US-based DroneDeploy, a provider of reality-capture technology that converts images and scans into digital site records, has launched Ground Pro for construction teams.
The software converts photographs and camera footage into measurable 3D records of indoor, outdoor and underground work. Available as a premium add-on to DroneDeploy Ground, it works with iPhones, iPads and 360-degree cameras already in use by field teams.
Users can inspect current conditions, take measurements and retrieve information after pipes, cables or structural details have been covered over.
The launch follows DroneDeploy’s acquisition by Procore, a US construction management software provider. Procore plans to integrate DroneDeploy’s aerial, ground-based and robotic capture technology into its platform.
The companies had integrated their software before the acquisition. The existing integration linked 360-degree captures to Procore daily logs and site observations. Ground Pro customers can also overlay synchronised drawings on floor and ceiling maps to compare designs with recorded conditions. DroneDeploy said this 3D data would support the future development of Procore AI.
Recording work before it is concealed
Construction drawings show what a finished building should contain, but they do not always provide an exact record of the work at each stage. Underground services may be buried, walls closed, and ceiling installations covered as a project progresses.
Ground Pro’s Mobile 3D Scan can document trenches, openings in concrete slabs, and repairs to building façades before they disappear from view.
An optional real-time kinematic (RTK) function uses correction data from a reference point to improve positioning accuracy.
Texas-based contractor Steele & Freeman used the technology to record a grease trap before it was covered with soil, according to DroneDeploy. When questions later arose about underground plumbing and utilities, the team reviewed the scan rather than excavating.
Oscar Martyn, assistant project manager at Steele & Freeman, said the record settled the matter in minutes, thereby avoiding further work and a related change order, a formal amendment to the cost, scope, or schedule of a construction contract.
He said the company could also refer to such records after completing a project, rather than sending staff back to check dimensions or installations.
Mapping floors and ceilings
Ground Pro’s Interior Maps capability generates plan views of current floor and ceiling conditions. Teams can use the maps to locate stored materials, coordinate trades and inspect overhead services before the ceilings are fitted.
KAST Construction is using the software on mid-rise and high-rise projects, where several contractors may be working on the same floor simultaneously.
John McDermott, senior virtual design and construction manager at KAST, said that a 10-minute walk with a 360-degree camera can produce an immersive 3D view and a 2D map of the floor and the space above the ceiling.
The maps show where materials have been placed and which rooms particular trades are using, eliminating the need to search through separate photographs.
KAST had already used DroneDeploy’s aerial services for site evaluation, logistics planning and work verification. Ground Pro applies a similar approach indoors using mobile devices and 360-degree cameras.
DroneDeploy’s move into interior capture
Ground Pro follows DroneDeploy’s earlier expansion beyond aerial mapping. The company completed its acquisition of StructionSite, a provider of ground-based reality-capture technology, in November 2022.
StructionSite used 360-degree video, photography and software-based mapping to organise images by their location within a building. DroneDeploy first connected the products, allowing users to switch between aerial and interior views of a project. In 2023, it brought aerial and ground data together on a common platform.
Ground Pro adds measurement, mapping and navigation capabilities to this interior documentation.
Measuring completed interiors
The 3D Measure & Navigation capability converts footage from 360-degree site walks into a navigable 3D mesh, a computer model composed of a network of connected shapes.
Users can check door widths, supports concealed behind walls, and clearances around fitted furniture. Users can also view large interiors and atriums through a cutaway model of the space.
James Stripe, vice-president of product, reality capture and robotics at Procore, said mobile devices have been able to collect the information needed for 3D site records for several years. Ground Pro supplies the software needed to process those captures for measurement and navigation.
The records remain available during construction and after completion, allowing teams to investigate concealed work without reopening finished areas or making another site visit.
