The topics of drones used on construction projects has become an ever increasingly popular one. While the rules from the FAA are in place, the interpretation of those rules is up for debate. I know a small group of “hobbiest” that are pioneering what construction professionals can do with these amazing devices. I recently sat down with another AGC Georgia Technology Committee Member, Cory Montgomery, to discuss his plans for using drones.
CAG: How did you get idea to use drones?
CM: I read several technology blogs that have discussed the availability of the units and the quality of the photos or video I could get from using one. I thought about how much it would cost to build one and how much it would save the company every month. We traditionally have used commercial photo services. I started experimenting with building my own drone unit.
After doing some pricing research I built my first drone unit. There are four main parts of a drone (quad copter):
– the quad body, the rotor blades, the gimble and the flight controller
My most recent creation is a Tarot 680 pro hexacopter. This is a $1200 set up ( with camera and radio built in). I have two other units:
CAG: Where did you get training to fly your units?
CM: In a field! I started watching videos on the Internet, school of hard knocks. There are real sources for UAV (Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle or Drone) training. Those interested should look for a local hobby shop or local “AMA” club (Academy of Model Aeronautics). This is a great source for training and current rules.
CAG: What is your intent to use the drones on site?
The main goal is to shoot periodic videos, weekly progress photos.The second is once the project is complete, I will go back scan the exterior building to create a 3D model. Then I can upload to the model to my Google earth account.
The Construction App Guru 
Reblogged this on and commented:
Good article on drones.
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