Volume Measurement with Drones
Drone-based volume measurement enables the calculation of volumes of embankments, excavations, landfills, material dumps and other spatial objects, based on aerial photogrammetric capture.
During the process a drone captures a large number of georeferenced photographs, from which a three-dimensional surface model is created. The model allows material volumes to be calculated, changes to be tracked over time and various spatial analyses to be performed.
This approach is mainly used in construction, quarries, mines, logistics centres, infrastructure, waste management and in surveying and spatial projects.
Compared with traditional methods, drone data capture covers larger areas quickly and reduces the need for manual field measurements. The entire capture process can run without direct access to the measured surfaces — important especially in unstable or hard-to-reach areas.
Vsebina webinarja:
Photogrammetry and measurement with drones
Object measurement in practice
Choosing drones by flight category
Software and data processing
Open and specific flight categories
Real company use case
Investment tier
Rules, regulation and CAA legislation
How drone volume measurement works
Volumetric measurements are based on photogrammetry — during flight the drone captures many overlapping images, from which software builds a point cloud, DSM, DTM, orthophoto and 3D model of the area. From this data we calculate volumes and compare the state over time. At standard flight altitudes we achieve a resolution of ~1–3 cm/pixel.
Areas of use
Most common uses: calculating excavated material, embankment measurements, monitoring earthworks progress, controlling bulk-material stock, tracking terrain changes and supporting project documentation and surveying.
Capture runs without physical access to the surface — important especially in hard-to-reach or safety-sensitive areas.
Areas of use by industry
| Širokokotna kamera za fotogrametrijo | |
|---|---|
|
Construction |
Tracking excavation and fill quantities, monitoring construction progress and preparing data for project documentation. |
|
Quarries and mines |
Regular material-stock calculations, monitoring terrain changes and preparing data for operational planning. |
|
Logistics and material storage |
Measuring quantities of bulk materials and monitoring stock across large storage areas. |
|
Waste management |
Calculating landfill volumes, tracking changes and preparing data for records and planning. |
|
Infrastructure and spatial planning |
Acquiring spatial data for planning, inspecting completed works and long-term monitoring of spatial changes. |
Measurement accuracy, RTK and georeferencing
Accuracy depends on capture quality, flight altitude and georeferencing. With RTK GNSS we achieve centimetre accuracy already during flight and reduce the need for ground control points.
Typical accuracy: horizontal ~1–2 cm, vertical ~2–3 cm. Supported workflows: RTK via NTRIP networks, PPK processing, local coordinate systems and survey exports.
Data processing
Data is processed in photogrammetric environments (DJI Terra, Pix4D, Agisoft Metashape, Bentley ContextCapture, Autodesk ReCap) and exported in standard formats (GeoTIFF, LAS/LAZ, OBJ, DXF, CSV) for further use in GIS, CAD and BIM environments.
Which drone is suitable for volumetric measurement?
For volumetric measurement we use systems with high-resolution cameras, RTK support and automated capture. The DJI Matrice 4E is designed for surveying and photogrammetric tasks — a wide-angle camera with a large sensor, automated missions and RTK GNSS positioning.
Key factors are quality imagery, precise positioning, repeatable missions and compatibility with photogrammetric tools.
RTK georeferencing and partnership
RTK GNSS corrections are provided by networks of permanent reference stations or local base stations, depending on the project. At OneDrone we deliver RTK services and georeferencing support in partnership with Geoservis, which provides surveying services and correction data for precise positioning.
DJI Matrice 4E Specifications:
| Širokokotna kamera za fotogrametrijo | |
|---|---|
|
Wide-angle photogrammetry camera |
CMOS ~20 MP, mechanical or electronic shutter, RAW support (DNG/JPEG), video up to 4K, GSD ~1–3 cm/pix at standard flight altitudes |
|
RTK GNSS system |
GPS+GLONASS+Galileo+BeiDou, horizontal accuracy ~1–2 cm, vertical ~2–3 cm, NTRIP/PPK support |
|
Automated mission planning |
Waypoint/grid/corridor mapping, overlap 70–90 %, terrain-follow support |
|
Photogrammetric outputs |
Creation of orthophoto plans, point clouds, mesh models and DTM/DSM models |
|
Georeferenced data |
Export GeoTIFF, LAS, OBJ, DXF, CSV and compatibility with Pix4D, DJI Terra, Agisoft Metashape and BIM/GIS platforms |
|
Flight range |
Several kilometres of image and telemetry transmission, flight endurance typically ~40–50 min |
