DECLARATION

I, KIGGUDDE DEOGRATIAS declare that this report is my original work and has been

developed,compiled and produced by me and has never been presented to Makerere University

or any other institution for any academic award.

…………………………….. DATE ………………………………..

KIGGUDDE DEOGRATIAS

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DEDICATION

I dedicate this report to my beloved parents, sisters, brothers and friends who gave me courage to

meet obstacles positively, love and support through my life. May the Almighty God reward you

abundantly.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I thank the Almighty God for the gift of good health He rendered to me during the report writing.

I am grateful to my department supervisor Mr. Ssali Francis whose excellent guidance

encouragement have led to the successful completion of this report.

Sincere thanks are also extended to Mr. Kitaka for advice in undertaking this research.

Finally, my very sincere and special thanks again to Mr. Otukie and Mr. Katerega Geoffrey their

unwavering faith in my ability to undertake this research, and for giving me the confidence to

write this report. I hope this report meets your expectations.

I thank my friends for their support especially

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Contents

DECLARATION..............................................................................................................................................1

DEDICATION................................................................................................................................................2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.................................................................................................................................3

LIST OF FIGURES..........................................................................................................................................8

ABBREVIATION............................................................................................................................................9

1.0 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................10

1.1 Background......................................................................................................................................10

1.2 Problem Statement..........................................................................................................................11

1.3 Main Objective................................................................................................................................11

1.4 Specific Objectives...........................................................................................................................12

1.5 Significance of Study........................................................................................................................12

1.6 Scope of study.................................................................................................................................12

1.6.1 Academic Scope........................................................................................................................12

1.6.2 Geographical Scope..................................................................................................................12

1.7 Justification of the Study.................................................................................................................12

2.0 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................................................................14

2.1 Definition of Drones........................................................................................................................14

2.2 Drone Companies............................................................................................................................14

2.2.1Titan...........................................................................................................................................14

2.2.2Delta..........................................................................................................................................15

2.2.3 DJI.............................................................................................................................................15

2.2.4 Parrot........................................................................................................................................15

2.2.5 Sense Fly...................................................................................................................................15

2.2.6 Airinov......................................................................................................................................16

2.2.7 Gimball......................................................................................................................................16

2.2.8 Novadem..................................................................................................................................16

2.2.9 Tech Ject...................................................................................................................................16

2.2.10 Red Bird..................................................................................................................................16

2.2.11 Photo Kite...............................................................................................................................17

2.2.12 General Atomics.....................................................................................................................17

2.2.13 Cymber Hawk..........................................................................................................................17

2.2.14 Micro Drones..........................................................................................................................17

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2.3 Types of Drones...............................................................................................................................18

2.3.1 DJI Phantom 3 and Phantom 2 Series.......................................................................................18

2.3.2DJI Inspire 1 & Inspire 1 PRO w/ 4K video.................................................................................19

2.3.3 Yuneec Q500 4K......................................................................................................................20

2.3.4 3DR Solo.................................................................................................................................21

2.3.5 Hubsan X4................................................................................................................................21

2.3.6 Blade Nano QX..........................................................................................................................22

2.3.7 Parrot Bebop.............................................................................................................................23

2.3.8 Tbs Gemini................................................................................................................................23

2.3.9 3d Robotics Iris +.......................................................................................................................24

2.3.10 3d Robotics X8+......................................................................................................................25

2.3.11 Quanum Nova.........................................................................................................................26

2.3.12 Latrax Alias..............................................................................................................................26

2.3.13Parrot AR Drone 2.0.................................................................................................................27

2.3.14 QAV400...................................................................................................................................28

2.3.15 Proto X...................................................................................................................................28

2.4 Classification of Drones...................................................................................................................29

2.4.1 Class III......................................................................................................................................29

2.4.2 Class II.......................................................................................................................................29

2.4.3 Class I........................................................................................................................................30

2.5 Evolution of Drones.........................................................................................................................30

2.6 Factor to Consider Before Using A Drone........................................................................................30

2.6.1 Flying Time, Distance, and Area Coverage................................................................................31

2.6.2 Flying Height and Ground Control............................................................................................31

2.6.3 UAV Altitude Control................................................................................................................31

2.6.4 Manual and Automated Launch / Landing................................................................................31

2.6.5 System Failure and Retrieval.....................................................................................................32

2.6.6 Flying Conditions.......................................................................................................................32

2.7.7 Mission Planning.......................................................................................................................32

2.6.8 Operation and Control..............................................................................................................32

2.6.9 Digital Image Processing Software............................................................................................33

3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................34

3.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................34

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3.2 Research Design...............................................................................................................................34

3.3Study Population..............................................................................................................................34

3.4 Research Tools.................................................................................................................................34

3.5 Sample Design (sampling techniques).............................................................................................34

3.6 Sample Size......................................................................................................................................35

3.7 Research Procedure.........................................................................................................................35

3.8 Data Collection................................................................................................................................36

3.9 Challenges Faced During Data Collection.........................................................................................37

3.10 Data Quality Control......................................................................................................................37

4.0 RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DATA ANALYSIS.........................................................................................38

4.1 The Activities Drone Technology Can Perform in the Construction Industry of Uganda..................38

4.1.1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Used for Monitoring Site Safety.....................................................38

4.1.2 Drones Used for Traffic Surveillance.........................................................................................38

4.1.3 UAV’s Used for Monitoring Structures......................................................................................39

4.1.4 Aerial Assessment of Road Surface Condition..........................................................................39

4.1.5 Bridge Inspection......................................................................................................................40

4.1.6 Drones Used for Real Estate, Urban And Regional Development.............................................41

4.1.7 Inspection of Mining Pits, Monitoring Oil And Gas Pipelines....................................................42

4.1.8 Drones Used in Marine And Under Water Inspections.............................................................43

4.1.9 Aerial Surveying (UAV photogrammetry).....................................................................................44

4.2 All in rates for drones......................................................................................................................51

4.3 Rules and regulations surrounding drone technology all over the world........................................53

4.4 EU Regulations.................................................................................................................................54

4.5 UK Regulations.................................................................................................................................55

4.6 UAVs and privacy.............................................................................................................................56

4.7 Rules and regulations surrounding drone technology in Uganda....................................................57

5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION..............................................................................................59

5.1 Contribution to knowledge..............................................................................................................60

5.2 Recommendations...........................................................................................................................60

5.2.1 Formulating proper rules and regulations about the use of drone technology........................60

5.2.2 Introducing training courses and schools.................................................................................60

5.2.3 Creating more awareness of drone technology in the construction industry...........................61

5.2.4 Creation of drone hubs and repair centers...............................................................................61

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5.2.5 Fostering more research and development in the use of drone technology............................61

REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................62

APPENDIX..................................................................................................................................................63

APPENDIX 1 Activity schedule................................................................................................................63

APPENDIX 2 Budget...............................................................................................................................64

APPENDIX 3 INTERVIEW GUIDE 1..........................................................................................................65

APPENDIX 4 INTERVIEW GUIDE 2..........................................................................................................67

APPENDIX 5 INTERVIEW GUIDE 3..........................................................................................................70

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 DJI Phantom 2 Figure 2 DJI Phantom 3...................................19

Figure 5 DJI Inspire 1 Figure 6 DJI Inspire 1....................20

Figure 9 Yuneec Q500 4K Figure 10 Yuneec Q500 4K......................20

Figure 12 3DR Solo Figure13 3DR Solo........................21

Figure 15 Hubsan X4 Figure 16 Hubsan X4...............................22

Figure 18 Blade Nano QX Figure 19 Blade Nano QX......................................22

Figure 20 Parrot Bebop Figure 21 Parrot Bebop.....................23

Figure 23 TBS Gemini Figure 24 TBS Gemini..........................24

Figure 26 3D Robotics Iris + Figure 27 3D Robotics Iris +...............25

Figure 29 3D Robotics Iris X8 Figure 30 3D Robotics X8 +.....................25

Figure 32 Quannum Nova Figure 33 Quannum Nova.............................26

Figure 35 LaTrax Alias Figure 36 LaTrax Alias.........................27

Figure 37 Parrot AR Drone 2.0 Figure 38 Parrot AR Drone 2.0........................27

Figure 39 QAV 400.......................................................................................................................28

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ABBREVIATION

AUVSI - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Systems International

UAV -Unmanned aerial vehicles

U.S- United states of America

3DR- 3 Dimension Rotator

EASA- Europe the European Aviation Safety Agency

CAA- Civil Aviation Authorities

ICAO -The International Civil Aviation Organization

RP- Remote piloting

JARUS -Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems

GCS- ground control system

ITU- The International Telecommunication Union

MTOM- Maximum Take Off Mass

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1.0 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

According to (Insurance Services Office, 2014), During World War II, the U.S. military

endeavored to create an unmanned aerial vehicle. Reports indicate this military operation

involved a B-17 bomber equipped with TV cameras, parachutes, and explosives. The plan was

for the bomber pilot to take off, reach a designated altitude, and bail out, while a pilot in a second

plane used remote controls to guide the highly explosive plane to its target. This mission met

with little success with the pilot dying during the operation of the task.

While unmanned aerial vehicles were only in their infancy during World War II, the efforts of

the “greatest generation” helped lay the groundwork for today. Drones, or unmanned aircraft

today have become an integral part of the U.S. military. People around the world are buying

drones online and using them to take aerial photos or videos. (Overview, n.d.)Based on 2013

teal group analyzed that civilian application of drones was at 12% and predicted that it will be

30% by 2030.Businesses are integrating drones into their long-term strategies and considering

potential uses.

According to (Cossio et al., 2012) in agriculture, the association of unmanned aerial vehicles

systems international (AUVSI) reports that over 100 drones are being used in china and japan to

closely monitor crops to improve management and yields. The association also predicts that

drones used for agriculture could comprise over 80% of future drone use.

Mining companies are already deploying drones worldwide with great efficiency and safety

gains to accurately measure site conditions, inspect pit walls, calculate quantities, and measure

and map in 3D. Photogrammetric techniques are used for 3D modelling however more precise

laser LiDAR sensors for UAV platforms will be developed in time(Raja, n.d.).

Monitoring from above of construction project sites provides a new input during all phases of a

project lifecycle. Aerial photography is currently used on only the largest projects but this will

change in the future as costs reduce. The ability to quickly model from above in 3D with

increasing precision will provide a check on projects compared to plans, as well as the better

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coordination of materials on the job site. Monitoring activity across a large, complex

construction site is particularly difficult because there are so many moving parts, and because the

jobs being performed change frequently. A report published in 2009 by the National Research

Council of the National Academies found that construction lags behind other industries such as

manufacturing in terms of productivity, and blamed the situation on problems with planning,

coordination, and communication.

