Survey & Inspection

Buying advice

Flight rules for the airborne scanners

If you choose a flying option such as the Leica BLK2FLY or Flyability Elios 3, the flight is regulated separately from the scan. In the United States, 14 CFR Part 107 requires a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating, keeps the aircraft within visual line of sight and limits height to 400 feet above ground level, except within 400 feet of a structure. Flights in controlled airspace need air traffic control authorisation. In the EU, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 sets the rules and procedures for operating unmanned aircraft. Decide who in your team will hold the qualification, and whether busy urban sites need permissions that could slow your survey programme.

Write the information requirement first

Repeat scans only pay off if someone has defined what each capture must deliver. ISO 19650-1:2018 frames this as information requirements set by the appointing party, so write down the accuracy you need at each stage, how often each area is captured, who registers and checks the data against the design and how long it is kept. That brief tells you which carriers on this page are worth testing and which you can rule out. Ask each maker for a sample dataset from a comparable site, processed in its own software, so your team can judge the effort needed to turn raw capture into a progress or as-built report.

Price the workflow, not just the sensor

On the October 2026 review, the Flyability Elios 3 was the lowest-priced listing here at about $35,000, while the Spot with HoloBuilder topped the page at about $120,000, and not one was quote-only. Over the life of the kit, processing software, cloud storage, calibration, servicing, spare batteries and staff time for registration can become a large share of what you spend. Ask the makers of the Emesent Hovermap, GeoSLAM ZEB Horizon and Leica BLK ARC which processing licences come with the hardware, how many seats you get and what annual renewals cost. Check where calibration is done and how long the unit is away, since a scanner out for service can stall progress reporting.

What to look for

• Accuracy and range needed for your survey, progress or as-built work
• Handheld, drone-mounted or robot-carried: how the scanner gets around site
• Software and file formats that fit your BIM and reporting workflow

Common questions

Why automate site surveys?

Repeated, consistent capture makes it easier to track progress, spot deviations from the design and keep a record of each stage. Robots and drones can follow the same route every time.

Can these tools work indoors without GPS?

Many mobile scanners and inspection drones use SLAM, building a map as they move, which lets them work indoors and underground. Check each model's specifications for your environments.

Sources and further reading

• 14 CFR Part 107: Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems — US Federal Aviation Administration (eCFR).
  US rules for commercial drone flights under 55 pounds, from remote pilot certificates to height and airspace limits.
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft — European Union (EUR-Lex).
  EU rules and procedures for operating drones, which govern scanning and inspection flights on European sites.
• ISO 19650-1:2018 Information management using building information modelling, Part 1: Concepts and principles — International Organization for Standardization.
  Concepts and principles for managing building information through BIM across design, construction and operation.