Kespry’s New Earthwork Hopes to Ease Drone Management for Construction Companies

Kespry, a drone tech company that provides aerial data-capturing services to corporate clients, has developed software that could change the way construction companies do their work.

byMarco Margaritoff|
Kespry&#8217;s New <em>Earthwork </em>Hopes to Ease Drone Management for Construction Companies
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The last time we reported on Kespry, a drone tech company “focused on making it easy to capture, process, use and share high-resolution information from the field,” it was in regards to an executive meeting with President Trump to discuss nationwide drone concerns and regulations in July. Most recently, however, the company has been hard at work developing a software suite that goes beyond the basic aerial collection of data, and moved firmly into management—that is, planning, bidding on, and organizing projects in the construction industry. Meet the new Earthworks.

According to DroneLife, the software consists of planning, analyzing, comparing sites and surfaces (which includes various modes of visualization), as well as design development and compliance. In more basic terms, Kespry wants to provide a more full-fledged service to the construction industry than simply allowing for unmanned aerial vehicles to inspect and analyze equipment. Earthworks intends to give companies the tools to plan better, analyze more precisely, and develop strategies for any given project. 

CEO and chairman of Kespry, George Matthew, said, “The construction industry needs more than just one-off drone mapping of their earthworks sites. The addition of these earthworks-specific aerial intelligence tools will enable construction companies to plan their work more accurately, improve their cost structure, and deliver safer working environments through frequent analysis of changes to their sit. This will truly transform the way work is done in this industry.” 

The company joined hands with John Deere in March, after Kespry’s client submitted heavy feedback in regards to its software at the time. “Aerial intelligence is changing how large scale construction projects are done,” said product marketing manager of John Deere, Andrew Kahler. “Kespry is delivering the analysis, insight and tools that project managers need to ensure their earthworks projects are completed on time, as cost efficiently as possible and more safely than ever before.” That’s quite the praise with which Kahler suggests Kespry is up to the task. But what exactly does Earthworks do, in a practical sense? 

Perhaps most functional is the data-driven creation of production plans, achieved through drone-collected information and analysis. An entire construction site can be mapped and analyzed within a few hours, allowing the software to create the most efficient site-plan possible. Essentially, you’d get a real logical, accurate suggestion of where to place certain load-in, loud-out routes, place certain equipment or vehicles, etc. 

Kespry

Of course, one of the strongest appeals here is cutting cost. As with companies like vHive or Measure, a big draw is the argument that drones and sophisticated management software will maximize a business. It’s no different here. Reportedly, Earthworks will increase the rate of successful bids by throwing traditional site-estimate methods to the curb. In addition, operational costs would decrease since the software would continuously assess and analyze a project’s progress. What that looks like, we’re not sure, but Kespry is hosting a webinar on November 29 to answer these questions for those who are interested.

Lastly, is the appeal to safety. Those running highly expensive construction projects are most definitely interested in reducing risk, as risk can often directly lead to cost. According to DroneLife, Earthworks will manage safety of a site with daily drone flights, analyzing a project’s progress and the continuous change involved. 

For those of us who love recreational drone use, professional racing, or aerial cinematography, these stories may not get our hearts thumping - but this is yet another big push forward to standardizing drones in major industries. Don’t be surprised if the next time you walk by a major construction site, you see and hear a fleet of drones whirring overhead, collecting data, and helping humans build their structures. 

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