route but I do not trust them as I have had a run in with power lines in the past. What I usually do before every mission is use the minimum height that I’ll be flying and use that as my benchmark when doing a test manual flight, meaning that I’ll launch the drone and fly it around the property to see if there are any objects that may be in the way. If there is anything that is in the way I’ll adjust my flight plan 5-10 ft higher so that I can avoid it.
How could I not sub after this gem. Canadian drone pilot here thank you
Hi Dylan. Interesting video.
As a Part 107 holder with over 1000 hours of flight time, I have some concerns. What is your RMSE you strive to achieve for each project? What is your GSD for an average project? In this demonstration you are not using Ground Control, nor a RTK machine.
I’ve never met a client that only cares about “relative accuracy”. Every project I fly is to survey standards and geolocated. To which the contractor is usually thrilled. Which brings me to my next question. Are you working with or along side a licensed surveyor? In order to do any activity that involves “land survey” or even in some situations photogrammetry its self, you have to be or work under a professional licensed surveyor.
It’s videos like this that can mislead hobbyists into thinking they can make a career change tomorrow with one trip to Best Buy.
All the best
Ps I use a Matrice 210 RTK V2, and set ground control with a Leica CS15 and GS15
Hey Matt, I really do appreciate you calling all of these items out and speaking about your concerns as I truly don't want to spread misinformation.
For the most part this video was supposed to be a very high level overview of the possibilities of what drone mapping can do/ provide for clients. When it comes to our GSD accuracy with GCP's obviously I am not using that in this video at all but the reason why 99% of our clients don't care about it is that they are using it to look at the imagery on property. Our clients are property managers not surveyors or contractors using it for earth works. When we do need to have cm accurate maps we will use GCP's (and work with surveyors as we are not allowed to call it survey accurate maps without them), additionally we will use RTK enabled drones to capture that imagery.
So I am careful when explaining what we do to clients that we aren't survey mapping but more so relative mapping for that.
Our RTK drones include the M210 RTK v2, M300 RTK, Custom RTK drones built in the US and a multitude of GNSS heads and equipment.
Again Matt I do appreciate you speaking out about this, It has been an entire year since I produced this video and my understanding on this material has vastly improved!
Regardless, thank you for the comment! I will do a better job of educating the masses on topics like this!
@@DylanGorman you’re the man! There’s people in the industry that are uninformed and then there’s pros- including yourself.
Keep it up.
@Matt Dornan, thank you for this question. It really made my thinking right about this video. It looked very simple but I told my husband there will be more to it... You rather made things more real to me... I'd rather made the videos and pictures and sell to drone videos buyers than putting myself in this complicated mapping thing
if you do a round flight with a 45 degree angle on the camera it helps tremendously with the 3d mapping
Hi Dylan. Really like your videos, you do a great job of explaining the technology and the opportunities for some interesting work. I have a few questions if you don't mind me asking: 1. How do you get the clientele? I'm living in new York and was wondering how to get started with this. I used to work in construction and was thinking about trying out a few free shoots to get my feet wet. Where else do you think I should look to start? Trying to broaden my chances as best I can. 2. Does drone deploy work for a Phantom 4 pro v2? My drone controller has a built in display screen. I'm worried it won't work without a tablet or iPad. 3. Do you use PPK regularly? From working in construction, I can definitely see the benefits of this. I found an attachment for my drone for about $600 that I think would be a worthwhile investment. What would be your thoughts on this?
Excellent upload, very interesting!
Cheers from Bucharest Romania!!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Dylan,
How do you go about complying with part 107 regulations? Specifically in operations over people like what I’m assuming is occurring in the parking lot imagery used as an example in this video.
I’m curious because I’ve encountered an impasse with what I want to do and part 107 regulations about operating over human beings.
So to answer your question about flying over people, we haven’t had an issue and we’ve been doing it for 3 years, we even get waivers from the FAA to fly in restricted airspace to carry out these missions (before LANNC automations were a thing). I’m pretty sure they have eased up on those restrictions but again we haven’t had any issues with it especially since it’s all automated flights rather than manned flights (not that it has any affect over the regulation or not).
I understand this is 2 years later but I am very interested in this. I am a retired detective and FAA licensed UAV pilot, I flew drones for my agency. Id like to do these types of jobs. My agency used Autel drones with thermal ability. Can Autel drones be used for this? Is this still a viable market in 2023?
Did you have to get a waiver to fly over people and moving vehicles? Also, how do you deal with visual line of sight restrictions?
It wouldn’t surprise me if he gets permission to lock down the area he’s mapping. It’s something that my university did when we do flight ops. It would increase the time to map as he’d have to do sections but it would allow one to stay in the regulations.
Hiya Dylan, this video was such an inspiration to me. I would love to know more about the Drone Deploy programme.
I made about $20 when I sold mine, same as about a dozen other phtographers I've talked to.
when you clicked that point cloud switch - mind blown - The issue is finding clients.
Hey Dylan, great video!! I’m curious as to how you get in touch with your clients and what tips and tricks you use to land jobs. Thank you for such a detailed video 👍
Im wondering this as well. Do you just walk up to a construction site and hand out business cards? I understand you now work as a contractor for a larger company, but how would a freelancer go about it? Who do you ask for at a job site? ✌️
hi Dylan from Mexico. Love it! Some real work and honesty on this platform, where there is so much misrepresentation, lying, and deceit! Somebody who is doing something productive, and helping others do the same! **Just subscribed** The only setback i can see is the high entry price to get into this business--those drones are $3000/piece + the cost of the software, plus costs of transportation etc..., hey as an idea, i think you can sell the finished product(s) to various mapping services! (open street map, google, etc)
You don’t necessarily need the big drone that I have in this video! You can get started with something as small as a Mavic 2 pro! It does cost money to get into but that’s the specialized industry for you haha! I appreciate the kind words and thank you for subbing!
