A Business Approach for The Use Of Drones In The Engineering & Construction Industries

The Northern Ireland branch January event gave an introduction to the use of drones and the legal requirements which need to be taken into account when their use is being considered by project managers. The presentation was given by Ventralis, a Northern Ireland based Drone Company who provides innovative visual aerial solutions for a wide range of applications throughout the UK. The main speaker was Julian Deeks, who with over 2000 operator hours, gave an overview of the current regulations to which both the drone operators and drones are subject. This encompassed European and UK legalisation and especially the requirements to comply with the CAA regulations, as well as the training that operators are required to have.  He also detailed the information which should be sought by any end user before engaging a potential drone survey company.

In the latter half of the presentation Julian ably assisted by Andrew Murray and Niall Mulvaney, also from Ventralis. They gave some practical examples of the types of survey that can be carried out with various pieces of equipment carried by drones, ranging from topographical surveys, utilising LiDAR, DEM methods to neighbourhood analyses of urban spaces and habitats. The presentation concluded with a selection of questions from both members and guests who were also able to examine a number of drones which were on display.