Wilson & Company has been providing professional geospatial and imagery services to the solid waste industry throughout the country for over 30 years. For the most part, the approach and methodologies for acquiring imagery and generating photogrammetric data for mapping applications and volumetric computations have remained constant. With the recent advent of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) technology and a revolution in processing software, new processes for increased efficiency and decreased costs are now possible for landfill geospatial products. The use of sUAS’s are far more economical for small acreage sites such as landfills, and software improvements in photogrammetric processing reduces the amount of labor needed to generate topographic data for inventory reports.
Problem
The utilization of photogrammetry for generation of volumetric and remaining air space quantities in annual reporting for landfills is a common practice. The deadlines for these reports are critical, and often the aerial photography, mapping, and imagery processing can take as long as 30 days. Finding a solution to expedite this operation is desirable for landfill managers. A reduction in fees would add even more value. Wilson & Company’s experimentation with sUAS technology is proving to be a viable solution accomplishing quicker turnaround times and reduced costs.
Overview
Possibly the most popular subject in our profession for the past years is the use of sUAS for commercial application. Much has been written in professional publications and journals about the commercial uses and the concerns of FAA regulations regarding their use. Recent litigation, court decisions, appeals, and overturned rulings have added to the confusion of the future legality and practicality of the technology for most applications. The overriding concern always being the safety of people and property on the ground, as well as other manned aircraft.
When considering the potential uses for the sUAS technology, the landfill industry immediately is identifiable as being a potential application. Most landfills are located far away from significant urbanized development which mitigates some of the basic safety constraints of flying the sUAS. The landfill industry and their requirements for geospatial data and ortho corrected imagery is a field that we already have an existing client base and strong resume of successful services.
In 2013, Wilson & Company recognized the potential to use sUAS for specialized applications of topographic data collection and aerial imagery. Although the company had over five decades of experience in photogrammetry and aerial acquisition, our operational knowledge of sUAS systems was limited. To supplement and develop our knowledge, we turned to nationally recognized experts in the field Dr. Kevin Price and Dr. Deon van der Merwe of Kansas State University to form a cooperative partnership. Through their support and guidance, we purchased and customized our first sUAS, a Skywalker Revolution 1800, named “Arrow 1.”
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