Hi everyone, my job is paying for me to get a drone license and wants me to pick a drone. I’m pretty new to the commercial side of drones, so I could use some advice. I can’t share all the details because of my work, but here’s what I can say: the drone will be used to map and measure debris fields, including dimensions like length, width, and height. It also needs to take pictures with coordinate overlays or let me drop pins for its location when taking photos. Thanks in advance for the help!
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You should look into the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise with the RTK module.
Dany said:
You should look into the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise with the RTK module.
Pair it with a GNSS receiver for local NTRIP corrections. Using a network NTRIP provider might work, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Local corrections will give you better accuracy and avoid issues like losing data due to poor connectivity. I’d suggest the Emlid RS2+ as the GNSS receiver. It’ll not only correct the drone’s position but also help you locate items in the debris with centimeter-level accuracy.
@Kit
Do you use the Emlid Caster service with that setup?
The DJI Mavic 3E with RTK should work for your needs, though I’m not sure about the software side. Skydio might be worth checking out since they focus on this kind of thing. Here’s their page: Skydio Public Safety.
It might be a good idea to contact the companies directly, explain your requirements, and see what they can offer before making a decision.
This sounds a lot like accident investigation work. You’ll want to focus on image quality, how you view during flights, flight time, and similar features.
If mapping is involved, you’ll probably need one of the enterprise-level drones, and those can get really expensive.
It’s also not just about learning how to fly. You’ll need to learn how to calibrate the drone and its equipment properly to make sure the data you collect is accurate.