Following on from our previous articles where we explained [what is a roof inspection](/blog/what-is-a-roof-inspection/ "what is a Roof Inspection") and [how drones are useful for roof surveys](/blog/how-are-drones-useful-for-roof-inspections/ "how are drones useful for Roof Surveys"). In this article will explore what you need to look for when choosing a roof inspector by answering the following questions: **Do you want a traditional or drone surveying method for a roof inspection?** And **What do you need to consider when hiring a roof inspector for your business?** Keep reading to make sure you hire the best roof inspector to help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**!

## DO YOU WANT A TRADITIONAL OR DRONE SURVEYING METHOD FOR A ROOF INSPECTION?

There are two ways for you to achieve a roof inspection either by hiring someone who uses a traditional roof surveying method or someone who uses a drone surveying method.

Traditional roof surveying methods have been around for years and usually includes the need of scaffolding to reach the roof, Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP) to access hard-to-reach areas, and so on. Whereas, the drone survey method, a more modern method, uses commercial drones that can be kitted with various types of equipment such as sensors and high-resolution cameras in order to collect data and conduct a deep report of the roof, eliminating human error in calculations and the need for scaffolding and other resources.

Knowing the differences between drones and traditional surveying methods will help you decide which surveying method best suits your needs and to know what to expect when the roof inspection takes place.

## WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN HIRING A ROOF INSPECTOR FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Regardless of if you have chosen a traditional method or a drone method to have your roof surveyed, it's extremely important to choose an experienced and legitimate roof inspector. Below we introduce several important points you need to consider when hiring a roof inspector to guarantee you will choose the right one for your business.

### LEGITIMATE COMPANY
One of the most important factors when considering hiring a roof inspector is to make sure they are legitimate. You can verify if the company is legitimate by asking for their business address, business website, tax identification number, phone number, and email address. Also, if you have chosen a drone survey method then ensuring the company has full permission to be operating drones is essential.

### GETTING A QUOTE
Before hiring a roof inspector you should consider getting a quote, quotes should be free as standard to allow you to know the costs of the roof inspection before any work has begun to avoid any unwarranted surprises of additional costs later. Additional costs could be for other services such as: scaffolding arrangement or the removal of debris etc,.

### THE COST OF AN ROOF INSPECTION
Researching the costs of multiple potential roofing inspectors can give you an understanding of how much it will cost to get a roof inspection. Although lower pricing doesn't always necessarily mean that roof inspectors will do the same job as those priced higher.

### THE TIME IT WILL TAKE
A reliable and trustworthy roof inspector will be able to tell you how long the job will take and what will be required in order for the job to get done. If the company cannot give you a specified timeframe or is indecisive then you may want to decide to go elsewhere. It is worthy to note that traditional inspections may take more resources and be more time-consuming compared to inspections conducted using drones.

### GETTING EVERYTHING IN WRITING
You may want to get the full details of the roof inspection in writing to know exactly what you will be receiving. A written document detailing the inspection can include things such as: the start and end times, the length of the job, resources that will be used, payment details, and cleaning methods. Having a signed contract or a detailed written document will therefore give you a thorough understanding of the job in its entirety.

### ACCESS TO THE ROOF
Knowing how the roof inspector will access the roof is essential because this could potentially increase costs and add on more time. For instance, hiring a traditional roof inspector, often, includes the need of scaffolding, meaning a scaffolding company will also need to be contacted to supply the scaffolding before any work begins, hence the additional costs and time on the job. Whereas, hiring a technology company to conduct roof inspections with drones can eliminate the need of scaffolding, as they can work safely from the ground, minimise risks, and cover more ground in less time, saving you money instead of adding it.

### WARRANTY
Another thing to consider is reading the warranty thoroughly to understand the expectations and actions that may void the warranty. This allows you to understand what is covered if anything goes wrong.

We discuss several important factors for you to consider when hiring a roof inspector for you to hire the best company for your business.

What To Consider For Roof Inspections

After your [Roof Inspection](/blog/what-is-a-roof-inspection/ "Roof Inspection") you should have received a [highly detailed and accurate roof geometry report](/blog/roof-inspections-for-insurance/ "highly detailed and accurate roof geometry report"), highlighting the damages of your roof, if any, for you to get them fixed as soon as possible. In this article, we will explore how Machine Learning can support you with your roof repairs by answering the following questions: **How can Machine Learning help with Roof Inspections?** And **How can we track your roof repair progress with Machine Learning?** Keep reading to find how Machine Learning and Roof Inspections can help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**!

