Esri Partners with 3DR to Launch the ArcGIS Drone Collection

Esri, a provider of location intelligence, announced that it has partnered with 3DR, a leading US drone data company, to expand Esri's current drone imagery offering, Drone2Map for ArcGIS, with an end-to-end enterprise drone data and analytics solution for Esri's ArcGIS platform. The ArcGIS Drone Collection offers scalable solutions for users ranging from small operators to enterprise-wide drone programs. Esri customers can now achieve operational efficiency by leveraging the elastic processing capabilities of the cloud.

By adding 3DR's powerful Site Scan unmanned aerial systems flight planning and processing software to ArcGIS, users benefit by having extensive and powerful drone flight planning and image processing, management, and analysis capabilities within a single solution. With Site Scan, users can quickly plan and execute their drone flights.

"Esri chose to partner with 3DR because of its outstanding track record for delivering premium software-as-a-service and hardware solutions that include seamless integration with Esri software," said Richard Cooke, Esri director of global remote sensing and imagery. "For field validation of collected data, Drone2Map will process data in a disconnected environment. When users are connected to the internet, they can use Site Scan's secure and private cloud to upload, process, and store an unlimited number of images and projects in an elastic and scalable environment."

The ArcGIS Drone Collection software can be used by organizations that need drone imagery—for visual inspections, site monitoring, asset management, or situational awareness—and then want to analyze that imagery to gain greater insights into their operations. For instance, utilities that want to inspect power lines—or architecture, engineering, and construction organizations that want to monitor site construction—need a quick, cost-effective way to assess the integrity of their assets or the extent of possible damage.

"Drones are ready to work at enterprise scale," said Chris Anderson, CEO of 3DR. "We're proud to be partnering with the industry's geospatial leader to release a best-of-breed solution that builds on Esri's powerful platform and customer relationships. This partnership allows us to offer the complete package—the combination of the best US government-approved drone with an incredibly easy-to-use app built on Esri's powerful map APIs, along with fast cloud processing and one-click integration with ArcGIS."

This new solution enables a seamless workflow, from drone flight planning, launch, and image capture all the way to data analysis and dissemination. Containing these processes in one solution provides users with a more cost-effective workflow that also saves time.

"Once the data products are created, customers can access and work with the data directly from their Esri ArcGIS Online account or download the raw data to ArcGIS Pro for more in-depth analysis," said Cooke. "They can also leverage ArcGIS mobile apps to collect ground control points and to bring feature services from ArcGIS into Site Scan to improve their flight plans with more actionable data."