@@DylanGorman you're welcome! I just shared this vid with a friend in China! We did one recently on a fully automated app that we use to create income 24/7. I use it and can attest to it!
Just what I was looking for. Getting licensed in a few weeks and want to use my drone to make extra cash
Love to hear that! Good luck with your test!
@@DylanGorman today's the day. Been getting 90s on the practice exams. I got this
Best of luck man!!
@@jd2161 How'd it go!?
Quiet phenomenal...just know that you got a fan in Nigeria
I appreciate it! Thank you.
Thanks for the great video Dylan! Real eye opener for us hobbyists! Can you do this with any type of drone? What are the best ones to work with?
dude u are the best, I went to school for GIS and never used it until now!
Great work. One recommendation I'd suggest is getting several orange cones with the reflective tape at the top. Set those around where the drone is taking off or landing at to claim and protect that space, as well as warn people that something abnormal is happening in that area. Mini 3 Pro update - From what I've read, DJI plans on releasing the SDK package in the early 2nd quarter of 2023. I'm looking forward to that to get into the entry level work to get my feet wet and my foot in the door. If need be I can use my brother's Mavic 2 Pro until I am able to upgrade if/as required to bigger and better drones. I've flown drones for 18 years so obviously I love it. I may as well take that skill to make money and supplement my income and get bigger and better toys...errr, work equipment as I'll tell my wife. :0)
Dosnt it get boring? Push bottom thing takes off, Push forward thing goes forward, fly over, auto stick image, push bottom it lands.
Its like the most brainless equipment operation on earth, nothing else flys itself like that.
@@user-pc8tb7hg1lHandlesRDumb Well, almost every aircraft has and uses this auto flight ability. Commercial aircraft take off and land via pilots, but once they reach altitude, they set waypoints and most of the flight is automated. The pilots keep a watchful eye, but they are not flying the plane hands on for much of the flight. Military aircraft are similar, both planes and helicopters. A lot of people think helicopters can take off and just fly straight up, and although they can, they are not meant to do so. If you watch helicopters take off, they gain minimal altitude and then they push the controls forward and gain altitude while flying forward. The Google satellite view images people look at, they are taken in a very similar manner as the mapping software used in this mapping software used for creating the automated flight in this video. The difference is that all of these aircraft have one or more human lives in the aircraft. These aircraft are a lot more densely populated in their airspace than drones, the aircraft are much heavier and can kill many people if they come crashing down. These aircraft move much faster, and have much greater risk of damage to life and property if they crash. On the flip side, drones do not have human pilots on the aircraft. We keep the UAV in sight most of the time, with the only visual aid being a camera on the drone that gives us a narrow view of the full area around the done in the space we're flying in. These drones are as light as about 1 1/2 baseballs (250 grams), and the Inspire 2 in this video is less than 7 pounds. The cameras are pointed straight down more most of the flight taking photos, and by using overlapping images taken using waypoints via GPS to control altitude, speed and location of the drone and where to take images, that's something done with much greater precision than a human can do from a remote when the drone looks kind of tiny for most of the flight. Using the automated flight provides for more professional results, decreased time in the air and at the job site, which is good because you do not always have unlimited windows of time to capture these images. Depending on the time of day, position of the sun and reflective surfaces, this makes shooting at certain times of day impossible. Mapping is only one aspect of drone flight. If people are shooting images for clips, points of interest, etc., most of this is done without automation. Take a look at Alex's work at the channel QuickAssTutorials. He has tons of amazing video taken from all over the world, and close to 100% of it is all done by hand without automation. Alex wasn't very impressed with the automated flights of drones until the DJI Mini 3 Pro came out. Alex was pretty impressed with the M3P, but I've not kept up with his channel enough to know if he is still avoiding automated flight for his images. Even modern day vehicles have the ability to automate a lot of the driving process. Vehicles can automatically stop 100% if an obstacles is in front of the vehicle sensors and the driver isn't responding quickly enough. They have automated cruise control so you can set the speed for maybe 70 MPH, and if a vehicle in front of you is driving slower, the vehicle will slow down to maintain a safe following distance, and once the slower vehicle moves or gets out of the way, the vehicle will return to the preset speed. With lane assist, people can drive along many roads for long distances with only periodic input to let the computer know the driver hasn't fallen asleep or that they are not 100% disengaged with their driving duties. It may seem brainless, but it's automated due to the mapping requirements that customers require.
hi, any updates on dji mini 3 pro?
@@cinuszek88 No. I just fired up my M3P and checked for updates, and the SDK update hasn't been released for working with these types of mapping software. Worse yet, if you have been following the drone news, the Senate is talking about banning the use of all DJI drones in the US. If you're looking to get a drone, I'd hold off until that is resolved. Here is the weekly update from The Pilot Institute which is a great place to get the education for your UAV part 107 UAV commercial pilots license. ua-cam.com/video/zvYymGGLuUU/v-deo.html. This is from June 2nd, 2023.
@@Troy-Echo thanks Troy, I’m in EU if that’s any difference. Planning to buy a dron soon, mini 3pro or air 2s… but more like M3P tbh 😁
I notice that Drone Deploy (as of 10 days ago) now have a BETA version for the Air2S. Good news for me (and a few of your viewers). Excellent video by the way, I've heard about Drone Deploy, a lot, but now I'm tempted to try it out (in the UK by the way so no competition).
I will check it out thank you! and thank you for watching!