## HOW CAN MACHINE LEARNING HELP WITH ROOF INSPECTIONS?

First and foremost, to briefly explain [Machine Learning](/blog/machine-learning-with-drones-and-3d-models "Machine Learning") (ML), it is a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and is defined as ***"the study of computer algorithms that improve automatically through experience"*** according to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learning "Wikipedia"), by which it has the ability to learn from data it's being constantly fed.

ML is commonly used to analyse data to find recurring and common patterns and apply them to new sets of data. And due to its capability of finding common patterns and learning from vast amounts of data, this means ML can forecast and track things such as your roof's energy consumption and performance, repairs, and damages.

## HOW CAN WE TRACK YOUR ROOF REPAIR PROGRESS WITH MACHINE LEARNING?

Regardless of how minor or major the damages on your roof may be, if you are carrying out full roof repairs, you can keep track of the repair progress to detect discrepancies very early on, prevent unnecessary delays, and save you money. Below we provide a list of how we can help you track your roof's repair progress with Machine Learning:

### CONDUCTING REGULAR INSPECTIONS

In order to get the most out of Machine Learning we need to conduct regular and frequent inspections, as the more data we feed to the system, the more accurate and precise the comparison results will be.

### PROVIDING VISUALS OF YOUR ROOF'S REPAIR PROGRESS

By performing repeated Roof Inspections of the same roof over the duration of the project, you will have constantly updated roof reports and combined with our Machine Learning software, we can identify discrepancies by keeping a side-by-side track of the repair's progress, going back and forth between the different scans. This not only provides you with updated reports of the repairs but also visuals so you see for yourself the progress being made.

### CONSTANT UPDATED INFORMATION

As Machine Learning analyses the results from the frequent drone inspections we conduct, comparing your roof's repair progress can save your project vast amounts of money by giving you constantly updated information to spot discrepancies as they occur, preventing unnecessary delays.

Machine Learning and our drone Roof Inspections can help you with keeping track of your progress and provide you with better data to make more informed decisions.

Machine Learning for Roof Inspections

Having already discussed [roof surveys](/blog/what-is-a-roof-inspection/ "Roof Inspections") and [thermal reports](/blog/thermal-imaging-cameras-explained/ "Thermal inspections"), in this article, we explain how they help conduct Visual Inspections of a variety of assets by answering the following questions: **What are Visual Inspections?** **How are Visual Inspections Useful?** And **How can drones help with Visual Inspections?** Keep reading to find out how Visual Inspections can help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS!**

## WHAT ARE VISUAL INSPECTIONS?

First, a Visual Inspection is the process of looking over structures and pieces of equipment and inspecting them either using the human senses (sight, smell, touch, hear) or inspection equipment to look for flaws. Therefore, Visual Inspections are methods for quality control, data acquisition, and data analysis.

Examples of Visual Inspections include:

- Roof inspections
- Thermal inspections
- Exterior condition assessments
- Aquatic inspections

## HOW ARE VISUAL INSPECTIONS USEFUL?

Visual Inspections are useful for detecting cracks, corrosion, mould, leaks, and so on, helping you see and fix any problems early on to avoid any problems worsening. Carrying out regular checks on your assets will help you to save time, and money and below, we outline the uses of a few Visual Inspections:

- **Roof inspections**: These are useful to identify any roof problems such as water damage, shingle deterioration, damaged flashing, mould, and so on. This type of inspection is crucial after significant weather events, wanting to determine your energy efficiency, when drains or gutters become obstructed, or you notice signs of ageing on your roof
- **Thermal inspections**: With the use of thermal cameras, thermal inspections can be conducted and are a great way to accurately identify hot and cold spots to help you see if there's any precious heat leakage, any damage to renewable energies such as wind turbines and solar panels, enabling you to visualise the energy efficiency of your assets. Therefore, thermal inspections mainly involves: wet spot identification, building insulation analysis, mould prevention, solar panel evaluation, wind turbine inspection, ventilation efficiency report, [carbon sequestration assessment](/blog/what-is-carbon-sequestration/ "carbon sequestration assessment")
- **Exterior condition assessments**: This involves checking the exterior of your assets to access any potential damage, e.g., checks for leaks, tiles, shingles, and chimney, and for any structural damage or rotting, etc
- **Aquatic inspections**: This is useful for assessing buildings and infrastructure which are underwater, like bridge supports or dams

Overall, Visual Inspections are carried out to assess your assets' quality and identify what's wrong or could go wrong, enabling you to seek maintenance and repair. The produced reports could help you in dispute settlements, damage repair, insurance claims, or court evidence. One of the most common causes of insurance claims comes from roof damage that high winds, heavy rain, storms, snow, and hail have caused. And so by having a roof inspection carried out by professionals can provide you with a highly detailed roof report to attach to your policy.

