Revolutionising the Surveying Industry
Drones have now become a must-have in every surveyor's toolkit. Over the last year, surveyors have been embracing drone technology for greater accuracy and efficiency across a range of projects.
At Ferntech, our team work closely with surveyors to help them find the best solution for their project. Our clients are utilising drones across a range of activities, including project planning, site mapping, volume calculations, progress-tracking, inspection, and more.
Mapping and surveying drones equipped with high-resolution cameras can capture detailed imagery from the air with excellent accuracy, using easy-to-fly, inexpensive equipment such as the Mavic 3 Enterprise. More advanced craft such as the Matrice 350 RTK with advanced payloads such as the Zenmuse L2 LiDAR scanner, Zenmuse P1 full frame mapping camera, or ShareUAV PSDK 102S V3 camera can obtain higher resolution geolocated data with longer flight times.
If you’re ready to buy a mapping drone or for more information on how we can help with your project, contact our Commercial Solutions team on 09 399 2084 or fill out the form below:
“We use our drone weekly in all weathers for our survey mapping and photogrammetry. It is a great asset to our organisation — an awesome machine with incredible capability for the price! Ferntech have provided excellent service over the past four years. They are always very helpful, friendly and professional, with quick shipping in immaculate order.”
Complete Solutions
StaRter Survey (Non-RTK)
Solution includes:
DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise Drone
3 × Flight Batteries
Charging Hub
Enterprise Shield
Hard Case
45min Flight Time
Meter Accuracy
RTK Survey Combo
Solution includes:
DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise Drone
RTK Module
3 × Flight Batteries
Charging Hub
Enterprise Shield
Hard Case
45min Flight Time
Centimetre Accuracy
Option to add on a D-RTK 2 Base Station
Advanced Photogrammetry Solution
A powerful and robust aerial platform which includes the DJI Matrice 350 RTK drone and a DJI Zenmuse P1 camera. This solution offers a flight time of <55mins and can map 3 km2 in a single flight at 3cm GSD. No ground control points are required to achieve 3cm accuracy when using RTK.
Solution includes:
DJI Matrice 350 RTK drone
DJI Zenmuse P1
TB60 Batteries
BS60 Battery Charging Station
Flight time <42min and 3cm GSD
35mm lens
DJI LiDAr solution
The Zenmuse L2 integrates a Livox Lidar module, a high-accuracy IMU, and a camera with a 4/3 CMOS, mechanical shutter on a 3-axis stabilised gimbal.
Solution includes:
DJI Matrice 350 RTK
DJI Zenmuse L2 LiDAR
38 minutes tested flight time
Colourised point cloud
Terrain follow
The Benefits of Spatial Correction
No matter the type of surveying, some form of spacial correction is usually required. Due the natural limitations of GPS, it is only ever accurate to 3-5m. Further correction is required to improve on this, both for internal accuracy (dimensional accuracy within the project) and external accuracy (spacial accuracy to the wider geo-space). The benefits of RTK and PPK processes is that no ground control points are required.
RTK (Real Time Kinematics)
Real time kinematics allow near instant correction of GPS information. A ground based base station monitors its observed GPS position and broadcasts the difference between the observed position to its actual position. This correction is applied to the observed position of the GPS equipment (such as the drone).
The base station can either be a base station established on site (such as the DJI D-RTK 2 base station) or a base station on a national network (such as LINZ GeoNet). Where a networked base is used, the correction is delivered by an internet connection (e.g. WiFi or 3G/4G).
Accuracy varies with distance from the base however is typically 3cm horizontally and 5cm vertically. The maximum recommended distance from a base is 30km.
PPK (Post Processed Kinematics)
Post processed kinematics is similar to RTK however the corrections to GPS positions are calculated later from saved GPS observation logs using post processing software.
GPS observation logs are available both from the national networks or indeed from many survey base stations on the market. LINZ have this data freely available to download every 15 minutes.
Our Key Products for Surveying & Mapping
DJI Mavic 3 enterprise
The Mavic 3 Enterprise Series is DJI’s most accurate, efficient, and cost-effective aerial surveying drone to date. Equipped with a mechanical shutter, 56× zoom camera, and RTK module for centimetre-level precision, the Mavic 3E is the industry leader in surveying, mapping, and mission efficiency.
Key Features
4/3 CMOS, 20MP wide camera
1/2 inch CMOS, 7x-56x zoom tele camera
45 minute max flight time, 42 minutes with RTK module
15 m/s max flight speed
0.7s minimum shooting interval - 2 hour projects reduced to just 15 minutes
Real-time terrain follow
Omnidirectional binocular vision system, with infrared sensor at bottom of aircraft
APAS (Advanced Pilot Assistance System) 5.0
Waypoint
DJI RC Pro Enterprise controller
Looking to buy an aerial surveying or mapping drone? Talk to our experienced team now.
DJI Zenmuse p1
The Zenmuse P1 integrates a full-frame sensor with interchangeable fixed-focus lenses on a 3-axis stabilized gimbal. Designed for photogrammetry flight missions, it takes efficiency and accuracy to a whole new level.
Key Features
Accuracy without GCPs: 3cm horizontally/5cm vertically.
High Efficiency 3 km2 covered in a single flight.
45 MP Full-frame Sensor
Smart Oblique Capture
Global Mechanical Shutter, Shutter Speed 1/2000 Seconds
TimeSync 2.0 - synchronization at the microsecond level
The Zenmuse L1 integrates a Livox Lidar module, a high-accuracy IMU, and a camera with a 1-inch CMOS on a 3-axis stabilized gimbal. When used with Matrice 300 RTK and DJI Terra, the L1 forms a complete solution that gives you real-time 3D data throughout the day, efficiently capturing the details of complex structures and delivering highly accurate reconstructed models.
PIX4D
Pix4D is the industry standard for photogrammetry software. DJI Ferntech can offer a wide variety of plans to suit your company’s requirements.
Our Pix4D trained specialists are on hand to support you with all of your post processing requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer a business account?
Yes, we do offer business accounts. Talk to our team today about opening your account.
I’m not very tech-savvy. Do you offer any support to help me start flying a drone?
Our team are on hand to help you make the most of your drone. Give us a call during store hours from Monday to Saturday and we will talk you through whatever you want to achieve. Keep an eye on our website and Facebook for upcoming training events.
What are the rules for where I can fly a drone?
Please visit www.airshare.co.nz to find out more about where you can and cannot fly your drones.
Why buy from Ferntech?
By buying from Ferntech, you'll have the confidence that you are dealing directly with New Zealand's leading drone specialists. Our team are knowledgable drone pilots who offer expert advice, trusted support and superior specialist service. Only through us will you receive a full New Zealand warranty, phone and email support, and access to our certified Repairs Centre with DJI-qualified drone technicians. And we guarantee that we will have the best prices on the market — if not let us know and we will match any price (some conditions apply).
Born in Christchurch in 2013, we are a proud local Kiwi business.. Our team work hard to ensure that drone technology is helping individuals, businesses and organisations across New Zealand to achieve what was once out of reach.