New software for drone footage mapping and analysis

DJI, a producer of civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, has launched a new software tool that transforms drone data into digital 3D models and maps.

DJI Terra enables businesses and organisations using DJI drone technology to capture, visualise and analyse aerial images for a wide variety of applications across the public safety, construction, infrastructure, agriculture and film industries.

"As the leader in the commercial drone industry, DJI continues to develop accessible and easy-to-use hardware and software solutions that help organisations transform their operations with drone technology and gain a competitive advantage in their industries,'' says DJI enterprise director Sunny Liao.

"As an all-in-one mapping and modelling solution, DJI Terra makes it simple and efficient to extract value from drone data, generating conclusions and recommendations across multiple use cases from crash reconstructions to critical infrastructure inspections as well as agriculture field mapping and construction site modelling.''

DJI Terra helps commercial drone pilots quickly plan automated flights with several easy-to-use options based on the area or objects they'd like to capture and the type of map or 3D model they'd like to create.

It features three mission planning types:

1. Area - Capture a specific area quickly and easily by drawing a custom polygonal flight zone on a map. DJI Terra automatically generates efficient flight path options based on the area selected.
2. Waypoint - Create dynamic custom flight paths through an area or around objects using waypoints and adjustable parameters like aircraft altitude, speed, heading, gimbal pitch and angle. For more complex missions that require high attention to detail, the 3D Flight Visualization feature enables the design and simulation of missions on existing 3D models.
3. Oblique - Capture a rich data set by automatically flying the same route multiple times. Each flight automatically adjusts the angle of the camera to capture new details, giving an extra crisp 3D model of the object or asset from multiple angles.

DJI Terra allows drone pilots to quickly generate 2D orthomosaic maps as the drone flies, ideal for time-sensitive missions where situational awareness is critical and decisions need to be made in minutes.

Fast processing capability also creates sharp and realistic representations of any environment through detailed 2D orthomosaics and 3D model reconstructions used for industrial applications like reconstructing vehicle crashes, tracking progress on construction projects or conducting large-scale critical infrastructure inspections on bridges and roadways.

In addition to map and model creation, DJI Terra helps users analyse data and generate insights with analysis tools that provide a variety of measurements including linear distance, surface area and volumetric estimations.

To improve team communication and reporting throughout ongoing projects, annotation labels can be edited and shared.

For detailed site inspections and accident reconstruction situations, DJI Terra's photo inspection tool lets users closely examine every photo used to create the model so they can pinpoint and highlight critical elements.