## HOW CAN DRONES HELP WITH VISUAL INSPECTIONS?

Traditionally, an Inspector conducted Visual Inspections using the naked visual eye and other senses, relying on memory and notes. Whereas by using UAVs for Visual Inspections, you can obtain results much faster, safer, more accurately, and with reduced costs as we explain below how drones can help with Visual Inspections:

- **Easily reach obstructed and confined areas**:  Drones can quickly and efficiently reach obstructed and confined spaces and fly further away from dangerous objects whilst still producing highly detailed and accurate results with close-up images of the roof without putting an inspectors life at risk
- **Improves safety**: Due to drones eliminating the need for an inspector entering confined areas or potentially dangerous spaces, this improves safety as inspectors get to work safely from the ground allowing the drone to collect visual data
- **Saves time and money**: Traditional methods often need scaffolding and extended downtime for the asset when an inspection is being conducted. A drone, however, removes the need for scaffolding and saves time and money as you will not have to block the street for days; downtime of your asset will be significantly reduced as drones can produce comprehensive results quicker when compared to traditional methods
- **Provides highly accurate and detailed data**: Visual Inspections with drones collect thoroughly detailed, and high-quality data as human error is removed. As inspectors memory and written notes will not be relied upon, the data can be stored to be used in the future, where you can compare side-by-side the changes and repairs process of your assets over time

Learn what Visual Inspections are and why they are useful for your assets, using the latest Technology to save you money and prevent costly repairs!

What are Visual Inspections?

Following on from our previous article where we explained [what visual inspections are](/blog/what-is-a-roof-inspection/ "what Visual Inspections are"), this article will explore what you need to look for when considering getting a Visual Inspection by answering the following questions: **What do you need to consider when getting a Visual Inspection for your business?** Keep reading to make sure you hire the best company to help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**!

## WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN GETTING A VISUAL INSPECTION FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Visual Inspections can help your business become more efficient, safer, and productive as it involves assessing the conditions of your different types of assets. Whether you need a [roof inspection](/blog/what-is-a-roof-inspection/ "roof survey"), [thermal inspection](/blog/thermal-imaging-cameras-explained/ "thermal inspection"), or an exterior condition assessment, etc. Below we introduce several vital factors that you should consider when hiring a company to conduct a Visual Inspection of your asset.

### IF THEY USE TRADITIONAL OR MODERN METHODS

Depending on the inspection, there are two different ways you can achieve a visual inspection: traditional or modern. The conventional method of conducting a visual inspection is done manually via the human senses, predominantly with the naked eye. However, the naked eye is not always dependable and can result in human errors, as eyesight cannot necessarily determine accurate and precise measurements. Depending on the inspection, there are modern methods of conducting an assessment involving cutting-edge technology to more accurate results. For example, a current process consists of drones where the inspector can attach equipment such as thermal imaging cameras, laser scanners, and multispectral sensors onto the drone to offer more flexibility and offer highly-detailed reports.

Knowing the differences between traditional and modern methods will help you decide which way best suits your needs and know what to expect when the inspection occurs.

### THE TIME IT WILL TAKE TO CONDUCT AN INSPECTION
The time it will take for an inspection to be complete, an assessment will vary depending on what checks are being performed and what method is being used. For instance, Visual Inspections conducted by drones are most likely to produce comprehensive and highly detailed reports in a quicker time compared to traditional methods. To understand what will be required for the job and estimate how long it will take, it would be worth considering getting a quote.

### A FREE QUOTE
A trustworthy inspector can answer questions you may have, including how long the job will take and what you will be receiving. Therefore, getting a quote before you hire anyone and before any work starts can give you clarity. You'll be able to ask questions, allowing you to avoid any surprises of additional costs later on.

