Utilizing Drones In Architecture
Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly called drones, are gaining in popularity among professionals working in the AEC industry. This new technology promises to revolutionize the architectural profession, and have great potentials when it comes to several aspects of the profession. Researchers and firms are already experimenting with building with drones. In 2012, Swiss architecture firm Gramazio Kohler Architects and roboticist Raffaello D’Andrea programmed a fleet of drones to lift and stack thousands of polystyrene bricks at the FRAC Centre in Orléans, France. The use of drones by (architecture) firms still belongs to a legislative grey area. Regulatory limitations include not being able to fly after dark, out of operator’s line of sight, above certain altitudes and near other structures or above crowds.
