Costain - Pioneering Aerial Photography with the sensefly swingletCAM

Andrew Bull, Environmental Services Director at Costain explains how the Costain Carillion JV, working on behalf of the Highways Agency to improve the M1 motorway between Junctions 10 and 13, are pioneering the use of the sensefly swingletCAM to speed up project planning and progress reports by allowing the user to highlight potential problems much faster and in far greater detail than traditionally manned aerial photography.

The swingletCAM, is a ready-to-deploy micro aircraft or UAV with an 80cm wingspan and a built-in high resolution camera.

Powered by a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, the craft has an on-board GPS and flight plan that is set via computer. The craft weighs less than half a kilogram and is so light it is launched by hand, as well as land autonomously on any surface without a parachute or landing net. Its small impact energy also reduces the risk of third-party collision damage.

KOREC worked with Costain during the trial stages, for more information on the swingletCAM and to arrange your own demonstration please visit http://bit.ly/pE3w4Q

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Sensefly
• Swinglet
• UAV
• Costain
• KOREC
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

[Treewithoutabird]

I can't see how this was a legal flight over a road in use, it might just come within the CAA grey area, but use it anywhere built up and totally illegal, use above 400 feet totally illegal, take off within 50 meters of a person or building or vehicle totally illegal, fly it commercially without the proper CAA approved training totally illegal.

[KORECGROUP]

@Treewithoutabird Thanks for the comments.You’re correct, flying above 400ft is illegal, flying over a motorway also illegal, taking off within 50 metres of another person or building totally illegal. Given this, we ensured that we flew within these regulations and didn’t fly over the motorway or launch within 50 metres from anyone else during take-off. Plus we also have the correct training from EuroUSC, a CAA approved Accreditation Specialist for assessing Airworthiness & Pilot Qualifications.

[Treewithoutabird]

That's the problem. I've looked at UAV's for aerial photography even owned one.

The legal restrictions are such it limits it to flying over fields. Great for crop surveying everything else looks to be illegal. Great little flying machine you have there, I could have a million and one uses for it, if only it was allowed.

[krbosak]

This is the best approach if you know you can limit to small surfaces like 0.5km2 or so. Beyond that little can be done as the wing design would be heavy and even somewheat dangerous to throw (heavier, larger prop, faster etc).

The other way is just to map the whole square something like 1x1km to 3x3km using Pteryx. Then there are extra benefits like more regular pictures etc because of stabilised head.