### GETTING EVERYTHING IN WRITING
After getting a free quote, it would be worth considering getting everything in writing if you decide to go with that company. Obtaining a written document that is signed, dated and details the inspection, e.g., the resources required, start and end date, duration of the job, warranty, payment methods etc., can provide you will a comprehensive understanding of what you will be getting and that once the Visual Inspection has been completed that is aligned with the document requirements and you got what was noted.

### THE COST OF A VISUAL INSPECTION
Researching the costs of multiple potential companies can offer you an understanding of how much it will cost to get the Visual Inspection you need. It is worth noting that manual inspections tend to be costly as appointments may involve more than one trained individual. Shopping around and getting free consultations and quotes will help you determine a price.

### WARRANTY
Another critical factor to consider is thoroughly reading over the warranty. The warranty explains what is covered if anything was to go wrong and what actions may void the warranty. Therefore, reading over the contract will ensure you know what's expected if any issues occur and if there's an expiration on the warranty.

### THE LEVEL OF DETAIL AND ACCURACY IN REPORTS
Reports produced can be useful for many reasons, including dispute settlements, damage repair, insurance claims, or court evidence. However, regardless of what the purpose of the Visual Inspection is for the crucial element is that you get comprehensive, highly accurate and detailed reports of all the evidence that you need.

The traditional method and modern method can differ in terms of what levels of detail you may receive. As explained earlier, inspections conducted manually can entail human error as inspectors are reliant on their human senses, memory, and written notes. Assessments carried out by drones can allow data to integrate with different formats along with video and photographic evidence.

### REACHABILITY
Knowing if what you want to assess is easy to get to or not could help you consider if a traditional or a drone survey would be best for you. For instance, if your asset is underwater, this type of inspection usually requires a team of specialised scuba divers. In contrast, if you were to hire a company that supports modern methods, an aquatic drone can reach around 100 metres underwater and deliver you different points of view of your asset, minimise risks, and cover more ground in less time, saving you money instead of adding it.

This article explores several crucial aspects of what you need to consider when hiring a company for your Visual Inspections so you get the very best.

What to consider for Visual Inspections

To follow on from our previous articles where we explained what [Augmented Reality](/blog/what-is-augmented-reality/ "Augmented Reality") (AR) is, the [the benefits of implementing Augmented Reality into the Construction Industry](/blog/augmented-reality-for-construction/ "benefits of implementing Augmented Reality into the Construction Industry"), and [what you need to consider when choosing Augmented Reality for Construction](/blog/considering-ar-for-construction/ "what you need to consider when choosing Augmented Reality for Construction"). This article will share how AR can support you when conducting Visual Inspections by answering the following questions: **Are you enhancing your inspections with Augmented Reality?** And **How can we provide you with data-rich Augmented Reality applications?** Keep reading to find out how you can implement AR today to help you **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**!

## ARE YOU ENHANCING YOUR INSPECTIONS WITH AUGMENTED REALITY?

After reading our previous article, [AR for Construction](/blog/augmented-reality-for-construction/ "AR for Construction"), you've discovered in great detail the benefits of implementing AR into the Construction Industry and how it can streamline your operations.

One of the advantages we discussed is how you can conduct inspections much more efficiently and safely with Augmented Reality (AR) support. Gone will be the days of carrying notes, reading through paper manuals, printing off information, relying on your memory, and so on. One simple act of pointing a camera to an object with a marker will provide you with all the information you need.

It comes as no surprise then that with the incorporation of extra additional data layers to your AR applications, the more data-rich they will be to support you in the following ways:

- Making better-informed decisions
- Taking photos/ videos on demand
- Improving collaboration
- Providing sharing information capabilities
- Making accurate measurements
- Reducing human error
- Increased safety
- Enabling equipment and site-monitoring and tracking
- Tracking and comparing progress against 3D BIM models
- Reducing costs

Therefore, the more information you incorporate into your AR applications, the more immersive the AR experience will be. You can click [here](/blog/augmented-reality-for-construction/ "here") to read more about the purposes and benefits you'll receive for implementing AR into the Construction Industry.