The Inspections, from pipelines to power lines to towers, to processing plants, the inspection of

complex infrastructure will benefit from regular aerial monitoring. The ability to sense in three

dimensions, take thermal readings, and to detect metal strain will greatly improve infrastructure

inspection (Cossio et al., 2012).

1.2 Problem Statement

The Construction Industry is growing and under ever more pressure to reduce costs, increase

quality, reduce work time and environmental impact. Inspection, monitoring and surveying on

large construction projects are very intense, expensive and time consuming activities. This is

especially so for road, railway and pipe line construction projects where surveying, inspection

and monitoring costs are high, efficient monitoring is difficult due to the longevity of the

structures. In tunnel and bridge construction workers are told to inspect in very dangerous and

unhealthy conditions. According to (Irizarry, Gheisari, & Walker, 2012), the construction

industry is one of the most dangerous industries in the world with a fata rate of 9.5 per 10,000

full time workers. There is also an increasing demand for real time inspection, monitoring and

data processing imagery to develop more accurate and reliable 3D images. On the other hand

drone technology has developed beyond military use and various civilian applications have

started to be incorporated into the society. In the construction industry the use of unmanned

aerial vehicles can make inspection, monitoring and surveying on large construction projects

faster, less costly, safer, more reliable and accurate.

1.3 Main Objective

Is to assess the applicability of drone technology in Uganda’s construction industry.

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1.4 Specific Objectives

1. Identify the activities drones can perform in the construction industry.

2. Assess the costs involved in using a drone to perform the activities.

3. Review the rules and regulations surrounding the use of drone technology in the

construction industry.

4. Identify the challenges facing the use of drone technology in the construction industry.

5. Assess whether drone technology can be adopted in the construction industry.

1.5 Significance of Study

The study and research findings will help to policy makers or implementers in

Uganda to understand drone technology, their relevance in the construction industry

and their significance in addressing the issues involved in monitoring, inspection and

surveying.

The study will create awareness to the public about the existence of drone technology

and the advantages of acquiring one.

The researcher seeks to help students in the related field to benefit from the findings

and also give room for more research in same field of drone technology

1.6 Scope of study

1.6.1 Academic Scope

This research is to concentrates on the drone technology, what activities they can do in

construction and also embodies the rules and regulations surrounding the use of drones and

economic impact in terms of costs involved in their use.

1.6.2 Geographical Scope

The geographical scope is to base in Uganda. The study will be looking at the large construction

projects that are taking place all over the country that may necessitate the use of drone

technology. Particular emphasis will be placed national roads, the Uganda section of the Uganda-

Kenya standard gauge railway

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1.7 Justification of the Study

There is hardly any literature discussing the impact of drone technology on the construction

industry in Uganda. There is also a misconception about drone technology as only military

based.

Unlike previous worldwide researchers, this particular research will focus on what activities

drones can do in the construction industry, their economic and social ramifications and whether

they can be integrated into the country’s construction industry.

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2.0 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

This chapter provides an insight into the history unmanned aerial systems, their evolution,

definition, types and why they are needed.

2.1 Definition of Drones

(Industry, 2014), A drone is an aerial vehicle which does not have an on board pilot. They are

officially known as UAV’s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). They have been brought into public

attention due to their uses in recent military operations, though their civilian use has been going

on since the 90’s, mainly in agriculture.

(AIS, 2013),Defined by the U.S. Department of Defense as “an aircraft or balloon that does not

carry a human operator and is capable of flight under remote control or autonomous

programming,”

2.2 Drone Companies

From commercial drones for civil applications to military unmanned aircraft, this selection of

game changing companies reveals the potential of the very fast growing drone market. The

selected companies are based all around the world, with a focus on Europe and France(Agarwal,

Mohan, & Kumar, 2014).

2.2.1Titan

This company founded in the USA in 2012 and mainly deals with constructor clients. Titan has

developed a solar powered drone that can navigate for up to three years at a twenty kilometers

altitude. The drone is 15 meters long with a 50 meters wingspan.

Google bought Titan in April 2014, and could use its drones to enable Internet access in remote

areas, in addition to taking high-quality images for

Google maps. Facebook had allegedly entered into discussions with Titan a few months before

its acquisition by Google.

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2.2.2Delta

This is a company that was founded in France in 2011. It mainly has constructor clients with a

head count of over 30 employees and an investment of over 3.9 million pounds. By 2013 the

company had turnover of over 696,000 pounds Delta Drone has developed two drones: one with

a fixed wing, the other with a rotary wing. The main focus is inspection, but the drones can also

operate in sectors such as agriculture or geology.

The company offers both a renting model and a service model. It has created the Ecole Française

du Drone , to train drone operators. Unlike its competitors, Delta Drone has decided to go public

very quickly, and has been listed on Alternext since June 2013.

2.2.3 DJI

This company was founded in china in 2013 with over 800 employees and turnover of $131m

The star product of DJI is the Phantom, a mass market drone launched in January 2013, and

available from $500 (without the camera). The company has grown its sales very quickly, with

an average of 20,000 units per month since its launch, and is now Parrot’s most serious

challenger on the market. DJI has released a second version of the Phantom in December 2013.

The Phantom now starts to be used for surveillance and film-shooting purposes.

2.2.4 Parrot

Founded in 1994 by Henri Seydoux, Parrot has been widely investing in the drone sector since

2010, and has become a global leader in drones with its famous A/R drone - until the arrival of

DJI on the market. The company strategy is to accelerate its sales in the market by launching

new products and enhancing its distributors network, while developing its business (which

represented 15% of 2013 turnover).

2.2.5 Sense Fly

This company was founded in Switzerland in 2009 with a financing of over $4m and a turnover

of $6.3m by 2013. The main product of Sensefly is a fixed wing drone called the eBee. Its

applications range from agriculture (monitoring of crop health, with a dedicated sensor

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developed by Airinov) to 3D mapping (via a software developed by Pix4D, another Parrot

subsidy). More than 500 drones were sold in 2013, at a price around €15k. Parrot took a majority

share (56,6%) in Sensefly in July 2012

2.2.6 Airinov

This company was founded in France in 2010 with over 10 employees and financing of $ 1.6m.

With the help of INRA, Airinov has desiged a sensor that analyzes the reflection of the sunlight

on the plants, so as to estimate the crop health. The data is then analyzed in a dedicated software.

The sensor is implemented in Sensefly’s eBee . Parrot took a minority stake in Airinov (20.9%)

in February 2014.

2.2.7 Gimball

This company was founded in Switzerland in 2014.Gimball aims to operate in inaccessible

places. The drone can navigate close to infrastructures, since it will not be damaged if hitting an

obstacle thanks to its spherical carbon fiber protection. It can be used for inspecting tunnels,

power plant boilers, wind turbine blades, etc. The drone also has a strong potential, since it is

less dangerous than usual drones.

2.2.8 Novadem

This company was founded in France in 2006 Novadem is a French company specializing in

rotary winged drones. It has developed three drones for three specific markets: military,

inspection, and photo/video. One of Novadem’s drone’s advantages is that they can be easily

folded, which is key forthe military market in particular

2.2.9 Tech Ject

This was founded in USA in 2012.Techject has gained a lot of visibility with its Dragonfly

drone, which was originally financed through a $1m grant from the US Air Force, and then with

a Indiegogo campaign that helped raise more than $1m. The drone is 15cm long and imitates the

fly of a dragonfly, with flapping wings, which allows it to be used in spying and security

scenarios. The drone is the result of four years of R&D at Georgia Tech. A similar approach has

been taken by the American company AeroVironment ($250m of turnover), with its

Hummingbird drone.

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2.2.10 Red Bird

This company was founded in France in 2013 Redbird is an operator. The company does not

manufacture drones, but it flies them. Among the drone constructors supplying Redbird are

DelairTech and Gatewing (fixed wing), MicroDrones (rotary wing). Missions include inspection

of transportation networks, mines and quarries, realization of 3D maps (photogrammetry),

surveillance, etc

2.2.11 Photo Kite

This company was founded in Switzerland in 2014. Photo kite offers a different approach to the

drone market. Considering that flying a drone is a rather complicated task, requiring usually

hours of training, photokite has developed a drone attached to a tether, hence very easy to

operate: the user orientates the drone, turns it on, and then releases it; he can move the drone

with the tether, just like he would do with a dog - or a kite. Other than photo/video usages in the

B2C market, photokite has applications in the B2B Market: photo/video journalism, inspection.

2.2.12 General Atomics

This company was founded in the USA in 1955 and now has financing of over $2.4bn. General

Atomics is an American defense contractor. Its MQ1Predator drone is one of the most famous

military drones, and has been used in many exterior operations by several armies. It is 8 meters

long with a 17 meters wing-span, and its max endurance is 40 hours. The following version, the

Predator B, has been sold to the American, French, British and Italian armies. The Predator C is

currently under testing.

2.2.13 Cymber Hawk

This company was founded in Scotland in 2008. Cyberhawk drones conduct close visual and

thermal inspections of industrial assets both on-shore and off-shore such as flares, wind turbines

and utility transmission towers. Using a drone to realize such hazardous tasks means that the

infrastructures do not have to be shut down during the inspection, which allows to realize

important savings. Cyberhawk’s clients are mainly oil and gas companies, such as Exxon Mobil,

Shell, Total and BP. Cyberhawk raised £1.25m in June 2013, so as to accelerate its growth and

enter new markets.

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2.2.14 Micro Drones

This company was founded in Germany in 2005.The star drone, the md4-1000, has a flight time

of up to 88 min. and a payload of 1200g. It can be used for security, surveillance and inspection.

The German police, as well as the Swedish and Chinese police, are among its clients.

The company has sold more than a thousand drones, and focuses on expanding its resellers

network. Micro drones also distributes the PIX4D software (in which Parrot has invested in July

2012) to complete its off

2.3 Types of Drones

There are so many types of civilian drones on the market. Civilian drones now count for 70% of

all manufactured drones in the world(Babel, President, Risk, & Consultant, n.d.). Some of them

include the following;

2.3.1 DJI Phantom 3 and Phantom 2 Series

One of the best drones for sale right now is the Phantom 3. Here are some of the features that

make the Phantom 3 my favorite drone.