Question: how are you georeferencing the final products? Like in your case study you were pulling up volumes for the piles without and ground control, yet you were running an Inspire 2 which doesn't have an RTK module. Did you also shoot ground control in that example, or was the level of accuracy satisfactory to the client without?
These are all great points to bring up. 95% of our clients like the relative accuracy (they don’t want to pay extra for GCP’s). RTK would be great to have but still not worth the expense for the client. The cases that we do run GCP’s for projects we will use a RTK capable drone and tie them into the visual markers as well!
@@DylanGorman Cool! What kind of entry level equipment would you recommend? Im currently just playing around with 3rd party software and a mini 2 to do some rough (but fairly successful) scans just for my own practice and benefit and this is something id like to pursue further I think there is good work to be done here
@@noseblind2088 i have a phantom 4rtk and its amazing value for the money. As the name sugests its rtk capable, has a 30min-ish flight time and nice flight planning software.
ArcGIS or QGIS
I do GIS and this is something I would really love to do as a side business.
Hi, I've been looking for a suitable software for a long time, but I still have two questions:
1. Which drones are compatible and how do you start the flight? (e.g. with DJI, is Dji Go no longer required here?)
2. Does your software also offer the possibility to take measurements? Height and width of a building?
Looking at the website for dronedeploy and this video, it looks like the drone has to have thermal. If that's the case we'll be looking at $10k at least lol.
Not sure where you got that the drone needs to be thermal? I started using the Mavic 2 Pro and built up from there.
@@DylanGorman I was looking a bit deeper into the website and pricing but didn't do enough poking around. Was trying to see if an Air2S would be sufficient for what you were doing, saw thermo mentioned quite a bit. Not sure where the confusion came from. Thats my bad!
@@DylanGorman Not to be rude but you didn’t answer the original guys question. I’m also very curious if it’s capable with any drone (ex: DJI Mini 2). Thank you !
@@INEEDTOREST_ I have a dedicated video on my channel about mapping with the Mini 2 :)
Awesome video. Clear explanation, easy to follow and exciting to watch it all come together.
the reality is - from here it will become a race to the bottom. just because how easy it is with no effort. enjoy as long as it pays $500 / flight
Depends on the market you are competing in but I see what you are saying. I’ve since been able to charge 4x-6x that since I made this video a year ago
Dylan, thank you very much saw your you tube video about drone photogrammetry and watched and loved this. Because I am studying to get my 107 license. I never even thought about that. I am looking at ALL the different options I will have for my drone business. I was always told never put all your eggs in one basket always look for other ways to being profitable. Thanks again!!!
Thank you for watching and glad you found the video!
Hey Dylan. I really appreciate that you took the time to create this content. It says a lot about your character that you want to share this knowledge.
I was wondering if you could speak on how one would get started with finding clients and how the sales pitch/offering of services works. I have no doubt that I can figure out the technical aspects of the drone and software. And I can sell the heck out of almost anything. However it wouldn’t hurt to get some advice from someone like yourself that is fully immersed in the industry.
Subscribed!
Hey Matt! I am actually working on a course that will go through all of those points. I would say for now lean on any contacts or leads you may already have. offer to do the services for free or at a reduced cost to show what you are capable of. I was able to grow our business through word of mouth and giving free demos for the first few months when we started.
@@DylanGorman I appreciate this advice so much, you may have just inspired me to do this sort of thing
Very cool! But doesn't it go against almost everything that you are not allowed to do? I mean flying the drone in crowded public?
Waivers exist for a reason!
So you took off in the parking lot of a crowded supermarket and then flew a mission to map out the property? How did you get approval to do this? Seems pretty complex as you have all of the pedestrians/ moving vehicles beneath the drone.
Hey I appreciate the concerns and questions. For the “crowded supermarket” parking lot portion of your question, FAA has changed its rules on flying over people. The rule really pertains to dangerous maneuvers or flying low to the ground. The drone is flying at 160ft height and is on a automated flight path so the drone is consistently moving. As for approvals, we have a contract with the property owner/ manager giving us consent to fly over the property in order to give the deliverables that they are looking for, for this property they wanted a high resolution scan of their property and parking lots so that is what was done. All of this was done legally and with the correct waivers/ permits obtained before flying. We have thousands of properties that we fly every year (we even have aviation pilots that fly commercial planes, flying properties for us and they all follow the same rules/ regulations).
@@DylanGorman Thanks for the response. I am aware of the new FAA regulations on flying over people. Are you referring to subpart D? In that case, I am not seeing the guidance set forth that you mentioned - “flying dangerously and low the the ground”. It doesn’t really go into detail about what constitutes flight over humans other than a brief explanation of sustained flight versus transitional flight. I would say it is safe to assume that as long as you are flying directly above a human being that this would apply, and given that you are flying an automated mission at 160 feet AGL over an area of pedestrian traffic (a parking lot), it would be impossible to determine whether or not you are constantly fulfilling this. The issue is, if your drone became inoperative and we’re to fall out of the sky, it could severely injure a human on the ground. This is especially true if the drone is not properly equipped as a category 1-4 UAS. It occurs to me from your demonstration that your operation would be considered non compliant due to the fact that the UAV does not fit the performance criteria of either category 2 or 3. I came to this conclusion because it is clearly visible that there is nothing guarding the propellers or “rotating bodies”.
In response to your comment about your manned aviation flights following the same regulations as your pt 107 operations - Manned aviation definitely does not follow the same rules as UAS. The reason they are able to fly over people is because they have to adhere to air worthiness standards and sUAS do not. I think this is eventually where the FAA wants to go though. Until then, we have no choice but to adhere to the current regulations in pt. 107.