## HOW CAN WE PROVIDE YOU WITH DATA-RICH AUGMENTED REALITY APPLICATIONS?
AR is changing the way the Construction Industry operates, and we understand you need data-rich AR applications to enhance your user experience. With over 23 years of working across multiple sectors with an award-winning Software Development powerhouse, we utilise cutting-edge technology in the most innovative way possible to make sure we can deliver to you all the information layers you could ever possibly need. Here, we list how we can streamline your operations with our solutions that can be tailored to suit your requirements as well as the benefits we offer:

### TURNING YOUR IDEAS INTO REALITY
Working closely with you and your team from day one, we can take the ideas you have and transform them into a reality. Easing the creative process on your behalf, we will capture your initial ideas and process them into a CAD drawing, in which we can work to very tight and controlled tolerances. The CAD drawings will be transformed into highly detailed and accurate 3D MESH Models and rendered to turn your ideas into Augmented Reality visualisations.

### FULL BIM INTEGRATION
If you're a construction company working on government projects, it is mandatory to adopt Building Information Model (BIM) Level 2. We are one of the advocate companies in the UK that promote and facilitates the [adoption of BIM](blog/why-you-should-implement-bim/" "adoption of BIM"), especially level 2 and level 3. Our outputs are fully compatible with all BIM suites (Autocad Revit, ArchiCad, etc.) and integrated with them. So, regardless if we're taking your ideas from scratch and producing 3D representations of your assets to ease Augmented Reality visualisations, all our AR solutions can be tailored to facilitate the adoption and use of BIM.

### FULLY COMPLIANT WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY
By implementing Augmented Reality into your business applications, your clients and customers will have an enriched experience when interacting with your products or premises without physically having to touch the product or object.

We understand the vitality of health and safety, especially in a post-pandemic world. Augmented Reality helps in preventing cross-contamination and improving social distancing and hygiene. When providing you with on-site support, we also abide by strict health and safety policies, which you can learn more about by clicking [here](/blog/how-do-we-work-safely-during-the-lockdown/ "here").

### DATA-RICH EXPERIENCE
As we utilise specialist equipment like drones and thermal cameras, 3D and visualisations, photography and videography, we can offer you additional solutions for you to enhance your AR applications as we can embed other data such as:

- **Reports from technical inspections**: With the use of our [fixed-wing](/blog/what-are-fixed-wing-drones/ "fixed-wing") and [multi-rotor](/blog/what-are-multi-rotor-drones/ "multi-rotor") drones, we can conduct technical inspections and embed the reports, documents, and external links into your AR applications. For example, we can produce thorough [thermal efficiency reports](/blog/thermal-imaging-cameras-explained/ "thermal efficiency reports") of your assets using our thermal imaging cameras either handheld or attached to drones
- **CAD floor plans**: We can extract your project's floor plans and export them to CAD formats. Floorplans can help inspectors, manger, clients to understand the space and layout
- **Images and video**: We can implement stunning footage with drones, offering your customers and clients data-rich experiences. We provide a range of visual information that you can implement, such as [4K anamorphic](/blog/what-is-anamorphic-video/ "4K anamorphic") videos, aquatic filming, aerial filming, 360-degree video with aerial drones

Incorporating a range of additional data provides immersive and data-rich experiences to your inspections, clients and workers that will help to maximise your productivity and efficiency, all while being fully compliant with social distancing.

Learn how Augmented Reality (AR) can enhance your inspections and streamline your operations by providing you and your clients with an immersive experience.

AR for Inspections

[Visual inspections](/blog/what-is-a-roof-inspection/ "Visual Inspections") are methods for quality control, data acquisition, and data analysis and with great consideration into [how Visual Inspections can benefit you](/blog/what-to-consider-for-visual-inspections/ "how Visual Inspections can benefit you"), this articles details the difference between modern and traditional methods by answering the following questions: **What is the difference between drone surveying methods and traditional methods for Visual Inspections?** And **how can our Visual Inspections with drones provide you with highly accurate and detailed reports?** Keep reading to make sure you hire the best company with the best method for you to help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**!

## WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DRONE SURVEYING METHODS AND TRADITIONAL METHODS FOR VISUAL INSPECTIONS?

When doing your research into Visual Inspections, you may have uncovered that there are two methods when it comes to conducting assessments of your assets: the traditional method vs. the modern method.

To clarify, the conventional method of conducting a Visual Inspection relies heavily on the human senses, especially the naked eye. Although the downfall to this is that you cannot always depend on the human to make accurate assessments resulting in human error and depending on what the asset is and where it's located, this can put inspectors in highly dangerous spaces or will require additional costs for scaffolding to access hard-to-reach areas. Whereas, a modern method uses drones where extra equipment can be attached allowing the inspector to work safely from the ground and reach obstructed and potentially dangerous areas.

