(UAV LiDAR image of wheat fields near Yanco, NSW, undertaken by Rhino Imaging in partnership with Skyline UAV )
BRISBANE, 4th of April 2017: In another boost for Australian industry, Terra Drone Corporation announced today an enhancement of its LiDAR (light detection and ranging) capability spanning the agricultural, construction and mining sectors. This follows the appointment of LiDAR specialist Mr Jeremy Sofonia, previously of Rhino Imaging, as Terra Drone’s Business Development – Executive Manager, based in the company’s Brisbane office. A Certified Environmental Practitioner and a specialist in the application of remote sensing techniques, including UAVs and aerial LiDAR, Mr Sofonia has more than 16 years’ academic and professional experience, including working on a wide variety of marine and terrestrial projects worldwide. Utilising Mr Sofonia’s extensive local experience, Japan’s leading unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) provider is now offering a range of enhanced services for its expanding client base in Australia.
In the agricultural sector, this includes utilising UAV LiDAR across farms to help inform irrigation planning and erosion management strategies, such as for macadamia farms and wheat fields, as per recent projects undertaken by Mr Sofonia in partnership with local UAV operators. In the energy sector, performing a UAV LiDAR assessment to support the development of appropriate management strategies related to power station operations, as per a recent project at a power station’s ash dam in New South Wales performed by Mr Sofonia and other UAV operators. In the quarry sector, undertaking aerial surveys to assess excavation rates as well as stockpile volumetrics to provide an accurate aerial survey of a working quarry, as performed previously by Mr Sofonia in partnership with local UAV operators.
Terra Drone’s Brisbane branch chief, Tsuyoshi Honda, said the company’s increased capabilities in LiDAR would benefit a range of local industries, in a tie-up of advanced Japanese technology with Australian know-how. “Terra Drone is determined to offer Australian clients proven solutions capable of delivering genuine productivity gains, cost savings and improved safety. Jeremy’s local knowledge and experience will be invaluable in this process, given his proven track record in the LiDAR industry,” Mr Honda said. Mr Sofonia said: “I am very pleased to join Terra Drone at this early stage in their development in Australia, bringing my local knowledge to support their expanding client base across the agricultural, construction, energy and mining sectors. Australian industry deserves the world’s best LiDAR solutions and that’s exactly what we will deliver.”
Since establishing its Australian head office in Brisbane earlier in 2017, Terra Drone has rapidly developed new technology for the benefit of Australian industry. This has included the launch of the ultra-powerful ‘Terra Powerlifter’ UAV series, offering up to two hours’ continuous flight time and capable of carrying a heavy payload of up to 10 kilograms, as well as the ‘Terra Explorer,’ comprising an unmanned UAV with a spherical cage for enhanced visual inspections of infrastructure and construction sites. Japan’s leading UAV provider, Terra Drone has the latest and most advanced LiDAR laser scanning sensors in the market, including post-processing of LiDAR imaging. From preliminary planning to data processing, the company offers a total solution for surveys and inspections. The company is part of the Tokyo-based Terra Group, which includes Terra Motors, the company that pioneered the electric motorbike market in Asia, currently selling 30,000 electric vehicles a year.
(UAV LiDAR image of the Eraring power station’s ash dam, Eraring, NSW, undertaken by Rhino Imaging in partnership with Skyline UAV)
(UAV LiDAR scan of a quarry at Kingston, Qld, undertaken by Rhino Imaging in partnership with Aerial Drone Solutions and Skyline UAV)