All of that being said, you did mention waivers. I know that operations over people are waivable; however, I don’t have any experience getting a request like this granted.
I think it would be smart to clarify this as some of your audience may get the wrong impression in the future and actually go out and perform this type of flight thinking it is okay. Of course, if you are granted a waiver it is permissible; however, you did not expressively state this.
Thank you for all of that!
I see where I may have been misleading. I do know that recently the FAA has loosened up their rules about flying over people else I would not be doing it as frequently as I have all of our pilots do. But all of that being said with our waivers/ permits that we get, alongside with our insurance policy and our extensive network of highly qualified currently commercial aviation pilots/ retired military personnel, it’s safe to assume that if they are following through and flying all of these drone missions without any pushback then I don’t see any issues at all.
If you have any other questions or concerns I can put you in touch with my chief pilot who has been a commercial airlines pilot for over 47 years who also has connections at the FAA who grants us all of our permits to fly the missions that we do. He’s very knowledgeable and will explain things very throughly.
Appreciate your comment regardless, have a great day!
@@DylanGorman The pleasure is all mine! They have indeed loosened up a bit and I hope they continue to go that route. Before, it was pretty much impossible to fly over people period. With this new regulation, I am glad that they give a somewhat “clear” cut path (I say clear, but the FAA isn’t all to clear on a lot of things) to do it safely.
If that’s the case then I wish you the best of luck in your business endeavors and hope that they are fruitful as ever!
@@B1g_Salad As Dylan Mentioned in regards to flying over people, the general rule is as you stated. However, many drone businesses do get waivers and what he mentioned about " The rule really pertains to dangerous maneuvers or flying low to the ground" sounds like what was included in a waiver vs the public rules. I'm not saying that is the case but I have looked at a lot of waivers and the types of things the FAA wants to grant a waiver. If you asked for a special waiver to fly over people w/o any mitigation then they just say nope.
But if you asked and laid out detailed plans for how that it would be done i.e., not fly below XXX alt, only with automated software, have special riders on business insurance, etc. Then you can get a waiver, and waivers can cover large areas and last, iirc up to 18 months, before needing to be renewed. I am simplifying this a lot because waivers can sometimes be dozens of pages long and very specific detail is needed. There are lawyers and companies that specialize in helping drone businesses get waivers. One of the big requirements is usually a well established business that has been around for years, has several employees etc. That isn't specifically required but it is one of the factors that is considered.
Dylan mentioned his chief pilot was an airline pilot and has contacts with the FAA this likely helps streamline the process, not because they are getting special treatment but because the FAA will have all his safety records, so it helps.
Studying a drone photogrammetry unit as part of my surveying/geomatics degree in Australia. It's incredible what it can do!!! Hope to follow this as a multi disciplinary surveying business in the future.
Welcome to the industry!
in australia is very strict, good luck trying to fly a drone anywhere there lol
Hi Dylan. This was really interesting. How would you go about marketing this service to create demand?
Working on a video similar to what you are asking that will be posted next week!
@@DylanGorman when are you posting that video?.
Just posted a few days ago! I talk about how to price your services as a pilot in the industry!
Awesome informative video man. Ya got my sub for more information on this stuff. Hope business is well.
Great advice. I have a few questions that perhaps you, Dylan would know about or someone in the comments;
How did you get into photogrammetry? Seems that the cost of entry is such a gamble prior to getting any practice or experience in it as an individual. Is it a case of just paying for the software and hoping that you get clients?
Secondly, does anyone know what licensing you'd need for this in the UK? I have the A2CofC but I am wondering if you'd need the GVC qualification. Or perhaps just a 249g drone?
Thanks
Any business is going to be a gamble. The more you plan and prepare the less of a gamble it is. If you go in with the mind set of hoping you get clients you won’t succeed. Put a plan together to get clients. Do a business plan before you spend any money on starting the business.
@@zmanindy Very true, thanks.
What drone do you suggest for volumetric modeling? What's the minimum drone you suggest for this type of work (construction sites etc). Cost is not my MAIN concern. I know there's always better more expensive, but I'd like to get a capable drone that can capture what most clients will need, but also at an efficient price point. 1-3K is my budget.
Is there a specific type of drone that you have to use to pair it with Drone Deploy? Also, what is all the permits and licenses you need to do this?
Can this be done with smaller DJI models like the Mini 3 Pro? It has some automated functions but nothing like this.
Hey Dylan thank you for the information. Question: do you need a surveyor license to do the drone mapping?