Therefore, obtaining [a Visual Inspection that is carried out by a drone](/blog/how-are-drones-useful-for-roof-inspections/ "a Visual Inspection that is carried out by a drone") will give you the benefits of receiving highly accurate results much faster, safer, and with reduced costs when compared to traditional methods. Here, we outline a summary of the advantage of using drones for Inspections:

- Increased safety
- Human error in calculations is eliminated
- Ease of getting to obstructed areas
- Produces permanent, irrefutable evidence which can be used for insurance claims or court evidence etc.
- Compatible with Machine Learning
- Can attach additional equipment such as thermal cameras and laser scanners to allow you to get all the information that you need

Read more about how drones can offer you results much faster, safer, more accurately, and with reduced costs by clicking [here](/blog/what-are-visual-inspections/ "here") to view our previous article.

## HOW CAN OUR VISUAL INSPECTIONS WITH DRONES PROVIDE YOU WITH HIGHLY ACCURATE AND DETAILED REPORTS?

No matter what purpose your Visual Inspection is for e.g. dispute settlements, damage repair, insurance claims, or court evidence, with our [fixed-wing](/blog/what-are-fixed-wing-drones/ "fixed-wing") and [multi-rotor](/blog/what-are-multi-rotor-drones/ "multi-rotor") drones that can be kitted out with additional equipment such as laser scanners, thermal cameras, multispectral sensors, and so on, we can produce an unrivalled accuracy of 1 millimetre per pixel in our visual inspections, so you'll receive highly detailed and thorough reports.

Utilising technology in the smartest way possible, we can inspect a variety of sorts from properties, to infrastructure, as well as plants, buildings, dams, bridges, structures, rail tracks, power lines, solar panels, wind turbines, animal count and location, etc., to deliver you different points of view of your asset, minimise risks, and cover more ground in less time, saving you time and money.

### FLEXIBILITY
For those who need the ultimate flexibility, we also offer the 200x zoom camera, which lets us inspect objects that are far away as if they were just right by us. With lenses that enable us to obtain close-up results allow us to fly our drones away from dangerous spaces or objects and still provide you with comprehensive results and high-quality close-up footage.

### UNDERWATER INSPECTIONS
We are one of the very few companies that offer aquatic inspections for structures that you may have underwater, like bridge supports or dams. Our aquatic drone can go down to 100 metres in-depth to give you a totally different point of view of your structures and provide you with a more cost-effective approach as usually this type of inspection requires a team of specialised scuba divers.

### TRACK REPAIRS
With visual and thermal cameras, enriched with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and [Machine Learning](/blog/machine-learning-with-drones-and-3d-models/ "Machine Learning") (ML) we can compare “as-designed vs as-built”. For instance, roof inspections can be frequently repeated over a duration of a repair project where the reports can be merged with ML, allowing you to keep track of the roof's repair progress to detect discrepancies very early on, prevent unnecessary delays, and save you money by showcasing a side-by-side track of the repair's progress, going back and forth between the different scans. Discover more about roof inspections and ML [here](blog/machine-learning-and-roof-inspections/ "here").

### THERMAL INSPECTIONS
Our industry-leading [thermal imaging camera](/blog/thermal-imaging-cameras-explained/ "thermal imaging camera") that can either be used handheld or mounted onto a drone can accurately identify hot/cold spots and visualise the location of potential leaks in [roof or pipelines](/blog/how-are-drones-useful-for-roof-inspections/ "roof or pipelines"), damages to solar panels, and how energy-efficient your asset or if there's any [drainage issues](/blog/how-are-drones-useful-for-agriculture-and-farming/ "drainage issues") on your land.

### ROOF INSPECTIONS
Due to our RTK-enabled UAVs enabling us to work safely from the ground and eliminating the need for scaffolding, we can work faster and efficiently, conducting comprehensive roof inspection reports with 99.4% accuracy. The reports we create include the full geometry of the roof providing you with accurate measurements of your roof's slopes, gradients etc., and are available in a range of different formats to allow full integration with tools such as DXF and CAD, as well as video and photographic evidence.

### FASTER INSPECTION TIME
Visual Inspections conducted with drones can be finished in a much shorter time span when compared to traditional methods as fewer resources are required (scaffolding, helicopters, scuba divers, etc.). In some cases, inspections can be completed in around 15 minutes which is significant when it comes to saving you precious time as conventional methods commonly take up to days and even months.

