Any drone is only as valuable as the data that it provides you. Consider any software required and if this is compatible with your current equipment. Depending on the type of camera and data that you will be using there are several software packages that can be used to analyse the information and provide you with more useful feedback. Don’t forget to add any software costs into your plan.

There are several cloud-based processing websites available if you don’t want to purchase your own specialised software. These often use a credit system where you purchase points as credits and use them when you request processing. These sites are convenient and don’t require complex computing equipment or skill to use. It should be noted however that these sites generally require good internet connections as they need to transfer a lot of data (your images) up to their sites. In regional areas, this could be a disadvantage. In-house processing may be a better business choice but talk to your software supplier first. Make sure you have the computing power to do what you want. Many of the processes covered here such as photogrammetry require higher specification computing systems for them to work effectively.

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