4K Video with 12 Megapixel Photos 

Live HD Video streaming to your mobile device (can also stream to YouTube)

Powerful Mobile App (just like the DJI Inspire)

Faster Charging Battery Charger

Advanced Vision Positioning for Indoor Flight

True 20-minute flight times.

Free In-app Flight simulator for learning to fly.

By the time the research was made the Phantom 3 was priced at $1259 the Phantom 3 for the

easiest drone to fly with the most flight time, features and great video quality, the Phantom 3 is

the only option that one would recommend to just about anyone. There are a few other drones

that have similar functionality to the Phantom 3. The Phantom 3 comes in four different models.

At the top of the food chain, DJI’s Phantom 3 Professional comes standard with follow-me, GPS

waypoints, point-of-interest, optical-flow and ultrasonic sensors (for height and position hold

when no GPS signal is available), 4K video recording, 20-minute flight times and more. The

Phantom 3 Advanced will do everything that the Phantom 3 Professional can do, but at 1080p

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instead of 4K. At $700, the Phantom 3 Standard is the cheapest Phantom 3 you can buy. It has a

cheaper controller design (taken from the older Phantom 2), no optical-flow or ultrasonic

sensors, but it still has follow-me, GPS waypoints and shoots 2.7k video.

With the Phantom 3 Standard, you’re basically getting something comparable to a 3DR solo with

a GoPro Hero 4 Silver and gimbal for less than half the cost. The last model which came out a

few weeks ago is the Phantom 3 4K. It has a lot of great features like 4K but at the same price as

the Phantom 3 advanced.

Figure 1 DJI Phantom 2 Figure 2 DJI Phantom 3

2.3.2DJI Inspire 1  & Inspire 1 PRO w/ 4K video

The DJI inspire 1 is the most professional ready-to-fly drone one can buy. It is probably one of

the most advanced quadcopters. The Inspire 1 comes standard with all of the features of the

Phantom 3 Professional, but with a much bigger and higher quality design. It's almost twice as

big and twice as fast as the Phantom 3 and with its transforming design, the propellers will

almost never be seen in your videos. Additionally, the Inspire 1 comes with a 4K camera on a

360 degree panning gimbal, which means that one can control the motion of the camera

completely independently of the Inspire 1. This makes it great for dual pilot operation, but also

for getting locked in shots in almost any wind conditions.

For Professional video use, the Inspire 1 comes in two other variants with superior Image quality

to even the most expensive aerial platforms in it’s size. If one need a high quality camera for

shooting pro quality video The Inspire 1 pro is a version of the inspire 1 that features a micro-

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four-thirds 4K camera with 13 stops of dynamic range, interchangeable lenses and a sensor that’s

8 times larger than the standard Inspire 1 camera.

The inspire 1 costs about $2900 and is mainly for people who want an amazing tool for aerial

photography, videography, search and rescue, 3D mapping, or any other professional application.

Figure 3 DJI Inspire 1 Figure 4 DJI Inspire 1

 2.3.3 Yuneec Q500 4K

Compared to DJI and 3D robotics, Yuneec is a relatively unknown company, however that hasn’t

stopped them from competing. The q500 4K is the newest model from Yuneec and as the name

implies, it shoots 4K video just like the Phantom 3 and Solo. It has lots of great features for the

price. For example, it comes with two batteries and a hand mount that allows you to take the

camera (and gimbal) off the quadcopter to use it as a mini handheld stabilized camera system.

$1300 is cost of Q500 4K. Because the Q500 4K isn’t super popular compared to the other

models, one will not find a lot of information and videos about it yet, nor will there be any third-

party accessories available. The most interesting feature of the Q500 4K is that it has a android

device built into the controller, so there’s no need to use your tablet or smartphone, although the

quality of the screen on the controller is definitely subpar compared to an iPad.

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Figure 5 Yuneec Q500 4K Figure 6 Yuneec Q500 4K

2.3.4 3DR Solo

The 3D robotics Solo is extremely functional and easy to use. It has many features similar to the

Phantom 3 but instead of using a built-in camera, it uses the GoPro Hero 4. This means that you

have the ability to take the camera off and use it for whatever you want. The biggest difference

between the Solo and almost any other ready-to-fly camera drone is that it’s modular/upgradable

but still easy to use. It has a gimbal bay and an accessory bay, meaning that third-pardy

companies can easily make new gimbals along with other accessories. One can get the Solo for

only $999, however this price does not include the GoPro or 3 axis gimbal. If one wanted to get

the Solo with the 3DR gimbal and a GoPro Hero 4 Black Edition, the total cost will be around

$1900.

Figure 7 3DR Solo Figure8 3DR Solo

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2.3.5 Hubsan X4

The Hubsan X4 is about the same size as the Nano QX, but roughly half of the price. There’s 4

different versions of the Hubsan X4. The cheapest version is about $45 USD (including the

controller). It doesn’t have an Agility mode like the Nano QX so you can’t fly with complete

manual control, but it’s pretty fast and maneuverable (even with auto leveling). It also has 6 LED

lights which can be turned on and off from the controller. Speaking of controllers, the controller

that comes with the 3 cheaper Hubsan models is actually pretty nice. The next 2 versions of the

Hubsan X4 have cameras. They’re slightly bigger and heavier than the cheaper version of the

X4, but the flight time is about the same. The H107C is the version with a standard definition

camera and the 61170-02 is the one with a 720p camera. The only problem with the HD version

is that it’s more expensive and the flight time is slightly less.

The most expensive version of the Hubsan X4 is the H107D. It’s mainly for FPV, which allows

you to see everything that the drone can see in real time. The design is slightly different from any

of the other models and it has a black antenna on the bottom.

Figure 9 Hubsan X4 Figure 10 Hubsan X4

2.3.6 Blade Nano QX

The nano QX is a lot like the LaTrax Alias but smaller. Because it’s a few inches smaller than

the Alias it doesn’t have as much authority. It has two flight modes, stability and agility. In

agility mode, you have full control over the quadcopter to learn how to fly manually (it will not

auto level itself). In stability mode, it will automatically level itself when you let go of the

controls.

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The nano doesn’t have the auto flipping functions that the Alias does. Since the Nano QX is

smaller than the Alias, it’s only $90 instead of $150. One of the major problems about having a

smaller quadcopter like the Nano QX is that it’s harder to see when flying far away, so it’s easier

to lose orientation.

Figure 11 Blade Nano QX Figure 12 Blade Nano QX

2.3.7 Parrot Bebop

The Parrot Bebop is one of the more technologically advanced drones for sale right now. It’s the

AR Drone’s smaller, smarter, faster and more expensive little brother.

Just like the AR Drone, you can control the Bebop with your iPhone or Android device. But with

the Bebop, there’s an optional Sky Controller which will allow you to have real joystick controls,

extended range, HDMI output and a few other cool things.

The Bebop has a lot of improvements over the AR Drone 2.0, but the most interesting feature is

the video system. It has a 14-megapixel camera with a 180-degree field-of-view fisheye lens.

Since the camera lens has such a wide field-of-view and a really fast processor, the Bebop is able

to take the full 14-megapixel image, fix the image distortion (eliminating the fisheye effect),

stabilize the image, then send the live video back to your phone. What all that means is that

you’ll be getting a digitally stabilized standard definition video feed straight to your phone. At

the same time, It also records digitally stabilized 1080p video to the 8GB of onboard memory.

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The price for the Bebop is $499 USD and you have to use your smartphone to fly it, which

means that you won’t have precise controls unless you buy the optional $400 Sky Controller

(making it $899 USD total).

Figure 13 Parrot Bebop Figure 14 Parrot Bebop

2.3.8 Tbs Gemini

The TBS GEMINI is a tiny little hex copter designed specifically for FPV (first person view)

racing. It’s actually one of the only FPV racing drones for sale that comes ready to fly.

The first thing that one would notice when watching videos of the GEMINI is the fact that it

hovers with the nose tilted up. This is because all of the motors are tilted forward by about 10

degrees. Doing this will actually improve the performance of the drone by decreasing drag and

increasing speed in forward flight. Another cool feature of the GEMINI is the modular design. If

one was to look on the inside of this little hexacopter, you would notice it’s not like a typical

hobby grade drone. Like the QAV400, the GEMINI isn’t for everyone though. It’s mostly

intended for people who want to get into the hobby side of drones and just want something really

small and fast for FPV.As far as price goes, it’s about $600. Availability for the GEMINI is

pretty good, so one shouldn’t have a super hard time getting it.

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Figure 15 TBS Gemini Figure 16 TBS Gemini

2.3.9 3d Robotics Iris +

Out of all the drones for sale, (other than the AR Drone) the IRIS has the biggest list of features.

In a nutshell, the IRIS is for people who have never owned a drone before, but want something

that they can tinker with and modify.

It has a lot of auto-pilot features such as auto takeoff and landing, GPS waypoint flight (with a

computer or android device), live data telemetry and more. You can also order the IRIS with a

brushless gimbal for the GoPro (made by a company called Tarot) for shooting aerial video.

The IRIS is an interesting quadcopter, especially for people who want to learn about flight

controllers and how auto-pilot systems work. It costs about $750.The iris is also not that user

friendly.

Figure 17 3D Robotics Iris + Figure 18 3D Robotics Iris +

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2.3.10 3d Robotics X8+

The 3D Robotics X8+ is like the tank of ready-to-fly drones for sale. it has 8 motors that turn

large 11 inch propellers. With all that power, it's able to lift over 800g (about 2 pounds) of

payload, making it a great option for lifting large cameras and LIDAR systems.

Basically, the X8 is like the bigger brother of the IRIS. It has the same flight controller, but the

electronics are just bigger and better. One good thing about having 8 motors in this

configuration, is that you get extra redundancy. For example, one motor could completely shut

off and the drone would still hover in the air without any issue.

Another feature that both the X8+ and IRIS+ have is the popular "follow me" feature that

everyone talks about. In this mode, the drone will try to follow you around by getting GPS

position information from your smartphone.

Figure 19 3D Robotics Iris X8 Figure 20 3D Robotics X8 +

2.3.11 Quanum Nova

If you’re on a budget and want a lot of features for your money, the Quanum Nova is probably

the best option. It has a similar shell design to the DJI Phantom 2, but it’s running the same

software as the 3D Robotics IRIS, which means that it has almost all of the features of the IRIS

(with the exception of data telemetry) at a fraction of the cost.