Learn how Visual Inspections with Drones can provide you with highly accurate and detailed permanent reports more efficiently when compared to traditional methods.

Drones for Visual Inspections

After your [Visual Inspection](/blog/what-are-visual-inspections/ "Visual Inspection") we conducted with cutting-edge drones, you should have received a highly detailed and thorough report that outlines if repairs are needed. This article will explore how Machine Learning can support you with the repairs by answering the following questions: **How can Machine Learning help with Visual Inspections conducted by drones?** And **How can we combine our Visual Inspections with Machine Learning?** Keep reading to find how Machine Learning for Visual Inspections can help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**!

## HOW CAN MACHINE LEARNING HELP WITH DRONE VISUAL INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED BY DRONES?

[Machine Learning](/blog/machine-learning-with-drones-and-3d-models/ "Machine Learning") (ML) is changing the game on how industries operate as it allows businesses to harness the power of [Artificial Intelligence](/blog/what-is-artificial-intelligence/ "Artificial Intelligence") (AI), helping them to save time, money, and effort.

In multiple sectors, for example, manufacturing, the technologies: Machine Vision (technology that supports Machine Learning) and Deep Learning (DL) is adopted to streamline operations, merged they can detect surface and cosmetic defects, e.g., scratches and dents, which is helpful especially in sectors like manufacturing as they will be able to see objects that are not up to high-quality standards. This goes to show that collaborating and implementing digital, algorithmic technology can support your business and employees.

Moving on from manufacturing, when conducting [visual inspections](/blog/what-are-visual-inspections/ "Visual Inspections") on various assets, e.g.: land, buildings, and infrastructure, drones and ML go hand-in-hand. Drones can feed real-time imagery from any of the sensors (photographic, thermal or multispectral) to external monitors, giving you complete visibility of the condition of your assets in a matter of minutes. The real-time feed can help you to locate the areas that need specific attention, quickly assess discrepancies, and compare your asset to *“as-designed"* versus the real result (*“as-built”*), allowing you to track and compare the progress of repairs.

## HOW CAN WE COMBINE OUR VISUAL INSPECTIONS WITH MACHINE LEARNING?

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are vital tools for analysing the output from our drones and 3D scanners.  By using ML and AI in combination with our UAV drones and 3D Models, you get several key advantages:

- Keeping track of changes in stockpile volumes and their precise locations
- Detects discrepancies very early on, preventing unnecessary delays and saving you money
- Increases safety, especially on construction sites
- All inspection records are organised in a timeline layout that can be easily navigated and accessed

Since ML can offer you several advantages, our solutions can provide you with:

### VISUALS OF YOUR PROJECTS PROGRESS
Machine Learning can enable you to track repairs on your assets and a project's progress. For instance, if you've had your roof inspected and maintenance is needed, performing frequent inspections of the same roof throughout the project's repair progress will show you the progression happening and identify discrepancies early on. Therefore, Visual Inspections combined with ML can provide you with side-by-side visuals that show you the comparisons of each different scan, allowing you to track and monitor your project's progress, take accurate measurements, calculate stockpile volumes, check possible erosion, etc.

It is important to note that to get the most out of Machine Learning, we need to conduct regular and frequent inspections. The more information we feed into the system, the more accurate and precise the comparison results will be.

You can learn more about Machine Learning for Roof Repairs by clicking [here](/blog/machine-learning-and-roof-inspections/ "here").

### CONSTANT UPDATED INFORMATION
Machine Learning analyses the data collected from the frequent drone inspections saving you time, effort and money as you obtain real-time information that allows you to spot discrepancies as they occur, preventing unnecessary delays and reducing downtime.

### EVIDENCE FOR CLAIMS
The back and forth navigation and the side-by-side comparisons can ensure that the work carried out on your project is being done according to specification.

The comparisons of “as-designed vs as-built” are also valuable in a situation where detailed evidence is needed, like insurance claims.

### FULL INTEGRATION OF VISUAL INSPECTIONS WITH BIM
We advocate for implementing [BIM Level 2 and beyond](blog/why-you-should-implement-bim/ "BIM Level 2 and beyond") into your projects and aim to make your business more productive. Hence, all of our drone Visual Inspections can be formatted and exported to different formats and standards like shapefile, GeoTIFF, .obj, .las, WGS84, etc. This choice provides your current workflow with the ultimate flexibility by importing the results we gathered using drones to your preferred BIM application.