Not required under Federal law. It turns out that the federal law which comes before the Constitution the most basic and highest ranking set of rules for the US is called common law which are the most Basic Essentials that Define a life worth living or livable. For example, Common law allows you to be married to your choice of mate simply by selecting your mate and then living together for 5 years. Although it seems obvious, this state is observing your choice as being just as official here as any church or a state document that is normally required. And again this is why common law ranks higher then constitutional law in terms of precedent. One of the fundamental tenants of common law arose from a troublesome situation in Great Britain at the time my ancestors declared independence. The British ruling class were systematically able to defraud and paralyze anyone with horse and carriage by requiring one of the most absurd rituals ever seen in an animal species. British bureaucracy were in the habit of requiring permits that had to be presented when taxpayers meaning citizens wanted to move from one place to the next! Imagine if driving a car required obtaining some kind of state identification card or even paying for that card on top of this insult that one is not free to move about in one's home or nation of origin. Despite your familiarity with items like driver's licenses, do not be fooled no such document is required by any us Traveler at any point in time. Note that the law has a clever catch which defines a driver as a commercial Traveler like a truck for example moving Goods to Market and that only drivers meaning commercial vehicles are required to obtain any government document to move about. By defining simple Travelers who use cars as commercial drivers also known as drivers the law eventually tried to overthrow itself and reestablish this form of Taxation that was used to game and play British citizens as though they were Pawn pieces locked in place without the government's permission to move about. Am I saying that you don't require a license in the US no that is what the US federal law says under common law and when you challenge it you always win in court so long as you are respectful and not drunk or dangerous when you drive, and by Drive remember the word is travel always travel never identify yourself as a driver what is any of this got to do with drones? Everything. The most basic freedom I can cite under us Federal common law is the explicit unconditional freedom for travelers to travel freely Within their home nation without any form of permission from the state or State Control. There are no exceptions other than driving commercially which again is classified under the term driving. A term you should never ever use or respond to when an officer says anything like, driver step out of your car! Immediately correct him or her by identifying yourself as a traveler and not a driver. This is what police dread hearing the most, the statement traveler says you have no jurisdiction to even stop me to begin with go about your business and follow the law! Here's where your drone comes in. Common laws rule or allowance for free traveling is not at all limited to horseback it is not limited to traveling on foot, it extends to all forms of travel and it is the reason that thousands of drivers in the US are continuing to drive without any license plates or insurance or driver's licenses at all. In fact when you apply for a driver's license you sign a document that you are giving up your rights under common law and that you will always require a license which you we're in fact never required to possess before signing the document to obtain one! All Americans and by that I mean free americans, who are smart enough not to obtain a license in a new state to which they move, are granted under federal law, full privileges of driving a vehicle on the road with absolutely no cost for license plates, meaning no license plates at all, no insurance, no registration and no driver's license. The implication for any free animal is absolutely insulting that any form of permission need to be issued by your rulers to allow you to move. That would be tyranny and unlivable in the end possibly in the middle or even in the beginning! In terms of drones and the relevance to drone operators, as American Travelers we are permitted to have Scouts. A drone of any size or make is a Travelers tool for looking ahead of the path as a scout and under this classification, meaning the moment that you define this to be the case your scout along with your foot travels while controlling it are fully immune from having to be registered or obtain any type of state or federal documentation whatsoever there are no exceptions to this freedom we can travel in all cases whether by land or by air without any permission from any government agency without any form of training or formal document we are free from ever being approached and hassled or from having a document of any type demanded from us while we fly, before we fly or after we fly. There are no exceptions under which you should give up your most American freedoms in this fundamental tenant of our Nations core values and Freedoms. Do not identify your drone as anything but a traveling tool and you will not be required under any state or federal law to obtain any type of documentation for surveying or cruising or traveling in any direction at any speed you are completely free to do as you wish so long as you safely respect others. Enjoy your freedoms don't you dare pay a cent or pay attention to any agency that tells you to pay them for some type of permission to travel whether by foot by car by plane or by drone you are free to travel As You Wish uninhibited without any form of permission whatsoever from any government agency. There are no exceptions to this rule and although you may receive a ticket a dirty look or a confrontational interaction with some type of official so long as you follow through show up for your court date and present the facts you will be treated as an American and there are no further steps that any agency can take against you. You are free to leave and continue flying as a traveler or as a scout. I have used this personally and it has always worked in my favor, to the extent that I have been able to fly over a woman's prison in Niantic Connecticut in front of police officers who showed up and listen to my explanation only to smile nod and get back in their cars after wishing me a good day. Had they wish me a mediocre day or issued a ticket The Next Step would have been no different. You are free to go and continue traveling at will on your own accord and without anybody's permission. That's how all other animal species live and it's an animal right that we share in the us as well so don't give it up for a moment or be tricked by anyone's statements to the contrary. Enjoy your travels.
@@jonbrand5068 replying for desktop read, thanks for the info!
Thank you for the video and the information. Best wishes to you!
Hey Dylan, excellent video. Is there a way to see what drone services are provided in my are or what drones services are in demand? I am interested in getting started but don't know which area to do. I was thinking inspection, mapping and thermal. Thank you for your time and support.
Hey Jamie, thats a great question. Unfortunately I don't know a direct answer to see what competition is in local areas but what I would say is to just reach out to a few companies in your areas and pitch some of the services that you can provide with Drone Deploy or other software's similar to it. Free demos also go a long way and processing data is little to no extra money nowadays!
That was so very insightful...
Is the software and equipment expensive...?
That was very gracious of you to share your knowledge about photogrammetry. I've become a little worn down from creating real estate videos, which are extremely labor intensive. The amount of return in compensation does not even begin to match up to the amount of effort expended. I have been thinking about checking photogrammetry out, and this was just the impetus I needed. Thank you very much!
Super happy to hear that! I have a few more videos planned (one that I am working on with Drone Deploy at the moment) that will give more insight into mapping and photogrammetry overall!
Charge more G
Whats your opinion on the mini 3 pro? And what drone did you use in this video?
Just came across this, I’ve been wanting to get into this for a while! Great video! One question for you, are you using a rtk drone to get these high accuracy readings?
We only use RTK when the client requests it!
Yes, DD now supports the 2s, as long as you buy at least their "basic" subscription for $369/mo.
What were your costs for those 6 months?
Hey, I am loving your content! What drone are you using for mapping? Also, what certification/qualification do you need to start this type of work?
I believe he is using the DJI Inspire 2. In the U.S you need to have a FAA Part 107 license to be able to fly a drone for commercial purposes. (Anytime you get paid to fly you need this license, but not for recreational flying.)
@@kclark4920 Awesome. I appreciate the apply. Sort of wild there's levels of license like piloting. But it's all air space, so it makes sense. Thank you.
We use it for solar farms we can compare elevation changes after a bad rain storm during construction cause we work on 500 to 1,000 acre sites
That’s awesome! How long are the flights and how often are you flying these sites?
