As the year draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on how the use of drones is changing the construction industry, especially in the large commercial development sector. 2018 has brought major changes to construction workflows and processes that have seen drones move from the realm of the curious to essential tools in the workplace. As 2018 opened, we were having conversations with construction project managers about using drones on major development sites, but the objectives and outcomes were experimental, exploratory, far from having any measurable benefits or values. Perhaps we could see if excavations have breached site boundary levels? […]
Category: blog
News and views about the commercial drone services industry in Australia and specific uses of drone technologies, by Tony Gilbert, CEO of Queensland Drones.
Soil conductivity mapping key to understanding variability
Variability in soil types across a field can be one of the biggest factors in variability of crop yield. Soil salinity, texture, water content and the soil’s ability to hold and use vital nutrients all contribute to crop variability across a field. Now growers can develop accurate maps of soil characteristics across a field, or across an entire farm, thanks to a new on-farm service developed by Queensland Drones, a Queensland-owned precision agriculture service provider. “Electromagnetic Conductivity (EC) soil mapping is a trusted one-off investment in the knowledge needed by growers to understand and respond to soil variability and develop […]
Drones and Privacy – Your Rights
Quick Summary: There are essentially no privacy rules applying to drone use in Australia at this time. If you believe you are being “stalked” or someone is using a drone to plan a crime, call the Police on 131444. If you believe a drone is being used illegally, report it to CASA. As a busy commercial drone operator, I am often asked about peoples’ right to privacy when drones are flying around them, and it is even, on occasion, suggested that I am invading someone’s privacy by flying a drone near them. So I’d like to clarify your right to […]
So you wanna be a drone pilot?
The Definitive Guide to Commercial UAV Operations in Australia UPDATED 19 FEB 2020 If you are an electrical engineer or have significant experience in the electrical transmission, renewable energy, construction engineering or oil and gas industry sectors, and wanting to be a commercial drone pilot, please contact Tony (in**@***********om.au) to discuss current employment opportunities in Qld, NSW and Victoria. If you’ve arrived at this page looking for professional aerial imaging and aerial mapping services, please take a look at our list of Services to find out more about Queensland Drones or Contact us for an obligation-free discussion about your needs. […]
Macadamia growers’ case study 2017
Queensland Drones is currently working with Growcom’s Hort360 project team to identify critical correlations between sub-soil conditions, soil drainage and erosion, and tree health in macadamia orchards on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. So far we’ve worked with eight growers over a total of almost 500 acres of prime macadamia orchards across the hinterland region. There are still opportunities for other growers and growers in other regions to join this study. The scope of the trials for macadamia growers is to compare EM38 sub-soil analysis with airborne LIDAR imagery and drone-based NDVI imagery to identify correlations at the sub-surface, surface and canopy levels which […]
Carrot tops and chick pea salad recipe
We recently did a survey of some carrot trials for Kalfresh at Gatton and grower Tony Byrne got chatting to my wife (and official “spotter”) about vegetable recipes. As a result, she walked away with a lovely bunch of very fresh carrots complete with tops, and a promise to post a recipe for a carrot tops and chickpea salad. So here it is: First of all you have to keep the carrot tops fresh! They dry out very quickly and if you leave them attached to the carrots those will lose their moisture too. You need to take the tops […]
Shooting aerial video
One of the aspects of drone photography I most enjoy and will continue to pursue even if my commercial interests take me elsewhere is aerial video. There’s something incredibly satisfying about planning an aerial videography route, thinking about what I’m going to capture and then comparing that to what I get after I’ve edited and compiled the raw videos … and that’s often a whole lot more than I expected when I shot it. So today I want to discuss what you need to know to shoot aerial video. Know the regulations The last thing you need is to be […]
