When it comes to roof inspections, ‘Drones are the Future’. Now what?
Buying a drone is easy. But using a drone for roof inspections, not so much. Figuring out how to conduct roof inspections by using a drone legally, skillfully, safely, and profitably, while simultaneously getting better and faster data, all while protecting people’s privacy, is difficult. Or maybe not.
But it can be done. Let’s break it down to bite-sized pieces.
First, Transport Canada (TC) is at the top of the food chain in drone regulation. Operating a commercial drone legally in Canada means following TC aviation rules that, at times, seem unfathomable. Despite what you may hear, there are no “exemptions” from the TC rules for commercial drone operations. If you plan to fly 4 inches or 400 feet off the ground anywhere there are buildings, you have to satisfy TC before they will issue authorization. It’s their airspace.
Of course, no restoration contractor can wait 20 or more business days to fly for one location. That would quickly kill your KPIs! But if you get with the program you, too, can fly safely and legally anywhere in Canada on short notice. Very short notice.
What some see as overly tough TC regulation really does make sense when you think about it, because for a couple of thousand dollars anyone can buy a drone capable of reaching 19,000 feet and potentially bumping into manned aircraft. But contractors don’t need to fly high or fast. Rather, we have a well-defined need for short-notice, close-in, structure-specific, and accurate inspections that produce the data necessary for the next step in settling claims. Roof inspection altitudes are low, flight operations are automated, and flight duration is as short as 10 minutes per inspection. Yes, you need training and liability insurance, but all of these requirements can be met if you know where to look.
Automated, not autonomous
Secondly, you have to choose hardware that Transport Canada will allow you to fly. “Autonomous” drones do not qualify in our industry. “Automated” drones are OK. What’s the difference?
Autonomous means a drone that, once launched, can’t be overridden by a human pilot. Automated means the drone flight software can be interrupted by a human pilot during the operation and manoeuvred out of harm’s way. Safety first.
The risks of autonomous drones are significant: the technology may look amazing and it works properly most of the time, but not 100% of the time. In Canada, for example, trees drop their leaves in the winter, making them harder for sensors to spot. Winds can suddenly change or rain can start. The need for skilled eyeballs and a joystick capable of stepping in is essential, and Transport Canada insists on this. Just like manned aircraft auto-pilot, no one wants to fly in a plane that a pilot can’t take over. Always stay in control.
The right software
Third is the need to choose insurance drone automation software to produce affordable, accurate and fast reports. Clever insurance software developers have focused on the specific needs of roofing inspectors. Using off-the-shelf hardware driven by powerful and inexpensive software, drone inspections will usually cost less than manned inspections and produce vastly superior results in a fraction of the time.
What’s special about insurance drone software? Unlike cinematographers, realtors or open-pit mines, insurance users need inspection results that can be presented quickly and in detail for use by estimating software, carriers, policyholders and restoration contractors. We need ultra HD still photos, automatic damage detection, 3D wireframes, measurements, roof pitches, property gradients and other key data, plus automatic PDF insurance reports that anyone can understand. That calls for special software designed by insurance specialists, for insurance specialists.
Privacy is a right
What about protecting people’s privacy? This can be achieved by specialized software and training. Good insurance drone software allows users to pre-program a tight flight path that helps the drone stay above the property being inspected. Combined with training on notification procedures and templates, privacy can be well protected.
Think of your drone like a smartphone that flies, but with almost no apps, like the first smartphones were years ago. Drone automation software has to be designed for specific tasks to be any good. What use is sizzle without steak?
With a few smart decisions now, you can make drone insurance inspection part of your present and not just some distant future. Fly safe; fly smart.