@@DylanGorman usually can take a full day or so depending on weather and keeping batters charge the solar sites go by sections and they fly one section at a time usually after clearing is done and all the brush and trees are Burnt.do to have a clear image of the ground and anytime weather causes changes to the project we can compare elevations to the original topo of the site
Been doing this for 6 years but never made that much money... I quess my pricing is wrong 😅
What’s your pricing? I’m wanting to get into this, like it?
This sounds like imagery analysis we used in the military for Intel support of combat troops. We use a tool called ArcGIS. Very cool!
ArcGIS is a pretty awesome tool!
Great video! Thank you. To fly drones, passing the initial aeronautical knowledge exam is enough? and can I actually measure some exact dimensions such as the length of any cars or parking lot lines in feet or inches with the DroneDeploy?
Hey Devin, I am just now seeing this comment! Passing the exam is just one part of it, know your drone and its capabilities is another thing. It's just like learning to ride a bike or drive a car for the first time. Sure its going to be tough and you may not get it right away, but with time and a lot of practice, you'll have a great understanding of the basic fundamentals of flying a drone that you'll easily be able to start charge for services with it. I would say with the application of using an automated flight software like Drone Deploy, all you really need to know is the limitations of your drone as well as how to get it out of a sticky situation if need be. Drones have come a LOOOONG way over the last 10 years to the point where they are very easy to get up and going with little hardware/ software errors. Long gone are the days of stressing about they drone flying away because of a weak signal. These drones are smart enough to fix themselves without you having to worry (still need to be actively paying attention though).
To answer your question. Yes, a photogrammetric model can be very accurate depending on your GSD, and can measure vehicles and lines.
At the BOR, I have used drones to make models to measure and track mm crack propagation on a concrete Dam. We have gotten very accurate with these things even on a global scale.
I just wish DC. would let us continue that work...
Many thanks Dylan! We will be looking into this ASAP!
Great! Hope it all works out!
This is an Awesome Video Dylan! How do you find clients for this and what are the key points to give them to get their business?? This seems like a very viable income opportunity! -Ray
One of the dumbest questions you can ask “where do you find clients?” 😂😂😂 like they’re just hiding under a rock somewhere to be found 😂😂😂. If you have to ask this question then you’re not cut out or ready for running your own business.
So you recommend DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 as your first choose for this?
Honestly I would!
Great video! I just have a couple questions.
How did you go about finding your first clients? Through emails? Utilizing your social network? Land a few then get more through their recommendations?
Also, I'm from Wisconsin. We're a little behind on a few things and this is the first time I've ever heard about drone photogrammetry. Do you operate on the west coast? In your opinion would there be less opportunity here in the Midwest?
Edit: I would love another video where you dive deeper into your business if you're willing to share!
Thank you for your questions! Ill answer them in order.
I used my social network as well as landing a few demo jobs to build out my clientele with word of mouth referral. I then sold my drone business to the company that was providing me 99% of the work. We now hire out pilots across the country to do these same services (not for the same price that I mentioned because we cover the cost of the software but that allows for our pilots to not have to worry about shelling out a few thousand dollars a year for it).
We have work in WI all the time, I would be interested to hear more about what your capabilities are!
Ill do my best to make a video about the business, it will more likely come out in a full Photogrammetry course that I am currently working on that teaches you everything that I have learned over the last 3+ years of flying photogrammetry missions and how to build a business model around it.
@@DylanGorman where can we apply to be a pilot for your company so I can do this in my area?
Dylan great video and nice content👍🏻
You work white hivemapper ore other mapping companie?
Hi Dylan - been loving your videos lately. I have been pitching dronedeploy to the company I am working for, but I am having problems finding the best Plan subscription as a starter (limited users, limited share options). I saw that you started in a similar way, what plan would you recommend me to start off with where clients get benefit as well as me?
Would you need a 107.39 waiver for this type of work since you are flying over a parking lot full of people and vehicles?
Not necessarily, obtaining a quick waiver to do this mission is fairly easy to get. We get approved for 2,500+ of these a year
Hi Dylan, do you think the new DJi Mini 3 Pro could be used for photogrammetry, or is it too small?
_Edited to add:_ never mind, I just went to look at the Drone Deploy site which lists all the drone models they use. Thanks!
Check out the new video I posted yesterday, you can use the mini 2 to do photogrammetry!
Great video! I’m going to check this out!
Please do!
Hi that was really cool, the information you spoke about and the tools you explained are just Amazing. I’m 62 and lived before computers and cell phones And though I think it has done a lot of good I also can see the damage it’s done to our country and society. With that being said I have had a few cheap drones, I just got a Dji phantom 3 and I’m learning to fly it. I’m like a sponge taking all this information in and I thank you for it. You’re very good at what you do and really good on camera. I wish you all the luck with it. I do have a couple of questions. One is what kind of drone you use and the other is what camera do you use also. I would like to get in the mountains and get some really good pictures and video. I would appreciate you letting me know. Im retired from the local govt. and I have a lot of time on my hands and I need to fill it so I don’t get old 😎
Thanks again Darrell
If you click on more under the video you can read what he used and what he recomends
I learned if you buy DJI (china) you can flash your device and replace with non china firmware. Where do you get this firmware replacement.
First off, thank you so much for this insanely informative video! I've been flying different generations of Mavics over the years and would love to actually start making some money using drones. That being said, while the title of you video definitely got me interested in pursuing this as a career, hearing that you work within a subdivision of a larger company and have many other pilots flying drones and even planes for your company has me a bit apprehensive about trying to break into this job market. Do you think this is something that could be profitable even if it's just one person doing it freelance? Or would I need to start thinking about creating a company that hires out other pilots in order to make a living with this.
