4 Reasons why Drones Reduce Cell Tower Inspection Costs by 50%

A cell tower inspection with a drone became a single-click operation, with minimal risk and a guarantee of high-quality reproducible results. The way to achieve this is by automating the three main steps: data capture, digital model reconstruction, 3D-model-based analytics, and report generation. And, of course, all of this is to be streamlined into a single seamless workflow.

Let’s break this down into the main cost-saving pieces:

1. Less time on site: Automated data capture with a drone is faster by an order of magnitude.
2. No special training needed: An automated drone inspection can be carried out by any engineer with minimal drone training, as opposed to traditional inspections that required experienced climbers.
3. Complete and accurate data: With a drone, it is possible to capture the tower at ultra-high resolution from all angles. This data can be fed into photogrammetry software to create a digital model of the tower which can be the basis of a much more complete and in-depth inspection. These models can also be fed into an analytics program for automatic detection of corrosion and report generation.
4. Huge reduction in risk: Climbing towers represent one of the most dangerous jobs.

The result is a significantly faster process dramatically reducing the time spent on site, which can be performed by almost any engineer with minimal drone training and with literally no injury risk whatsoever.

This is to be compared with traditional inspections consisting of a highly skilled engineer climbing the tower to visually inspect some components, and collect imagery from some angles to later inspect in the office.

The iGlobe Groupe is overwhelmed by Drone Harmony

The iGlobe Group which is a specialized integrator, focusing on geospatial orientated applications in the mining, municipality, utility, and private sector, has already tested Drone Harmony Cell Tower Scan extensively. Both managers and pilots are enthusiastic about this app. They were able to reduce the inspection time from 19 to just 8 hours and drastically increase the quality of the deliverable.

Learn more about Drone Harmony Tower Scanner, or watch this short cell tower inspection video captured by Drone Harmony.