The Quanum Nova is only $300 which is very low for what it can do. One has to buy the battery

and charger separately, but even when adding that to the full cost it would only be about $400 for

everything ($350 less than the IRIS). Just like the IRIS, the Nova also has an optional brushless

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gimbal for the GoPro that costs $100 extra. The main thing to take into consideration with the

Quanum Nova is that it’s a very cheap quadcopter.

Figure 21 Quannum Nova Figure 22 Quannum Nova

2.3.12 Latrax Alias

If one wanted to learn how to fly a quadcopter manually, the LaTrax Alias is a great way to start.

The reason why it’s a good quadcopter to learn with is because it has a full manual flight mode

and it’s extremely durable. This means that you can learn how to fly without worrying too much

about crashing.

Since it’s about 7 inches wide and has big propellers it also has great authority, so doing bank

turns, pirouette maneuvers and more would be no problem. It’s also big enough to carry a small

camera like the 808 keychain camera. People install video transmitters and do FPV. The Alias

costs around $150.

Figure 23 LaTrax Alias Figure 24 LaTrax Alias

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2.3.13Parrot AR Drone 2.0

When the AR Drone 2.0 first came out, it was one of the coolest drones for sale on the market. It

has a 1GHz 32 bit processor, 1GB of ram, gyros, accelerometers, magnetometers, a pressure

sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, 2 cameras and more. Even though it’s over 2 years old, the AR

Drone is still one of the most advanced quadcopters available in its price range which is $299.

The biggest feature of the AR Drone is that it can be controlled from your iPhone. One can also

see a live video feed from the phone screen and record video. It’s even running Linux and there’s

an AR Drone open API platform, so you can program it to do whatever you want.The AR drone

can only be controlled with your phone, meaning that you can’t use a normal RC controller with

real control sticks. That also means that there’s no way to fly manually.

Figure 25 Parrot AR Drone 2.0 Figure 26 Parrot AR Drone 2.0

2.3.14 QAV400

The QAV400 is a quadcopter designed for sport flying and FPV (first person view). It’s actually

just a frame that’s sold so people can add their own electronics to it, but you can get a ready-to-

fly version with all of the electronics installed if you’re willing to pay extra.

The feeling you get when flying FPV with this quadcopter is absolutely amazing. That being

said, I wouldn’t recommend buying anything like this unless you already have experience with

RC planes or helicopters. This is truly a hobbyist type of multirotor and all of the parts and

components are high quality, customizable and made by completely different companies. So

getting it set up and fixing it when you crash would be a lot harder than most of the other ready-

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to-fly options out there. The price for this quadcopter is $970 which is normal for ready-to-fly

multirotors in this category.

Figure 27 QAV 400

2.3.15 Proto X

The Proto X is one of the smallest drones for sale on the planet. It has 3 gyros, 3 accelerometers,

4 motor speed controllers and a radio receiver all shoved into a tiny PCB board about the size of

a quarter.

The price for this little drone is only about $38. It’s one of the cheapest quadcopters you can buy

(but cheap isn’t necessarily a good thing). It’s very fast for how small it is, but at the same time

since the rotors are so small and close together, people have found that it’s a bit hard to do bank

turns with it. Since the Proto X is so cheap, there is a chance that you could buy a defective one,

but you can always just send it back.

2.4 Classification of Drones

According (Juty & Morris, 2015),The definition of UAVs encompasses fixed and rotary wings

UAVs, lighter-than-air UAVs, lethal aerial vehicles, decoys and targets, alternatively piloted

aircrafts and uninhabited combat aerial vehicles.

Unmanned aerial vehicles can be:

Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) controlled from the ground.

Autonomously controlled by on-board computers.

Pre-programmed to fly specified routes.

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According to (PeterWijninga, Sijbren de Jong, 2015), drones can be classified under three major

categories,

2.4.1 Class III

These are drones that have a weight of over 600kg. The class iii drones come in three different

types, UCAV, HALE and the MALE.

The UCAV is basically a military, combat and tactical strike drone. It has an average elevation of

20km.the drone is usually used to an unlimited line of sight. They use an acquisition, target and

designation sensor suite. Examples of these drones include Pegasus, Phantom Ray, nEUROn,

Skat, AURA. Currently they are not being used for any civilian applications.

The HALE is used for strategic and national observation during military surveys. It also has an

average elevation of 20km. the drone is also used for an unlimited line of sight. They use

SAR/MTI sensor suite. These drones are also used real time imagery of large geographical areas.

Example of this type includes the global hawk and the Euro hawk.

The MALE, this is also used for strategic and national observation during military surveys. It is

very similar to the HALE. The only difference is its appearance and that it uses a ground search

radar and laser range finder as the sensor suites.

2.4.2 Class II

These are drones that basically are in the weight of between 150-600kg.In the military they are

used for tactical observation and strike operations. They can fly up to 3km in the air and have a

200km line of sight. Some civilian applications include real time high precision imagery of

geographical areas. Examples include sperwer and aerostar.

2.4.3 Class I

These are drones that weigh below 150kg. they come in three versions; small, mini and micro

drones. In the military they are used for tactical individual observations. They can fly up to 1km

in the air. Examples of these include black hornet, scan eagle, raven and aladin.

2.5 Evolution of Drones

According to (AIS, 2013)Unmanned systems have been in use by American armed forces since

1917, when the Kettering Aerial Torpedo flew using preset pneumatic and electrical controls.

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Radio control technology enabled the use of pilotless flight in both world wars on a limited basis,

and improvements in altimeter, gyrocompass and guidance technology led to increasing

deployments during the Vietnam era. From 1964 to 1975, the U.S. Air Force flew 3,435

reconnaissance drone missions over North Vietnam and its surrounding areas, and lost 554

UAVs during the conflict.9

With the advent of GPS technology, stealth-based three-dimensional thrust vectoring flight

control [jet steering], and advanced avionics, UAS entered the modern age in the late 1980s,

when they were effectively deployed for reconnaissance by the Israeli Air Force, and later by the

United States in the Balkans. In 1999, the United States flew 100,000 flight hours with

unmanned systems. Today, the United States flies more than 1 million unmanned flight hours

annually, and the Department of Defense operates more than 7,000 UAS. The growth of

unmanned systems for military and civil use is projected to continue through the next decade. It

is estimated that UAS spending will almost double over the next decade, from $6.6 billion to

$11.4 billion on an annual basis.

2.6 Factor to Consider Before Using a Drone

There are a range of factors to be considered when specifying an adequate unmanned aerial

system for a certain application. Some general considerations whilst others are dependent and

relative to the final purpose of a particular task the UAV must perform. The most relevant factors

to account for when choosing a UAV system are listed and briefly described below.

2.6.1 Flying Time, Distance, and Area Coverage

The extent of the area to survey is crucial for selection of an adequate UAV, capable to cover the

area in a reasonable time and with affordable power consumption. Among N-rotor platforms, DJI

claims that the Phantom Quadcopter can fly at horizontal speeds of 10 meters per second (36 km

per hour). However, given the battery life and energy required to travel vertically, it is not

possible to fly more than 2-4 kilometres from the ground location origin. The maximum vertical

speed is 6 meters per second, meaning it can rise to 30 m in as little as 5 seconds!

2.6.2 Flying Height and Ground Control

Realizable flying heights for UAVs depend very much upon the type and size of the platform,

the ‘fuel’, and the means of control. In the case of large drone-based systems the flying height

can be over 9000 m. Some small platforms can climb to 600-700 m although most are restricted

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by the control unit typically to heights below 400 m, when the control signal is lost. Generally

small platforms do not need to fly at such high altitude: for small area surveys where high

resolution imagery is required, the flying height may be only around 5-10 metres. For example,

in order to achieve 3.3 cm Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) imagery, a UAV may only be

required to fly at 100 m high. As the flying height increases, the area coverage increase, and the

image resolution decreases, depending on the camera resolution.

2.6.3 UAV Altitude Control

The flying height of a UAV depends on the characteristics of the platform and mission, but is

determined in particular by the propellers and the payload. Maximum flying time decreases when

flying height increases. Because the rotors spin faster to get higher altitude, the motors and the

entire system become hotter during the high flights. There is a noticeable decrease in

performance when going higher than 3000 m above sea level. However, this is unlikely to be a

problem in the UK where 400 feet is the maximum permitted flying height.

2.6.4 Manual and Automated Launch / Landing

Many small UAVs (e.g. N-copters) can take-off and land on the ground with or without the aid

of a landing pad. Some can also be hand launched and landed, making them very flexible and

easy to use. Larger and more sophisticated UAVs (N-rotor or fixed wing) require some form of

launching device to facilitate the take-off of the platform. These pieces of kit are additional

equipment that makes the logistics of the mission less easy and flexible. Safe retrieval is

important and whilst many platforms can be easily landed in areas of grass or bushes, this is not

always possible. In order to prevent damage to the sensors and aircraft, recovery options

including parachute and homing systems have been developed for recovery.

2.6.5 System Failure and Retrieval

System failure is not impossible or unlikely, and whilst most UAV platforms are now ReadyTo-

Fly (RTF) systems, problems can arise including rotor failure, fly-aways, and motor malfunction

amongst other things. Depending on the severity of the problem, UAV platforms could be

destroyed or damaged beyond repair together with the on-board sensors and electronics.

However, most UAV kit is built robust, and both easy and cheap to repair. Operators should have

ready to use spares (e.g. rotors, nuts, bolts) and ensure rigorously conducted thorough checks of

the system and platform prior and in between each flight.

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2.6.6 Flying Conditions

Most UAVs are restricted by the environmental flying conditions they can operate in. As most

platforms are not waterproof, this means that for the most part these platforms and their sensors

cannot be flown in anything other than dry conditions, especially for most electric powered

UAVs. If a UAV gets caught in the rain it is generally best to land as soon as possible.

2.7.7 Mission Planning

Mission planning software (http://ardupilot.com/downloads/?did=82) is now widely available

providing the basis for small UAV platforms to fly fully autonomously. Increasingly these are

designed to be plug and play and can be determined using waypoints ‘on the fly’ or via pre-

planning for an aerial sortie. Many e.g. Mission Planner and Droid Planner (see section 3.3.2 in

this report) arewidely available for use on tablets and smartphones and can be used to plan

repetitive and large area coverage flights for N-copters and fixed wing UAVs.

2.6.8 Operation and Control

In the past, most radio control model aircraft required considerable skills for launching, flying

and landing and was regarded as a specialist activity. Today, part of the attraction and rapidly

growing use of the small UAV platforms has been driven by developments in the technology

allowing virtually anyone to fly – with a shallow learning curve –small quadcopters, and more

recently the autonomous fixed wing aircraft increasingly used for aerial survey work. These days

many popular UAVs come ready to fly, the platform can fly in an autonomous mode in which

the aircraft is guided via GPS to pre-programmed waypoints. RTF aircraft can easily be flown

horizontally and vertically along a flight line using a monitor or goggles which display the view

over which the UAV is flying, and include altimetry, battery power and other useful parameters.