Again, thank you for taking the time to create such a helpful video!
Thank you for the honest comment. I will do my best to give an honest response! The drone industry is seeing a mass of new pilots joining each and every year but only the top 5%-10% who dedicate learning additional toolsets/ invest into software solutions are able to succeed and charge way higher than market rates. I did sell my drone service company to the company who was supplying 95% of our work and have been with them for over a year building out a private pilot network to fly all the properties that they service and inspect. It's companies like mine where we can supply consistent work as it is harder to find that on your own as a freelancer. Some agency will bring you on as a fulltime pilot, others (like my company) hire out contractors in strategic regions so that we can keep consistency between all of our pilots.
I hope that sheds some light on it, it is possible to tap into the market and make 5 to 6 figures, you just have to be willing to add to your toolbox!
@@DylanGorman your answers to most of the questions here are always 120% including this one. Thanks so much for giving out such great info! 👍
Of course!
@@DylanGorman and for your answer, you just gain another sub! And this is my first video, I’m looking forward to watching more of your videos the next hr or so lol
Glad you are here! Thank you!
I use DJI FPV…..I don’t have the programming features to set paths but I would be interested in getting your drone as well….what is it buddy?
In this video I use the Inspire 2, but in the description I have a few recommendations for what to use!
Hi Dylan, I loved the video - thanks for taking the time to produce such high quality. I am using a Mavic Air2s to produce an orthomosaic in the coming days of a castle as a first attempt. Just wondering. 1. Why do you prefer Drone deploy over PIX4D? I was planning on using the latter. 2. Have you used consumer drones to produce client work?
Does pix4 work with mavik air 2? I was looking and it seems to work the 2 pro
In terms of compatibility, the mavic air 2s is not yet supported on Drone Deploy. They have a list of compatible drones on their website.
I prefer Drone Deploy as I have been on their platform for almost 3 years now. With their suite of tools and process of allowing us to pre plan missions for all our pilots that fly for us, it makes it a no brainer on a large scale operation that I run. Consumer drones are used 85% of the time. As long as you capture the data properly and go through to proper process up uploading the data, a consumer drone is more than enough for the deliverable that we are sending to our clients.
@@DylanGorman Thanks. Looks like the Mavic Pro 2 is the best and cheapest that is compatible.
Very insightful, thank you. I guess the biggest question remains - how to find the clients interested in this kind of drone data + those who don't yet have people contracted by them to do this work, aka who might hire you...
Great question! Working on a video for this exact question!
@@DylanGorman awesome thank you!
Great video. I sat through all 16+ minutes of it, without flinching. Really opened my eyes on other possible ways to use my drone (Mavic 2 Pro), and the possibility of actually making money with it. Until now it was only a hobby, and I just spend money on it, but I might rethink it.
A few questions are what is the exact name (names) of the software you use? How much does it cost? And, since it's in the cloud, do you have to pay for every single use of it, or do you buy it once and that's it?
I liked and subscribed, and will check out other videos you uploaded.
Thank you for watching! For software it is Drone Deploy, its a monthly subscription that they have. I have a few other videos on it as well! Pricing is on their website as well as supported drones!
I've done a bit of photogrammetry with my Phantom 4 Pro V2. But other than working alongside a surveyor (generating contours, volume calculations etc) I'm struggling to know what other clients could use this service? Why would a shopping centre want this? How do they view and utilise the data? Please let me know what other clients could use this service. Thanks!
I see where you are coming from on this, I have another video that I partnered up with Drone Deploy on where I go into some of the industries that you can use drone mapping for (video is on my channel). But if you don't have time to watch it, here is what I would suggest. If still revolving around the real estate world, you could partner up with a local (or a few local) roofing contractors to help them map a roof for inspections and estimates. You can also do a little agronomy (the science of soil management and crop production) and help farmers or land vegetation management spot possible weak spots of ill plants. Drone Deploy also has a host of resources and industries that you can look into on their website too! Hope that helps answer you question to some extent!
@@DylanGorman Thanks for the reply. I'll check it out!
Hey Dylan,
I currently only have a DJI Mini 2 operated on a Xiaomi 10T Pro, and running on low budget. What would you say, what's the lowest entry level drone one can start working with either in photogrammetry or in surveying?
Can beginner level drones run either DroneDeploy or Pix4D? If yes, what are their disadvantages compared to a much more expensive industrial-grade drone apart from minor differences in resolution?
Thank you very much in advance!
Mavic Air 2 (which I believe I have linked in the description) is the cheapest drone that is compatible. Just keep in mind that you will have to work with surveyors for accurate mapping and tie your maps into GCP's!
@@DylanGorman Tight, thank you man! Keep up the good work!
Cool and amazing man - good work. How about starting a drone school and specializes in different applications?
Hey Dylan, great video! Are any licenses required to do this besides a drone operators license? Do you need to be a professional surveyor to run a business like this? I am currently in college getting a degree in Surveying and I am very interested in getting started doing this as soon as possible and I would love to know if I could start this as soon as possible or is there a more complicated process you have to go through? A video on this would be awesome if you had the time! Thanks!
Not sure what a drone operators license is. The only thing I know that you'll need is a Part 107 so you can charge people money.
@@dogsidog0074 part 107 is a drone operators license
If you're doing this sort of land photos you shouldn't need any other license. If you're trying to help zone the area etc you may need special training to know you're doing everything to code.
@@Mike_to_the_k right... but if you're intention is to profit, you'll need the 107
Hey Porter, Oregon PLS here. Other than a Part 107 to practice Photogrammetry you need to be under the supervision of, or licensed as a Professional Photogrammetrist.
