Are Drones Always the Best Tool for the Job? Beacon Aviation Reduces Mapping Costs with SimActive

Integration of SimActive Photogrammetry Software Reduces Mapping Costs

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Software developer SimActive has announced that its Correlator3D photogrammetry solution is to be utilized by Beacon Aviation, Inc. in order to lower costs required for mapping projects. Beacon, which operates throughout the Midwest, conducts mapping projects for power lines and transportation right of ways, as well as mining operations and water districts.

For these operations Beacon employs a Phase One camera with a tactical grade IMU, capable of being mounted in any of the small aircraft within their fleet. This configuration offers a significantly more affordable solution than that of their competitors in the market.

“While one would intuitively think that using drones for mapping is necessarily cheaper, that’s not always the case”, said Beacon Aviation’s Owner and Chief Pilot, Marty Gould. “This use of high-quality equipment mounted on small aircraft, coupled with SimActive software, allows us to rapidly deliver high accuracy mapping data at reasonable costs.”

Beacon relies on fully digital remote sensing equipment, paired with airborne GNSS and a tactical grade IMU. By incorporating state-of-the-art hardware and software such as Correlator3D, Beacon is able to ensure that the client’s materials are captured and delivered quickly and efficiently, providing top of the line orthographic, topographic and planimetric products.

Read more about SimActive:

• Drone Mapping in Construction: SimActives Correlator 3D in the Field in Texas
• Creating Colorized Point Clouds, Reflective Calibration, and More: Diving into SimActives New Features
• Mapping and LiDAR: SimActive Integrated with LiDAR Solution for Drones
• The Right Tools for Oil and Gas Exploration: SimActive and Dawson Geophysical
• SimActive Introduces Cloud Sharing and Reflectance Calibration

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.