Simple radio-controlled hand-held controls, operating in the 36 MHz band or the 2.4 GHz bands,

with Mode 1 and mode 2 controls – left and right joysticks – allow the UAV to be controlled

easily.

2.6.9 Digital Image Processing Software

The photography acquired by UAVs can be visually interpreted with aerial photo-interpretation

techniques. Digital Image Processing (DIP) software, much of it now low-cost, can also be used

to geo-correct and mosaic the photographic prints or images together as the basis for onscreen

interpretation and the mapping of thematic information for subsequent input to a GIS. The lower

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cost of PCs and accompanying hardware (e.g. storage media, scanners, printers and software)

provides opportunities to capture, store, process and map the data in-house on a regular basis.

Digital image processing (e.g. geometric and radiometric corrections) can be performed with

standard or specialized DIP software. Furthermore, there is now a small range of UAV dedicated

software packages available specifically aimed at UAV image acquisition and correction, which

have similar functionality and better price. A few examples of UAV dedicated software are listed

below: Pix4D, Mosaic Mill, AirPhotoSE, Agisoft Photoscan Pro.

3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter consists of methods, procedures and techniques were used while carrying out the

study. It includes the research design, targeted population and sampling techniques used, the

research methodology, how the field study was carried out, how data was collected.

3.2 Research Design

Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection was used to measure the answers to

questions of better relationships and variables that can be obtained mathematically for explaining

purposes, predicting and controlling phenomena whereas qualitative methods were used to

answer questions about the complex nature of phenomena with the purpose of describing and

understanding the phenomena from the respondent’s point of view

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3.3Study Population

The study population was selective. It comprised of country’s construction companies and

consultants with particular emphasis given to those have engaged themselves with drone

technology.

3.4 Research Tools

This research involved various techniques which included: Interview guides, these were used for

interviewing and liaising with different drone operators and service providers to establish the

costs involved in the use drone technology. These interview guides were used with various

construction companies and consultants to acquire information about drone technology

awareness among the construction professions and the reasons why they think drones have not

been used by construction companies. Interview guides were also used to identify the rules and

regulations surrounding the use of drone technology in Uganda.

3.5 Sample Design (sampling techniques)

This research adopted a non-probability sampling technique. Purposive and convenience

sampling were used to generate a respondent list. This is because samples consisted of

individuals considered to have knowledge and information drone technology and those that were

easy to reach and acquire information from.

3.6 Sample Size

Formula for determining sample size (Morgan ,1970)

3.7 Research Procedure

Interview Guides

The design of interview guides took into consideration the objectives of the study as stated in

chapter 1.3 and 1.4 with the aim to answer the research questions. Great effort and analysis went

into designing the guides. Meetings with university supervisor were conducted to identify the

right questions required and to present them in a clear and an unambiguous format. Special care

was also taken into phrasing the questions in a language that is easily understood by respondents.

Content of Interview Guides

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Interview guide 1 as shown in Appendix had nine questions which addressed the rules and

regulations surrounding the use of drone technology. This guide was particularly directed to the

civil aviation authority as it’s the organization with the mandate to regulate any flying machine

over Ugandan air space. The questions targeted their role as regards to drone technology and

whether they had any regulations that they use to control drone activity in the country. The

interview also looked at whether there is need for one to register his/ her drone before using it.

The interview also contained questions pertaining the right procedure one needs to go through

before using his/ her drone for a particular activity.

Interview guide 2 as shown in the Appendix had 14 questions which addressed the objectives 1

and 2 of the study. The interview was directed mainly to companies and construction

professional that have used drone technology before. The questions presented to the respondents

were meant to capture their experience with drones, the activities they used them for, the reasons

why they opted to use drone technology and at what cost.

Interview guide 3 as shown in the appendix had 6 questions which addressed the main objective

of the study. The interview was directed to construction companies, consultancies that have not

used drone technology before. The questions targeted their awareness of drone technology,

reasons why they have not incorporated drone technology in their works and if they believe

drone technology can improve their monitoring, inspection and surveying techniques.

3.8 Data Collection

In the context of this research, interviews guides were adopted to investigate existing rules and

regulations surrounding the use of drone technology, the activities drone are doing in the

construction industry and the economic impact drone technology introduces to the construction

process. The interview was considered a suitable process of data collection that is capable to

provide rich information. This research used unstructured interviews to stimulate discussions and

breakdown any barriers between the interviewer and interviewees.

Interview guide 1 was used to interview the air rules and regulation manager at the civil aviation

authority. All questions in the guide pertaining the legislation of drone technology were

answered clearly.

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42 interviews were carried out in the investigation of activities drones can perform and economic

impact drone technology introduces in the construction industry. 10 companies that have ever

used drone technology were interviewed by the researcher. 26 companies that had no

incorporated drone technology in their works were also interviewed by the researcher. The

interviews were conducted with various construction professionals and managers within the

companies. The respondents were very cooperative and willing to give information although

information pertaining the costs and maintenance of the drones, the respondents readily willing

to give the information. The interviews were then grouped according to the professions of the

various respondents.

Telephone call and online chats were carried out with 6 drone manufacturing companies. These

companies were mainly based in the Europe and United states of America. The response to this

method was good as all information pertaining drone specification was acquired with additional

brochures also provided to the researcher for further information.

The raw data was edited for missing data, double entry answers and other ambiguities.

3.9 Challenges Faced During Data Collection

The time factor was of one of the biggest challenges. The researcher found most his

desired respondents having busy schedules. This made it a little difficult for the

researcher to get detailed information about drone technology.

The financial aspect may also be a limiting factor. Money needed to access the

drone service providers and the drone equipment may be financially straining.

Most of the respondents were not willing to give information pertaining the cost

involved in the use of drone technology.

The researcher found it difficult to get enough information about the use of drone

technology since few construction companies and consultants within the country

have used drones in their construction process.

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3.10 Data Quality Control.

Drawing upon the strengths of the different methods employed in collection of data, the validity

and reliability of the research is ensured since the questioners were brief and with clear

questions, interviews were with willing parties and observations discreet to improve the quality

or validity of the data.

4.0 RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DATA ANALYSIS

4.1 The Activities Drone Technology Can Perform in the Construction Industry of Uganda

Applications are often focused on the military areas, surveillance, inspection of transmission

lines and power distribution; low cost filming and panoramic picturing for the movie industry,

sport events, crop and herd monitoring, among others(Gomez & Green, 2014). In construction

various application of drones are being utilized as the following would show.

4.1.1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Used for Monitoring Site Safety

UAVs will be able to provide real-time visual information to monitor construction site safety.

As noted by (Gheisari, Irizarry and Walker 2012), in a constantly changing construction site the

safety manager’s job of direct observation site work and interaction with workers continuously

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and in real-time are an excellent application for UAVs. UAVs have the ability to reach difficult

positions on a construction site and provide live video streaming for safety managers. Hence it is

possible for safety managers to interact with site workers if the situation arises. Similarly,

Irizarry, Gheisari and Walker (2012) also discussed some of the benefits of using drones for the

construction jobsite safety management.

Photograph 1 and 2 drone used for site monitoring

Source; www.stewartsurveys.com

4.1.2 Drones Used for Traffic Surveillance

In (Coifman et al.2004) he conducted four field experiments for freeway conducted, intersection

movements, network paths, and parking lot monitoring. The UAV, equipped with an on-board

camera, was flying low (i.e. at an altitude of 500 ft) and an air speed of 30 mph while

transmitting the video images and providing aerial surveillance. He concluded that the UAS

could eventually be airborne most of the time since the operator would be on duty for any

emergency calls.

Photograph 2 Drone used for Traffic surveillance

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Source; aero-vision.com

4.1.3 UAV’s Used for Monitoring Structures

(Irizarry & Johnson, 2014), Inspecting and monitoring linear infrastructures such as roads,

pipelines, aqueducts, rivers, and canals are very important in ensuring the reliability and life

expectancy of these structures. A UAV can stay or fly on top of the structures and transmit a

precise image or video stream for inspecting and monitoring purposes. A study, sponsored by the

Office of Naval Research's (ONR) Autonomous Intelligent Network and Systems (AINS)

program, aimed to develop a control technology that can be used to produce infrastructure

monitoring or inspection video using an autonomous UAV. While most UAVs are commanded

to fly along a path defined by a sequence of GPS points (called waypoints), this study tried to

improve the performance by putting an imaging sensor to detect the linear structure. Therefore,

the UAV with a camera can navigate based on visual information rather than GPS information.

4.1.4 Aerial Assessment of Road Surface Condition

The assessment of road surface distress is an essential part of a road management system for

developing repair and maintenance strategies to ensure a good and an effective road

network(Irizarry & Johnson, 2014). Over the last decades, significant progress has been made

and new approaches have been proposed for efficient collection of pavement condition data. An

innovative UAV-based digital imaging system for aerial assessment of surface condition data

over rural roads has also been developed. The system for unpaved road image acquisition

consists of a UAV helicopter equipped with a digital camera, a GPS receiver, a ground control

station, an Inertial Navigation System (INS), and a geomagnetic sensor.

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The UAV features an electric engine with a payload of 15 lbs (6.8 kg) and is capable of flying

around 25 minutes with a fully charged battery. It can reach 650 ft (approx. 200 m) above the

ground and travel at a maximum speed of 30 ft (approx. 10 m) per second.

Photograph 3 Drone used for road surface inspection

Source; www.aeryon.com

4.1.5 Bridge Inspection

Field engineers and technicians working in infrastructure construction or inspection projects

need to conduct regularly scheduled routine inspections of highway bridges in order to determine

the physical and functional condition of a bridge and to identify changes compared to previous

inspections(Irizarry & Johnson, 2014). Furthermore, these inspections are conducted to ensure

that a bridge continues to satisfy all applicable serviceability requirements. In LCPC-Paris have

started a project pertaining to civil applications of a UAV for bridge inspection and traffic

surveillance. A UAV capable of quasi-stationary flights was used to inspect the bridge and detect

the location of defects and cracks. The UAV was equipped with a camera, an image transmitter,

and a vision system that included INS and GPS. It followed a predefined path and was controlled

by visual surveying (vision-based robot control). The size and location of defects and cracks

were detected through image treatment. In order to keep the object in the camera's view field, the

research team presented a control strategy for the autonomous flight with orientation limits.

