Most drone programs stop at the deliverable. The orthomosaic gets produced, the point cloud gets handed off, and the flight is closed out. This session looks at four teams that carried drone data further than that, and at what it took to get there.
Speakers cover both sides of the question. On the platform side, how range, payload capacity and reliable beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations change what a single mission can cover. On the application side, immersive 360 inspection, subsurface sensing paired with aerial capture, and the use of drone-derived data to inform design decisions from the outset. Attendees will leave with a clearer sense of how far drone data can travel downstream in their own workflows, and where the practical limits sit.
This session will include the following presentations:
Beyond the Fixed Camera: Using 360° Cameras and Drones for Remote Inspection, Documentation, and Security
Presented by Mark Martin, Prairie Engineers
Drones have become common tools for mapping, photography, Lidar, and infrastructure documentation, but one powerful capability remains underused: pairing drones with 360° cameras for immersive inspection. This presentation will explore how low-cost 360° camera technology can expand the value of UAS programs by giving inspectors, engineers, project managers, and security personnel a more complete visual understanding of a site without requiring them to be physically present.
The presentation will discuss both recorded and live-streamed 360° workflows. Recorded 360° video can create a permanent visual record that allows teams to revisit an inspection, rotate the view, verify site conditions, and reduce missed details. Live 360° video can allow a remote inspector or decision-maker to observe the site in real time, direct the pilot, and inspect conditions with a level of context that traditional forward-facing video cannot provide.
The presentation will also explore future-facing use cases, including drone-in-a-box systems for security, facility monitoring, emergency response, construction progress, utilities, bridges, dams, rooftops, towers, and difficult-to-access infrastructure. A security guard or inspector could remotely view a 360° drone feed, potentially through a VR headset or immersive viewer, while the drone flies an automated route around a facility.
This technology is not new, but its practical integration into drone inspection workflows is still early. Because the entry cost is relatively low, 360° drone inspection has the potential to become a practical, scalable tool for companies that need better documentation, safer inspections, and faster remote decision-making.
Drone-Based Digital Twins: Surface and Beneath
Presented by Adam Zeciri, Subterranean Consulting Group
The integration of surface and subsurface mapping technologies is transforming how we model, monitor, and manage critical buried infrastructure. This presentation explores a cutting-edge framework for creating drone-based digital twins that unify data from both aerial and subsurface sensing technologies. At the surface level, aerial and land-based drones are used for 360-degree imagery, photogrammetry and lidar point cloud surveying deliver high-resolution terrain models, enabling accurate geospatial context and environmental visualization. Below ground, advanced electromagnetic locators, ground penetrating radar (GPR), acoustic sensors, and RTK-enabled utility mapping systems capture the position, depth, and condition of buried pipelines and utilities with survey-grade precision. Together, these complementary approaches establish a comprehensive view that bridges the visible and the concealed.
The workflow extends beyond traditional field crews, incorporating robotics platforms such as autonomous mission-mapping GPR, multi-sensor integrated UAS platforms, and Lidar-equipped robotic dogs capable of inspecting complex or hazardous environments. These platforms increase productivity and enhance safety while collecting continuous, high-density spatial data that feeds directly into digital twin models. By integrating drone aerial techniques, land-based robotic autonomy, and advanced subsurface locating methods, this presentation demonstrates how digital twins of both surface and subsurface domains can provide unprecedented situational awareness. The resulting 3D models empower utility owners, inspectors, and engineers to improve decision-making, optimize maintenance, reduce excavation risks, and support resilient infrastructure planning.
Drone-Aided Design: A New Framework for Integrating UAVs into Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Workflows
Presented by Aaron Liggett, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
Drone technology has transformed the way environmental professionals document landscapes. However, most workflows end with the production of orthomosaics, point clouds, digital elevation models, or other mapping products rather than using these datasets to actively inform design decisions. This presentation introduces Drone-Aided Design, a new interdisciplinary framework that positions drones not simply as tools for data collection, but as integral components of the design process.
Drone-Aided Design integrates drone-based remote sensing, photogrammetry, Lidar, GIS, environmental simulation, and visualization into a unified workflow that supports site analysis, design development, performance evaluation, and stakeholder communication. Rather than treating drone-derived datasets as final deliverables, the methodology demonstrates how they can become active design inputs that inform decision-making throughout planning and design.
The presentation introduces a Drone-Aided Design workflow developed through California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s Performance-based Aerial Landscape Modeling (PALM) Lab. The workflow begins with drone mission planning and high-resolution data acquisition, followed by photogrammetric processing, geospatial analysis in GIS, and the creation of three-dimensional site models. These integrated datasets are then used to evaluate existing environmental conditions, simulate landscape performance, and inform evidence-based planning and design decisions.
Several case studies from academic coursework and research illustrate how Drone-Aided Design has been applied to contemporary environmental challenges, including ecological restoration, green infrastructure planning, wildfire defensible space assessment, urban heat island analysis, environmental justice mapping, and hydrologic modeling. These examples demonstrate how high-resolution drone data can improve both the analytical rigor and design outcomes of landscape and infrastructure projects.
The presentation explores emerging visualization techniques that enhance interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement. Digital twins and projection-augmented physical models provide dynamic platforms for simulating design alternatives, communicating complex environmental processes, and supporting participatory planning.