What is happening in this video technically isn't photogrammetry. It's a process called Structure From Motion and it can walk a fine line between needing a license or not. I suggest looking into your state's statutes on Land Surveying and Photogrammetry. Hope that helps!
LOVE this video!! So awesome and informative!! Thanks so much Dylan!!
Hey Dylan I’ve got a few questions about this business. How do you go about any safety regulations in the area regarding drone flying? How do you deliver the final product to the client? How did you land your first client? Thanks and great work!
Hey Ethan! For safety regulations we also fly with the correct permits and waivers needed in these locations. A lot of them are in uncontrolled airspace so we often times don't need to apply for the waiver. All of our clients know that we are operating on their sites and we also wear safety vests so that others know we are working on site. I landed our first client from a family friend by showing a demo of Drone Deploy, the rest is history as they loved what we did and had saved them money in the process.
@@DylanGorman what kind of clients are these?
Commercial real estate property managers
@@DylanGorman ii km no
Which site/app do you recommend for photogrammetry. Stoked I found your video. Thanks for sharing the info.
Hey Dylan great video, very interesting stuff! How does your service to your clients work after you uploaded the photos and have complete files. Do you give them reports about the volym for example? Do they also use Dronedeploy to be able to use the files?
Thanks in advance!
How do you market yourself and get clients? I’m currently flying as a contractor for about 7 nationwide drone companies. Tired of being paid peanuts by them.
Hi Dylan. Thanks for taking the time to make this. I was actually inspired to try this out thanks to a post I found on Twitter. Your video explaining how to do made me want to really do it.
Question. A friend knows someone that does commercial real estate. I'm looking to have a meeting with them and doing one pro bono job to build my portfolio. What are some things I should consider when talking to this potential client? Thank you again!
I appreciate the comment! I would ask 2 very important questions. What are they currently paying for for drone work as well as the deliverables they are receiving. Second question I would ask is what would they like to see different or better. If they can't give you an answer for the second question I would simply point out what they are not getting with their current drone work deliverables and explain how mapping is the new way to go with all the added benefits that mapping comes with (automated volumetric reporting, historical data, elevation maps, point clouds, etc). Hope that answers your question! Cheers!
Off topic question: which iPad mini are you using to get the bright display? Phoenix sun loves to wash out decent displays.
To all the prospective drone buyers: by the time you're hearing about a hustle, the peak of it has probably already passed. Look into more recent opinions before investing.
Not true. Plenty of bread to go around. Don’t be that guy.
going to have to start researching this more. always been into remote control technology and have been looking into drones for fun. maybe ill look into drones for the hustle instead.
The guy is well connected in the real estate industry. These results are not typical. 99.99% of people will NOT get any work like that so this video can be safely disregarded as the guy just seeks publicity.
I would agree partially with your statement. Starting out I had one contact that gave me a chance. I proved out my work and word of mouth was the key to my success. Sometimes it only takes one but that’s half the battle. There were 100’s if not 1000’s of hours dedicated to building out the infrastructure to get work like this. It’s not something that just happens because one has connection, it’s a culmination of things that go into it.
@@DylanGorman This is a highly lucrative work that you got into because of who you know. It is also impossible to screw up - and other businesses will also give you work because who you know. My strong advise to you would be to change the clickbait title of the video and focus on results NOT the money. Literally ANYONE can do this job and you are incredibly lucky to be well connected and have uncles/family members willing to keep you busy so that you'll stay away from drugs. It is a tax write-off for them.
You are right, it is all about the results. The money comes with it. In this community that I work in there are people earning 10x what I put in my “clickbait title”. I’m showing what my results were from the work that is demonstrated in my video. All the tools are out there to build your own success, I’m just highlighting the ones that I used to get to where I am. There’s about 2 years worth of work to get to where I am when I posted that video.
@@DylanGorman: so its not "in 6 months" but in "2 years 6 months".... that's like 5x the difference. Change the title. It gives others unrealistic hopes and vibes. This doesn't apply to you but most other people will struggle after investing 5k+ into this business just to crash the drone learning how to fly it while there IS NO WORK because there aren't any rich uncles around writing checks. The industry is oversaturated as is. I appreciated the time put into the video BUT the message overall is that its "easy" when in fact it is not mostly because projects are not just dropping to your mailbox. Perhaps make a video highlighting your Project Management Skills? Or give marketing highlights.
No, 6 months to earn what I earned in the video title. I’ve made a whole lot more doing other things related to drones. In the video I go over what generated me that money through figuring out what softwares and applications people will pay me for the deliverables. I laid out all the tools in the video. I can change the title to something more misleading to included the other 24 months that was put into it?
If you can dedicate time and effort into building out a business which includes struggling to figure things out then by all means your deserve to complain about my title. But clearly you are viewing this without understanding that it’s not as simple as spending $5k to generate 6 figures. If it were that’s easy everyone would be making 6 figures.
How it can measure dirt volume without lidar? I own company that does a lot of this kind of work and I would love to have ability to check if investor has rights amounts in their project too not work for free (they lie often about amounts). I thout that to scan a site to measure amounts of material a need lidar on drone. What should I buy to has this ability (sorry fo my English)
Very informative! I am waiting for my dji mini 3 in the mail. Is there any news on the mini 3 pro being compatible? Keep up the great videos!!!
In your description you write:
"1) DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 (This is the best mapping drone to date, do NOT get the "+" version as it is not supported by mapping software at all)"
Isn't the only difference between P4P V2 and P4P+ V2 that you have a screen on the controller? What software does not work? Drone Deploy? Pix4D? Can anyone confirm this?