Photograph 4 Drones used for bridge inspections

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Source; www.aeryon.com

4.1.6 Drones Used for Real Estate, Urban and Regional Development

The Urban regional authority of Australia is currently exploring using aerial images captured by

drones to create 3D digital models of our built heritage and city areas. This is done using a

technique called photogrammetry, which is the science of making measurements from

photographs. Urban regional authority of Australia and local drone start-up Avetics have worked

on a trial to create a 3D digital model of the Baba House at Neil Road. Creating fine-grained 3D

digital models of our built heritage potentially offers a new dimension to document our

conserved buildings in more intricate and accurate detail. Planners can use these digital models

to plan and carry out research, guide restoration, as well as monitor and manage the state of our

built heritage in a more effective way. At the same time, it enables our conservation planners to

easily ‘see’ rooftops and other aspects of conserved buildings, such as architectural motifs,

without having to physically scale the buildings. Sharing these 3D digital models with the public

also enables them to have a deeper appreciation of our built heritage.

Photograph 6 and 7 Drones used for urban development

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Source; www.dji-innovations.com

4.1.7 Inspection of Mining Pits, Monitoring Oil and Gas Pipelines

Oil and gas transmission pipelines comprise a network of more than three million km globally

(CIA, 2013) that is in continuous expansion (Smith, 2013). Pipeline networks are made up of

legs of different lengths, up to thousands of kilometers, and can have above- or below-ground

configurations. The safety and security of all pipelines, regardless of their size, placement, or

location, is of paramount importance to stakeholders and to the public. Proper maintenance of

pipeline networks is also important for environmental protection.

Equipment failure such as breakage or leaks can occur for many reasons, including overage of

structures and material failure, natural ground movement, accidental hot-tap, and third-party

interference. (Gomez & Green, 2014) Large amounts of oil and gas can be lost following a pipe

failure, and more importantly, hydrocarbon leaks can damage the environment through

contamination and pollution, seriously affecting ecological health and human security.

Developing and implementing monitoring systems that can continuously assess the state and

condition of oil and gas pipelines is essential.

Traditionally, monitoring pipeline networks has often been restricted to visual inspections or

volume and mass balance measurements. Currently, most of the monitoring is still performed

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using conventional methods, mainly through periodic inspections by foot patrols and aerial

surveillance using light aircraft or helicopters. Although ensuring a high level of security, the

cost of monitoring methods where there is intensive human involvement in the measurements is

also very high.

Furthermore, the main disadvantage of the methods used for monitoring and inspection is the

potential for late detection of failures, when the output (oil or gas) has been reduced, or the

environment has already been affected and damaged.

Some alternative approaches to monitoring pipelines that do not over rely on human intervention,

is the use of UAVs. These can over large and remote areas in a very short and effective period.

They are periodically sent out to inspect the oil and gas pipelines in order to detect any cracks,

breakages and leakages.

Photograph 8 and 9 Drone inspecting a mining pit and oil pipelines

Source; www.dji-innovations.com

4.1.8 Drones Used in Marine And Under Water Inspections

As a modern tele craft, the technology on UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) has become maturing

and widely used in the field of military affairs and civil purpose. Due to the good flexibility, high

efficiency, low cost and damage, low risk, and excellent monitoring ability and widespread

coverage, the UAV is capable of the waterborne supervision.

Nowadays, the Tianjin Maritime Safety Administration, Guangdong Maritime Safety

Administration and Changjiang Maritime Safety Administration have taken a trail and commerce

project on the UAV used for the maritime supervision and monitoring of aerial cruise.

44

At the same time, the UAV has been put into monitoring the oil leakage at sea. A series of

instances shows that the maritime system, fitted with UAVs and some monitoring systems,

Photograph 10 and 11 Drones used for marine inspection

Source; www.deltadrone.fr

4.1.9 Aerial Surveying (UAV photogrammetry)

The new terminology UAV photogrammetry describes a photogrammetric measurement

platform, which operates remotely controlled, semi autonomously, or autonomously, without a

pilot sitting in the vehicle. The platform is equipped with a photogrammetric measurement

system, including, but not limited to a small or medium size still-video or video camera, thermal

or infrared camera systems, airborne LiDAR system, or a combination thereof. Current standard

UAVs allow the registration and tracking of the position and orientation of the implemented

sensors in a local or global coordinate system. Hence, UAV photogrammetry can be understood

as a new photogrammetric measurement tool.

UAV photogrammetry opens various new applications in the close range domain, combining

aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, but also introduces new (near-) real time application and

low-cost alternatives to the classical manned aerial photogrammetry.

Existing UAVs can be used in large-scale and small-scale applications. The system price may

vary within some orders of magnitude, depending on the complexity of the system. With costs

45

between €1000 up to several millions of Euro, the system can be similar or even higher priced

compared to a standard manned aircraft system.

Photograph 12 and 13 Aerial image captured by a drone

Source; www.deltadrone.fr

From the research who carried out there were 36 respondents interviewed about their knowledge

of drone technology. These were mainly from the professional fields electrical engineering, civil

engineering, quantity surveying, architecture and project management. 80% of the respondents

were electrical engineers. This is due to the fact that the other professionals felt they could not

give detail in sight in the use of drone technology. The other reason was most the construction

companies interviewed would direct you to the Mechanical and Electrical department that was

mainly composed of electrical engineers. This is illustrated from the graph below.

46

Project

/ con

struc

tion m

anag

er

Civil e

ngine

er

Quanti

ty sur

veyo

r

Archite

cts

Electric

al en

gineer

02468

1012

Number of respondents

project/ co

nstructi

on manager

civil e

ngineer

quantity su

rveyo

r

archite

cts

Electrica

l engineer

Knowledge Of Drone Technology

yes no

The graph above clearly shows electrical engineering having more knowledge about drone

technology. This is due to the fact electrical engineers interact with similar kinds of technologies

during their studies and working environment.

From the research it was determined that most construction professionals don’t know about

drone technology. This is due to the fact that it’s a new kind of technology that is not yet well

sought out and integrated in their fields of work.

47

Projec

t/ co

nstructi

on manag

er

Civil en

ginee

r

Quantity su

rveyo

r

Archite

cts

Mechanica

l enginee

r02468

Drone Usage

YES NO

The graph above shows the number of construction professionals that have used drone

technology before. From the research it was discovered that most construction professionals have

not used drone technology in their works. This clearly shows that drone technology has not yet

been harnessed or properly tested out in the construction industry.

. DJI phantom 3 DJI phantom 2 yuneec Q 500 4K0

1020304050607080

Types of Drones Used

The graph above shows types of drones Most common drone used is the DJI phantom 3 because

its more reliable than the other types. This is because DJI phantom 3 has a longer lasting battery,

is more resilient to windy conditions. The DJI phantom 3 is more readily available and has easier

to learn navigation and control system as compared to the others.

48

According to the research carried out the average number of drones used for a particular activity

is 2 drones. This is because most of the work load the companies had did not require the use of

more than 3 drones.

60% 40%

Ownership Methods

HIRE OWN

The figure above illustrates that 60% of the companies that have ever used drones in their

activities preferred hiring them rather than fully purchasing and owning the drones. This is

because it’s difficult to own one as few companies sell them first of all.

Secondly the costs of maintenance, repairs and having a few time drone operators are transferred

to the hiring company. The burden of looking for extra work is also placed onto the hiring

company. Most of the companies interviewed had were using drone technology in a testing a

phase and therefore did not want to commit a lot of funds towards purchasing the drones

ROAD BUILDING PIPELINE WORK

DAMS OTHERS01234567

Types of Projects Drones Are Used On

s

From the research carried out it was determined that drone technology had been carried out

mostly on road design and construction projects with a few drone work carried out on buildings

and pipeline works. This is because road construction projects are more common in Uganda and

49

tend to cover a longer distance. This makes supervision very tiresome breeding the ideal

conditions for the use of drones.

From the research carried out it was found that 60% of companies have used drone technology

before, have used drones in average of 2 construction projects underlining the fact the drone is a

new technology that has not been fully engraved in the construction industry.

Monitoring of site safety

Building inspection

Aerial Photogramery

Infrastructure inspection

Urban regional planning

Activities Done By Drones

From the research carried out it was determined drone technology is mainly used for aerial

photogrammetry. This is because drone technology has made this activity far much cheaper,

faster and produced more resolute and clear aerial images as compared to the traditional use of a

manned aircrafts. Traffic surveillance and marine inspections are activities not often carried out

in Uganda that is why no drones have been used in their execution. Using drones for inspection

of buildings is still low in Uganda because the types of high resolution cameras that are used for

building inspection are still very expensive. There is also high difficulty in maneuvering a drone

around a building structure for inspection(Irizarry et al., 2012).

80% companies interviewed did not employ any drone specialist. This is because most of the

companies do not use drone technology a lot therefore did not find economically viable employ

them.

50

1-3 people 4-8 people 9-12 people0

20

40

60

80

Number of Operators

70% companies interviewed use roughly 1 to 3 drone operators when utilizing the drone. One

person flies the drone, the other directs the operator and looks out for any obstacles to avoid any

collisions.

The tables show the average cost of purchasing a drone, the average operational costs per day

and the annual maintenance costs. This information was obtained from various drone

manufacturing and distribution companies that included aeryon labs, sensefly, and DJI

Type Of Drone Average Cost of Drone

DJI phantom 3 UGX 9,200,000

DJI phantom 2 UGX 6,450,000

Yuneec Q500 4K UGX 3,600,000

DJI phantom 3 has the highest purchasing price as seen from the table above. This is because of

its higher specification capabilities and very high demand on the market.

Type of Drone Average Operations Costs Per Day

DJI phantom 3 UGX 182,000

DJI phantom 2 UGX 137,000

Yuneec Q500 4k UGX 92,000

From the table above the operational costs included costs of hire and wages of the operators. The

DJI phantom 3 had the highest operational costs. This is because the DJI phantom has more

capabilities and more complex navigational controls as compared to the other types.

51

Type of Drone Average Annual Maintenance Costs

DJI phantom 3 UGX 320,000

DJI phantom 2 UGX 275,000

Yuneec Q500 4k UGX 120,000

From the table above the annual maintenance cost includes changing batteries, cleaning the

camera lenses and replacing the propeller motor. The DJI phantom had the highest annual

maintenance costs. This is due to its high platform weight that drains the batteries and motor

faster than the other two types.

