Recommended Hardware

There are thousands of different drones, cameras, laser scanners, and accessories on the market that all claim to be able to perform some level of aerial surveying.  And here at Aerotas, we’ve processed data from most of them.  But we can assure you from experience that not all drone hardware is created equal.  

So below is our list of the best drones in land surveying.  Our methodology is quite complex, including everything from technical specifications to hardware support, real-life performance, workflow reliability, ease of use, and cost.  While many drones are capable of gathering survey-grade data, very few hit the right balance of these factors to earn our recommendation.  

And yet, no drone is perfect.  There are tradeoffs between size, cost, ease of use, reliability, legal restrictions, and functional applications.  Because of this, we have chosen three drones across different classes that will appeal to different companies.  But each of these three drones is overall the best in its class and more than capable of performing a wide variety of surveying missions.  

So without further ado: please see our recommendations for the best drones for land surveying.

BEST SURVEYING DRONE: DJI Mavic 3E RTK

The DJI Mavic 3E RTK is the best surveying aircraft on the market right now. No, it doesn’t have the ability to carry a Lidar sensor, but for general photogrammetry surveying needs, this is a tool that should be in every toolbox!

The M3E RTK is DJI’s next-generation workhorse mapping drone, taking over where the Phantom 4 RTK left off. It boasts better mapping software in DJI Pilot 2, slightly longer battery life, and the ability to collect data at relatively high speeds due to a slightly better sensor compared to the P4RTK. And let’s not forget, as with all Mavic drones, the entire M3E RTK drone setup fits in a hard case no bigger than a large lunch box, making it extremely portable and convenient.

For those with a budget or those who are not interested in an RTK-enabled system, the M3E still has you covered. The M3E can be purchased without the RTK module and DRTK-2 base station. However, this option really only makes sense if you’re flying really small sites and are very budget-conscious. While RTK-enabled flights add a few more steps to the field workflow, the benefits of having them outweigh the slightly less complex non-RTK workflow. We highly recommend the RTK version!

Overall, there is no better photogrammetry drone on the market right now than the Mavic 3E RTK.

BEST LIDAR SYSTEM: DJI Matrice 350 RTK / L2

The M350 RTK, is DJI’s current flagship drone that is capable of carrying our favorite lidar payload, the Zenmuse L2. While this system is larger and more cumbersome than a smaller photogrammetry drone like the M3E, it is hands down the best and most reliable lidar system on the market right now.

The Zenmuse L2 is DJI’s latest lidar offering. The initial case studies published are very promising, and show an increase in accuracy and range over the previous Zenmuse L1, pushing it to rival much more expensive lidar sensors. The L2 is said to have the same photogrammetry mapping camera that the Mavic 3E has, which is great news for photogrammetry models as well.

And because DJI makes the L2, the sensor integration is flawless, which leads to greater reliability, a much simpler workflow, and a much less expensive price tag when compared to other sensors with similar capabilities. All of these things lead to an unparalleled return on investment, which is why we highly recommend the M350/L2 for anyone looking to survey with lidar.

BEST NON DJI DRONE/ BEST FIXED-WING DRONE:

WingtraOne GenII PPK

The WingtraOne GenII is our pick for the best non-DJI drone on the market right now. The WingtraOne GenII is a fixed-wing VTOL, meaning it takes off and lands vertically, but intelligently transitions to regular fixed-wing flight to complete its mapping missions. This hybrid capability allows the WingtraOne GenII to take advantage of the “best of both worlds” when comparing fixed-wing drones and traditional multi-rotors. It can take off and land in tight areas, with minimal wear and tear on landing (like a multirotor) and it can cover very large areas, quickly and efficiently (like a fixed-wing).

Another major benefit is that Wingtra is one of the few major drone manufacturers not based in China (Wingtra is a Swiss-based company). As an added nod to their robust safety and security, the WingtraOne GenII can be configured as “Blue List Compliant”, which means it passes the test for US Government/Military use.

The WingtraOne GenII does not currently support any lidar payloads, but coupled with the high-resolution RGB61 sensor, is capable of achieving great photogrammetry accuracy from higher altitudes.

Compared to other options in the non-DJI AND fixed wing category, Wingtra offers unrivaled support and full, first-party mission planning/ execution software making it relatively easy to use. Adding to that, the drone can be configured for PPK data collection (recommended) to cut down on the number of GCPs you need to set, which is especially advantageous on large sites, where this drone makes the most sense.

Aerotas typically only recommends fixed-wing aircraft in situations where you regularly cover hundreds or thousands of acres at a time or fly very long corridor missions that would take a multirotor exponentially longer to complete. If this sounds like you, then the WingtraOne GenII may be the right choice!

If you’d like more information on any of the above recommendations, aren’t sure which drone is right for you, or just have more questions, please fill out any form above! We’re more than happy to help you make the right hardware choice for your company!