Merry Christmas & Welcome 2025!

[adm_geomatics]

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Drones hits new heights and low in 2024, with so many major breakthroughs in mapping and data tech reshaping industries across the board I thought I would start a discussion of what everyone’s goals are for 2025. Here are three exciting highlights that matured quite a bit in 2024 that I expect are going to put hardware way behind capability. What are you going to be focusing on that will improve your work?

1. Smarter 3D Mapping with Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF)
   New tech like FlyNeRF is taking 3D mapping to the next level. By combining Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) with drone data, we’re getting super detailed reconstructions that are perfect for things like monitoring environments, preserving heritage sites, and even upping the game in surveillance.
2. Better Navigation with VI-SLAM
   Drones equipped with Visual-Inertial Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VI-SLAM) tech are navigating tricky areas like forests and underground spaces with ease. This system ditches heavy LiDAR setups in favor of lightweight sensors, making it a game-changer for exploring challenging environments quickly and safely.
3. Facade Mapping for Construction and Repairs
   In construction, drones are now scanning building exteriors to spot structural issues, energy leaks, or material wear with amazing accuracy. They create detailed digital models that architects and engineers can use to plan repairs without putting workers in harm’s way. It’s safer, faster, and way more efficient than traditional methods.

These advancements—from advanced 3D modeling to smart navigation and precise facade scanning—show just how much drones are leveling up. While the debate over restricting Chinese drones like DJI is heating up, it’s also sparking fresh opportunities for domestic innovation. This could mean more investment in U.S.-made drones, paving the way for new, homegrown tech to lead the charge in the industry’s next big chapter. In my opinion 2025 is going to be a big year for data management and analysis. I think we’ll see more standardization of file types and more integration across the board of multiple platforms, as well as more software integration that will allow us to stretch the effect of drone data across all use cases. It’ll be alright y’all.