4.2 All in rates for drones

a) DJI phantom 3

Fixed costs;

Purchasing cost = 9,200,000

Running costs;

Operating costs = 182,000

Maintenance costs 320,000/365 = 877

Add 25% for profits and overheads = 2,345,719

Total = 11,728,596

b) DJI phantom 2

Fixed costs;

Purchasing cost = 6,450,000

Running costs;

Operating costs = 137,000

Maintenance costs 275,000/365 = 753

Add 25% for profits and overheads = 1,646,938

Total = 8,234,691

52

c) Yuneec Q500 4K

Fixed costs;

Purchasing cost = 3,600,000

Running costs;

Operating costs = 182,000

Maintenance costs 120,000/365 = 329

Add 25% for profits and overheads = 945,582

Total = 4,727,911

45%

12%

25%

18%

Reasons For Not Incorporating Drones

don’t know about them too expensive lack of manpower no need for them

The pie chart above illustrates the major reasons why some construction companies have not

incorporated drone technology in their activities. 45% of the respondents gave the reason not

knowing about them. This clearly shows that drone technology awareness is still at very low

levels in the construction sector(Industry, 2014).

53

4.3 Rules and regulations surrounding drone technology all over the world

Regulations

With the rapid development of UAV applications worldwide, coupled with a fair number of

ongoing incidents and accidents concerning UAVs and other airborne platforms usually

highlighted by the media, there is a growing call worldwide for tightening-up the current rules

and regulations concerning who, what, where and when UAV platforms can actually be flown.

Already in many countries (e.g. the UK, USA, Australia and Canada) there are moves to regulate

UAV flights, and to necessitate education and training of operators and pilots, including best

practice, guidelines, and operator insurance amongst many other things. Whilst the UK and USA

have been relatively slow in addressing this rapid growth in platform and user-base, Canada is

frequently cited as moving in the right direction concerning the rapid proliferation of a wide

range of UAV technology, from the hobbyist to the commercial service provider(Juty & Morris,

2015).

In 2007, a group of national authorities under the leadership of The Netherlands joined in an

effort to develop harmonized operational and technical regulations for “light” (i.e. less than 150

kg) UAS. JARUS (Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems) is open to

participation from all civil aviation authorities and current participants are from European and

non-European countries. JARUS is organized in seven working groups focusing on diverse

guidance and regulatory aspects (e.g. detect and avoid technology, command control and

communication). The primary output will be recommended operational requirements and

certification specifications. For example, the group dealing with technical requirements of

platforms is focusing on establishing certification specifications for various types of aircraft,

starting with light unmanned rotorcrafts.

Expansion of UAVs and applications will have an impact on the airspace, but other industry

areas will also be affected and need regulations and adaptation. UAV communication with the

ground control system (GCS) requires radio frequencies with sufficient band width. The

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has not yet allocated such bandwidth to UAVs,

hence they may have to use different radio frequencies in every country (Everaerts, 2008),

something to be considered by international operators and manufacturers.

54

4.4 EU Regulations

The capacity and responsibility to regulate UAVs rely on different bodies internationally. In

Europe the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulates all aspects in relation to UAV

that have a Maximum Take Off Mass (MTOM) of over 150 kg, while national Civil Aviation

Authorities (CAA) deal with light systems less than 150 kg (including fuel) which should fly at

altitudes below 150 m.

Legal operations with UAVs in Europe currently require:

The RPAS (RPA and remote pilot station) to be certificated or approved by the National

Aviation Authority (NAA) of the country where the operation takes place, or certificated

or approved by a Regional Authority (RA) with delegated authority. This certification

should cover all system constituents necessary for command and control (e.g.

transceivers) installed on board the RPA/UAV or on the ground, and under direct

management of the Operator.

The Command & Control link to be provided by a Communications Service Provider

(COM SP) has to be certificated or approved by the NAA or a RA of the country where

the operation takes place;

The Remote Pilot (RP) has to be licensed by the NAA of the country where the operation

takes place.

The Operator has to be certificated, approved, or authorized by the NAA of the country

where the operation takes place, and is required to possess the obligatory third party

liability insurance (which may vary in function of the type of operation). For a specific

aerial operation, approved operators have to apply for a flight authorization using a

specific RPAS in a defined area, possibly on specific day(s). The duration of the validity

of the flight authorizations varies from one day to two years in different EU countries.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aims to provide fundamental international

regulatory framework through standards and recommended practices with supporting Procedures

for Air Navigation Services (PANS) and guidance material, to underpin routine operation of

UAS throughout the world in a safe, harmonized in a seamless manner comparable to that of

manned operations. According to ICAO, only Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) will be able to

integrate into the international civil aviation system in the foreseeable future.

55

RPA that utilize visual line of sight (VLOS) as the basis for navigation would not require an on-

board means for determining position or the ability to fly an instrument approach. Operations of

these aircraft are usually conducted under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) to ensure the

remote pilot can maintain continuous and direct visual observation of the RPA and its

surrounding environment. In cases where small RPA have a requirement to fly beyond VLOS,

they will need a means to meet navigation capabilities for the airspace within which they are

operating. This could involve an alternative means of achieving the navigation performance.

RPA that traverse several airspace volumes may operate for the most part under Instrument

Flight Rules) (IFR). Such RPA will have to meet the communications, navigation, and

surveillance requirements and have an appropriate aircraft operational certification associated

with the airspace.

4.5 UK Regulations

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the UK has regulated UAS flights in two documents

which are eventually updated to incorporate relevant changes: CAP393 Air Navigation: The

Order and the Regulations (CAA, 2014), and CAP 722 Unmanned Aircraft System Operations in

UK Airspace (CAA, 2012). Small Unmanned Aircraft (lightweight UAVs of less than 20kg) are

exempted from the majority of the UK Air Navigation Order (CAP393 document). However,

detailed regulation is established specifically for these vehicles in articles 166 and 167 of the

CAP393.

UAV that weigh more than 20kg are currently banned from flying in civilian airspace other than

in a large zone in west Wales and a smaller one over the military base at Boscombe Down.

UAVs that are less than 20kg (small unmanned aircraft) can fly in normal airspace for private

use as long as the operator is not planning to use data or images from the flight acquired by

flying close to people or objects. UAVs have to remain 150m from congested events or large

assemblies, 50m from a person or building, and within visual line of sight (VLOS) (500m

horizontally and 122m vertically). Flights beyond VLOS can be permitted but the operators need

to demonstrate they can fly the plane safely. Live-streaming from the UAV to the pilot is not

considered a good enough measure by the CAA to allow drones to be flown beyond VLOS.

Anyone who is using a drone under 20kg for commercial purposes has to be licensed to ensure

that they are sufficiently trained to fly the plane and have the appropriate insurance in place.

56

General guidelines to fly UAV for civilian applications in UK:

Small UAV under 7kg can be flown exempt from any restrictive rules

UAV under 20kg can be flown following CAA rules

Fly inside visual line of sight (VLOS):

a) Vertically < 400ft (~122m) b) Horizontally < 500m

Maintain a pilot in control, (ability to take manual control and fly the aircraft out of

danger)

Stay away from built-up or congested areas

A permission from the CAA is required to:

a) fly for commercial use industry b) fly near congested areas

Currently, as of December 2014, with the rapidly growing interest in and expanding end-user

community, there is increasingly growing concern about the use of UAVs of any size in general.

Daily reports of accidents and near misses between drones and civilian aircraft has escalated

concern about the safety issues of these small aerial platforms, not so much for commercial

operators, but the growing number of individuals and hobbyists who clearly have no sense of the

danger and risk that carelessly flown UAV platforms, no matter how small can pose to people,

animals, installations, and now passenger airliners, aside from the security and privacy issues

that have been raised. Irrespective of whether or not these platforms are classed as toys or

aircraft, all platforms with or without sensors on board can pose considerable risk which

ultimately will probably lead to a requirement for not only extended guidelines for their safe and

responsible operation, but also training, retraining, and insurance.

4.6 UAVs and privacy

The potential uses for UAVs stagger the imagination. The units are relatively inexpensive, so

the possible pool of users is much larger than for conventional aircraft or helicopters that

historically have been used for aerial monitoring or photography. Drones can go many places a

plane or helicopter cannot, such as over fences and next to windows, and that ability raises

serious privacy issues. Intentions might not even be an issue: an agent using a UAV to take a

panoramic video of a listed property might find that he or she accidentally recorded a view of the

neighbors inside their home.

57

In 2013 and 2014, 15 states in the USA enacted laws relating to UAVs and privacy. Of these,

most initially focus on law enforcement drones. Eleven states (Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Illinois,

Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin) passed laws that

specifically require law enforcement to obtain a warrant before conducting a search with a UAV.

In Iowa, the state law also prohibits the use of UAVs to enforce traffic laws.

States also moved to protect individual privacy from private drones. Laws in Indiana and

Louisiana make it a criminal offense to use a UAV to monitor or photograph property without

the property owner’s consent. In Illinois and Tennessee, it is unlawful to use UAVs to interfere

with hunters and fishers. Idaho law allows a person to bring a lawsuit against one who uses a

UAV to photograph or record the person without his or her written consent, if the operator

intends to publish or publicly disseminate the photo or recording(Planners, 2015). North Carolina

also grants a private right of action to a person who is photographed without their consent by a

drone operator. In Oregon, the law allows an owner or occupant of property to bring a civil

action against a person who flies a UAV over the property at an altitude of less than 400 feet in

certain circumstances.

4.7 Rules and regulations surrounding drone technology in Uganda

In Uganda at all aircraft machinery operating in Ugandan air space are subject to regulation by

the civil aviation authority of Uganda as stipulated by civil aviation authority act 1991 that states

that all aircraft operating in Uganda airspace, whether the aircraft is of foreign or Uganda

registry, and to Uganda aircraft operating outside of Uganda territory shall be subject to this act.

With that said, since drones are considered to aircraft that means drone activities in Uganda are

bound by this act. Therefore, a person with the intention of flying a drone should be in line with

this act. However, since drone technology is a new and emerging market in Uganda civil aviation

authority has not set up any regulations as of the time this research was carried out. This is

because civil aviation authority of Uganda subscribes to the international civil aviation authority

organization Chicago convention and as of the time this research was carried out plans for proper

integration of drones into the airspace was still in its infant stages.However, the international

civil aviation authority organization has set time lines for for integrating all drone classes: By

58

2018, initial integration into non-segregated airspace (i.e. where manned aircraft also flies). By

2028, full integration, i.e. so that drones can communicate with air traffic control

Procedure carried out before operating a drone in Uganda

Every drone project should lay in a certain ministry. Therefore, permission for one to use

a drone is first sought from that ministry. For example, if a student wanted to fly a drone,

then he would seek for permission from Ministry of education and Sports.

