May, 2017 Luncheon

Speaker: Todd King, PLS, LEED AP, Business Development @ McKim & Creed

Date: Thursday, May 18, 2017

Topic: Proof of Concept Tests of Unmanned Aerial Surveys for Coastal Surveys

Presentation: PDF

Summary:  Nearly 130 million people live in communities that depend on accurate beach monitoring surveys to analyze storm damage, plan and predict maintenance and renourishment activities, and secure emergency funding for restoration. McKim & Creed and ESRI co-hosted a proof of concept (POC) along ~100 acres of North Carolina coast to study the feasibility of using low-cost, commercial, unmanned aerial systems (UAS)— drones—to collect accurate data for beach monitoring surveys without disturbing bird nesting habitats. This presentation will summarize the findings of this award-winning POC that compared the accuracy, efficiency, cost effectiveness, and environmental impact of terrestrial LiDAR, aerial LiDAR, conventional surveying, and UAS.

About the presenter: Todd King, PLS, is a licensed surveyor and a certified remote pilot airman under FAA Part 107. He has worked with McKim & Creed as a land surveyor, a civil technician, and, currently, as a business developer. Todd has owned and sold two successful start-up companies, and is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in applied mathematics.