Learn how Machine Learning and our Visual Inspections conducted by drones can help you with monitoring and tracking your project's progression.

Machine Learning for Visual Inspections

One of the questions that our clients ask us more frequently is about **how can drones be useful for roof inspections?** In this article we are going to look at the different **applications and the advantages of using drones during roof inspections**, how can they dramatically **improve your workflow** and help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**.

## WHY DO YOU NEED A ROOF INSPECTION?

First of all, there are several reasons why you could need a roof inspection:

  - You live in a listed building and want to know if the centuries-old tiles are in tip top shape
  - Your insurance provider is asking for a roof report to attach to your policy
  - There has been damage by severe weather
  - There is a leak and you want to identify its source
  - You want to know how energy efficient your building is and you want to reduce your energy bills

Regardless of the reason, roof inspection reports are always very informative and could save you many thousands of pounds in costly repairs by identifying issues very early on.

## DRONES LOWER THE RISK AND INCREASE SAFETY WHEN DOING ROOF INSPECTIONS

Traditionally roof inspections have been tedious, dangerous and very inconvenient for your clients and their neighbours, taking place over the course of several days, blocking some of the pavement and with your employees working in perilous conditions.

Drones are revolutionising the roof inspection industry and rightly so. One of the main advantages is that **we work safely from the ground**, sending the drone to get the job done, without needing any cumbersome scaffolding or expensive cherry pickers.

To help minimise risks even further, our UAVs have cameras with **30x optical zoom** that can be mounted on the top or the bottom, depending on the mission’s requirements. This allows us to fly further away from dangerous objects, like power lines, and still produce highly detailed results with close-up images of the roof.

## FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT ROOF SURVEY REPORTS PRODUCED BY DRONES

When the traditional roof inspection is completed, you have to rely on your inspectors’ memory and notes, which sometimes could fault, and then spend the next few days trying to piece all this data together, ending up with a somewhat half-decent report.

By using UAVs we produce results much faster, safer, more accurately, and with reduced costs, since no employees have to work at height, you do not have to block the street for days on end and we cover more area than by traditional methods, all while eliminating human error in calculations and producing permanent, irrefutable evidence of the roof’s condition at that precise point in time.

We will give you **high-dynamic-range images** in full resolution as well as **4K high-dynamic-range video** shot at 30 frames per second. The high-dynamic-range images and videos produced by our cameras will deliver **enhanced detail and contrast** across all areas of the roof, especially in the parts where shadows could be more prominent, and therefore eliminating all guesswork.

## DRONES OUTPUT ACCURATE AND DETAILED ROOF GEOMETRY REPORTS

Our fleet of RTK-equipped drones with high-resolution cameras produce thorough roof inspection reports with 99.4% accuracy and are available in different formats, which allow full integration with DXF and CAD, as well as video and photographic evidence. The report includes the full geometry of the roof: slopes, measurements, gradients, etc. We can also measure the tile gauge, letting you know how much the tiles overlap.

## ROOF SURVEYS WITH MACHINE LEARNING OUT OF THE BOX BY USING DRONES

When a roof is severely damaged and requires a full repair, our Machine Learning software will keep track side-by-side of the repair’s progress and identify discrepancies with repeated inspections of the same roof over the duration of the project.

## THERMAL CAMERA FOR ROOF SURVEYS WITH DRONES

Thermal surveys are in high demand nowadays because they can provide much more information that cannot be capture by the naked eye or normal camera sensors.

These thermal reports with drones can help you cut down your energy bills by identifying the areas where your roof is leaking precious heating.

If your roof is leaking water after a heavy downpour, our drone thermal camera can save you a significant amount of money by pinpointing the area that needs fixing and therefore preventing further extensive damage if you get the roof repaired as soon as possible.

Detecting damage on solar panels just visually is very difficult, unless the damage is evident. However, by using our thermal camera we can tell you exactly what panel and where in the panel the damage is located.

We use the best thermal camera in the market. It delivers **high-resolution, blur-free thermal videos and images**. It can be adjusted to specific ranges of temperature, if you need it. This camera has some incredible specifications, with a sensitivity (NEDT) of <50 mk @ f/1.0 and a resolution of 640 x 512 at 30 Hz.

We explain the main advantages and the reasons why you should consider using our drones to improve your upcoming roof inspections.

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