Then he would have to go to the highest security organ in the land which is the central

military Intelligence(CMI) at the headquarters of Ministry of Defense. He is then

awarded a letter that makes the security organ aware of his activities.

He then proceeds to apply to fly the drone in Ugandan air space from the civil Aviation

authority.

If accepted, he then proceeds to the area of interest and then seeks permission and letters

of acceptance from the local authorities like the police station or barracks in the area, the

LC5, LC3 and LC1 of the area.

Information to be availed to the various authorities

Type and purpose of work to be done

Duration of work

Area of coverage of work

Type of drone and equipment specifications to be used

Information to be collected

59

5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Introduction

The main objective of this research was to assess the applicability of drone technology in

Uganda’s construction industry. This chapter includes the conclusions, contributions and

recommendations that can bring forth drone technology to the construction industry. This

research had 5 specific objectives which were achieved through reviewing literature and data

collection using interview guides and participant questionnaires. The data collected was then

analyzed in detail. The first objective was to identify the activities drones can perform in the

construction industry, the second objective was to assess the economic impact drone technology

would have on the construction process, the third objective was to identify the rules and

regulations surrounding the use of drone technology in Uganda, the fourth was to identify the

challenges facing applicability drone technology in Uganda and the last was to suggest remedies

and recommendations.

Conclusions

It is an established fact that most construction professionals do not know about drone

technology being used in the construction industry.

There are no proper and clear rules, regulations and registration procedures

surrounding the use of drone technology in Uganda.

Most construction companies that have used drones in the construction process just

hire them for a particular task.

Drone technology is mainly used in when inspecting and monitoring infrastructure

There is limited skilled man power that can properly operate and process data from

drone technology.

There is also limited access to spare parts and repairs for drone technology in

Uganda.

The construction industry plays an important role in the economic contribution for the

development of the country. Therefore, incorporating drone technology would surely make

60

construction industry faster, easier and more accurate in order to carter for the ever increasing

demands laid upon it. Despite the increase awareness and use of drones in other sectors, the

government and professional bodies in the construction industry should come with more

mechanism to promote the use of drone technology in the industry.

In this paper, it has been discussed that the Ugandan construction industry needs to start

increasingly use newly advanced construction techniques in order to boost its efficiency and also

carter for the increasing demands weighing on the construction industry.

5.1 Contribution to knowledge

Building on the existing knowledge on the applicability of drone technology in the construction

industry, this research has provided a greater insight into the activities drone can perform in the

construction process, the rules and regulations surrounding drone technology and the challenges

people using drones are facing. Therefore, the findings will be useful to professionals,

employers, technical consultants among others assessing academicians in the advancement of

their studies in related of similar subject matter.

5.2 Recommendations

A number of recommendations have been put forward to provide some direction for drone

technology to be properly integrated into the construction industry.

From the findings and conclusions, the following options are recommended for proper

integration drone technology in the construction industry country wide;

5.2.1 Formulating proper rules and regulations about the use of drone technology.

The government in conjunction with the civil aviation authority should come with proper rules

and regulations pertaining the use of drone technology in Uganda. The rules governing how to

get it into the country, where and how some should fly it and the fines for not following the

rules. The civil aviation authority should also come with mechanisms for tracking and regulating

the use drones in the country. For example, coming up with a registration procedure and database

for all drones within the country. Setting laws to govern the trespass and nuisance that drones

tend to breed.

61

5.2.2 Introducing training courses and schools

The government, civil aviation authority in conjunction with other private entities should come

up with a proper training and licensing course for anyone wishing to operate a drone. This would

avoid future accidents of drones flying into people and injuring them. Schools and training

centers should be set up for those who want to learn, practice and master that art of operating

drones. This will foster development and improvement the field as well.

5.2.3 Creating more awareness of drone technology in the construction industry

Drone manufacturers should create more awareness of the wonders drones can perform in the

construction industry to the various industry players like constructors and consultants. This can

be through seminars and product expos within Uganda where various construction companies

and consultants can be invited witness a demonstration of drones can make their construction

works faster, easier and more accurate. Drone companies should also increase on the level

marketing and advertising in order to foster more awareness and willingness to get drones into

the main stream of the construction industry.

5.2.4 Creation of drone hubs and repair centers.

Drone companies and manufacturers should set up hub centers, service centers, sales offices and

repair centers within the country. This would make it easier for one to buy a drone, get its spare

parts and repairs for his/ her drone. This will also avail more information to the public on how to

use a drone thus fostering its applicability in the construction industry.

5.2.5 Fostering more research and development in the use of drone technology

The government and other private entities should provide more avenues for more research to be

made about drones. This would make the technology become cheaper, easier to use and more

advanced making it more reliable and relevant in the construction industry. This can be done by

availing finances to students or companies carrying out research into drone technology.

62

REFERENCES

Agarwal, S., Mohan, A., & Kumar, K. (2014). Design, Construction and Structure Analysis of

Twinrotor UAV. International Journal of Instrumentation and Control Systems, 4(1), 33–

42. http://doi.org/10.5121/ijics.2014.4103

AIS. (2013). Unmanned aircraft systems: Perceptions and potential. Aerospace Industries

Association, 1–16. http://doi.org/10.1002/9780470664797

Babel, J., President, A. V., Risk, S., & Consultant, E. (n.d.). Up in the Air : The emerging issue

of drones in the construction industry.

Cossio, M. L. T., Giesen, L. F., Araya, G., Pérez-Cotapos, M. L. S., VERGARA, R. L., Manca,

M., … Héritier, F. (2012). No Title No Title. Uma Ética Para Quantos?, XXXIII(2), 81–87.

http://doi.org/10.1007/s13398-014-0173-7.2

Gomez, C., & Green, D. R. (2014). Small-Scale Airborne Platforms for Oil and Gas Pipeline

Monitoring and Mapping.

Industry, D. (2014). Drone technology.

Insurance Services Office. (2014). Exploring Drones, 17.

Irizarry, J., Gheisari, M., & Walker, B. N. (2012). Usability Assessment of Drone Technology

As Safety Inspection Tools, 17(September), 194–212.

Irizarry, J., & Johnson, E. N. (2014). Feasibility Study to Determine the Economic and

Operational Benefits of Utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

Juty, N., & Morris, C. (2015). Drones in the Construction Industry What are Drones ?, (October).

63

Overview, M. (n.d.). Drones :

PeterWijninga, Sijbren de Jong, W. O. (2015). A Blessing in the Skies? - Challenges and

Opportunities in Creating Space for UAVs in the Netherlands.

Planners, W. (2015). Unmanned Aerial Systems ( UAS / Drones ) & Your Future What Planners

& Designers Need to Know, 14614(June), 2015–2016.

Raja, O. (n.d.). Creative Construction : Using Drones to Improve Construction Processes.

APPENDIX

APPENDIX 1 Activity schedule

Months of the year

Activities Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May

Generation of

idea

Literature review

Proposal writing

Proposal

presentation

Data collection

Data analysis and

interpretation

Report writing

Report

presentation

Final report

compilation

64

Research

submission

APPENDIX 2 Budget

ITEM Unit Quantity Rate Amount(UGX)

Airtime Lump

sum

1 200,000 200,000

Transport Trips 10 15,000 150,000

Logistics and

stationery

Lump

sum

1 4,000 40,000

Research

assistant

lumpsum 1 250,000 250,000

Accommodation lump sum 1 300,000 300,000

Miscellaneous Item 1 100,000 100,000

Total expenses 1,040,000

65

APPENDIX 3 INTERVIEW GUIDE 1

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN, ART AND TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS

INTERVIEW GUIDE 1

TOPIC: ASSESING THE APPLICABILITTY OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY IN THE

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

OBJECTIVE: To identify the legislation surrounding the use of drone technology in the

construction industry.

SECTION A: RESPONDENT BACKGROUND

1. Position______________________________________________________________

2. Company Name: ________________________________________________

3. Nature of business____________________________________________________

SECTION B

4. What is the role of the civil aviation in regards drone technology in Uganda?

66

5. Does one need to register his/ her drone before using it?

YES NO

6. What is the procedure for registering a drone?

7. Are there any fines or penalties for one who does not register a drone?

YES NO

8. If yes, what fines or penalties are available to one who does not register a drone?

9. What regulation does civil aviation authority have in place to regulate use of drone

technology?

67

APPENDIX 4 INTERVIEW GUIDE 2

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN, ART AND TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS

INTERVIEW GUIDE 2

TOPIC: ASSESING THE APPLICABILITTY OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY IN THE

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

OBJECTIVE:

To identify the Identify the activities drones can perform in the construction

industry.

Assessing the economic impact of drone technology in the construction industry.

I am s student from the department of construction management economics Makerere University.

Am carrying out research about the above topic. With much respect and honor, you have been

identified as one of my key respondents.

SECTION A: RESPONDENT BACKGROUND

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1. Position: ______________________________________________________________

2. Company Name:

3. Nature of business: ____________________________________________________

SECTION B

4. What type of drones does the company use?

5. How many drones does the company use?

6. Does the company own or hire the drone?

7. What type of projects does the company use the drones?

8. On how many projects has the company used drones?

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9. What is the cost of the drones used in the company?

10. What activities does the company use the drones for?

11. Why did you decide to use drone technology in your construction works?

12. Does the company have specialists for the drone operations?

YES NO

13. IF yes, how many people does the company employ for the drone operations?

14. How much does the company incur in operation?

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APPENDIX 5 INTERVIEW GUIDE 3

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN, ART AND TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS

INTERVIEW GUIDE 3

TOPIC: ASSESING THE APPLICABILITTY OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY IN THE

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

OBJECTIVE:

Identify the activities drones can perform in the construction industry.

I am s student from the department of construction management economics Makerere University.

Am carrying out research about the above topic. With much respect and honor, you have been

identified as one of my key respondents.

SECTION A: RESPONDENT BACKGROUND

1. Position______________________________________________________________

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2. Company Name : ________________________________________________

3. Nature of business____________________________________________________

SECTION B

4. Have you had of drone technology being used in the construction industry before?

YES NO

5. Have you ever used drone technology in your construction works?

YES NO

6. If NO, why haven’t you incorporated drone technology in your works?

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