Cheaper. Faster. Safer A Charlotte UAV Client Success Story

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1 Cheaper. Faster. Safer A Charlotte UAV Client Success Story Client Focus: Mecklenburg County Prepared by:

2 Client Success Story Mecklenburg County CharlotteUAV : An Ideal Partner for Mecklenburg County The Client: Mecklenburg County s Mapping and Project Services (MaPS) Division provides mapping technology for the county and the city of Charlotte in North Carolina. It is responsible for providing accurate and timely information for agencies handling a wide range of functions, including property assessment, 911 services, code enforcement, air and water quality management, flood control, land development and parks and recreation. The division also provides extensive real estate and community information to the public through a variety of portals. The Challenge: Mecklenburg County and Charlotte are among the fastest growing areas in the nation. Documenting the changing uses of 545 square miles has been increasingly challenging even with annual (and expensive) aerial photography by traditional aircraft. Failure to document development and redevelopment in a timely manner causes problems ranging from inaccurate property assessments to delays in collecting storm-water fees for needed flood control projects. Other traditional methods of collecting needed data and imagery such as water-quality staff wading through streams to detect illicit runoff or building inspectors crawling on rooftops are slow, costly and can be dangerous. Outdated or inadequate data also causes life-safety concerns when 911 operators dispatch medic, fire and police in response to emergencies. Charlotte UAV has helped Mecklenburg County keep pace with our rapid growth with aerial and other imagery that is faster, cheaper and safer than traditional methods. Andy Goretti, Manager, Mecklenburg County MaPS Division Company Profile Mecklenburg County Service Provider Charlotte UAV Client Since 2017 About the Client The MaPS division was formed to create, maintain, and disseminate Mecklenburg County's geographic information to support both internal and external land planning and management efforts. At A Glance Challenge Mecklenburg County wants to leverage drone technology but local officials are reluctant to use them due to liability, public relations concerns, and the cost of keeping up with rapidly changing technology. Solution Mecklenburg County contracted with CharlotteUAV via public bid process for 1 year. After a successful year of outsourcing its UAV services, Mecklenburg County has decided to renew the contract and looks to continue to explore new ways to utilize drone technology.

3 The Challenge (continued): Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, commonly known as drones) have quickly become popular as a cost-effective means of aerial photography, particularly for the real estate industry. But they also have been controversial as a potential invasion of privacy or, when hobbyists operate them near airports, as a danger to aviation. As a result, local government officials have been reluctant to use drones widely due to liability and public relations concerns. Others worry that purchasing drones may be an unwise investment due to rapidly changing UAV technology. The Solution: After first researching and rejecting purchasing drones due to these concerns, in 2017 Mecklenburg County became one of the first in the nation to seek bids from UAV operators to assist with aerial data collection. The county discovered most bidders were engineering or survey firms, with many receiving their training and equipment from Charlotte UAV. Charlotte UAV also developed and produced its own equipment, assuring its UAVs are cutting edge. Charlotte UAV also pledged to be a partner with the county, experimenting with new uses for UAVs, incorporating the county s existing technology, and being immediately available The county agreed to a one-year contract with Charlotte UAV for the fiscal year, and the county recently renewed their contract for another year. Shown Above: One of Charlotte UAV s custom platforms used for R&D. The Results: Charlotte UAV completed more than ten projects for Mecklenburg County MaPS Division during the first year. A sample of results and use cases are detailed in the following pages: MORE TIMELY STORM-WATER FEES 1000 s of aerial images are collected and stitched together to create a high resolution orthophotograph used for assessing fees for a new development s impervious area. The county assesses a fee for a property s impervious area (e.g. areas covered by asphalt, concrete, and rooftops) where rain water runs off into storm drains. Fees collected help finance flood control projects, such as stream restoration and acquisition of property in flood plains. Charlotte UAV detects new development that covers impervious areas much sooner than possible with traditional methods of annual aircraft surveys, county staff drive-bys and building permit reviews. For example, gas service stations typically can be completed in 30 to 45 days, covering soil with asphalt and creating new runoff. In the past, it often took 18 months to document this development and start assessing storm-water fees. With Charlotte UAV surveillance, development was detected and fees assessed almost immediately.

4 Client Success Story Mecklenburg County UPDATED & ACCURATE 911 MAPS Charlotte UAV flights helped map addresses more quickly in a rapidly developing area called Waverly, to assure accurate dispatches of medics, fire and police. In the past, limited address information could delay responses to construction accidents in these fast-developing areas. IMMEDIATE EVALUATION OF CONTROLLED BURNS Naturalists at the county s McDowell Nature Center and Preserve conducted a 110-acre controlled burn to prevent forest overgrowth and wild fires. In the past, it would have required hiring a helicopter and taken at least six months to analyze the results. Charlotte UAV surveyed the burn immediately, allowing naturalists to see results before vegetation regrowth and to plan future controlled burns, at approximately one-fifth the cost of historical costs. FINDING WATER POLLUTION Charlotte UAV & Mecklenburg County experimented with different thermal cameras and detected an illegal discharge into a county stream during daylight hours. In the past, county staff have had to wade the streams in search of runoff or hire traditional aircraft to fly at night. The thermal image indicates a thermal exception on the edge of the pond. Both pairs of imagery indicate the same anomaly.

5 GAINING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR PROJECTS Mecklenburg county used Aerial footage from one Charlotte UAV project which identified eroded and debris-filled streams that need to be restored for more effective flood control. Another project captured the beauty of the county s waterways to build public support for greenways. The high-resolution imagery was a new and effective tool in communicating with the public. ATTRACTING DEVELOPMENT: Mecklenburg county contracts Charlotte UAV to acquire high-quality photographs & videos which helps communicate with distant companies considering relocation or expansion in Mecklenburg County. Developers use this data to more confidently analyze available industrial and commercial sites. FUTURE USES: Mecklenburg County & Charlotte UAV have agreed to grow and test more use cases and UAV-based workflows. Some use cases plans for 2019 and beyond include: Infrastructure Inspection, River Silt Measurment, Building Envelope Inspections, Search & Rescue, Crime Scene Re-Construction, Development Monitoring, 2019 Property Tax ReEvaluation, and more... Shown Above: Charlotte UAV captured the existing conditions of miles of streamways by using 2 pilots and 1 collision-tolerant drone. Traditional methods were timely, unreliable, and not affordable. THE BOTTOM LINE: Local governments face increasing pressure to capture data more accurately and with greater timeliness, particularly in fast-growing areas. Unmanned aerial vehicles increasingly are being accepted as an important tool to help cities and counties keep pace. Contracting with a qualified vendor rather than county owned-and-operated UAVs avoids potential liability concerns. Charlotte UAV is a national leader in developing and operating UAVs, with a proven track record of rapid-response, cost-effective services. Charlotte UAV s flexibility in developing new applications and coordinating with existing software also has made the company an ideal partner for Mecklenburg County. ABOUT CHARLOTTE UAV: Charlotte UAV is a fully licensed and insured drone services provider and robotics manufacturer located in Charlotte, NC. Founded in 2013 by two former Air-force veterans, Charlotte UAV has grown to 2 locations and offers hardware, software, training, consulting, and services to municipalities, universities, energy utilities, design-build firms, Hollywood production houses, and the United States Department of Defense. Charlotte UAV s drones, ground rovers, and boats are proudly American Made! For More Information, Contact: Brett Smith, Owner brett@charlotteuav.com (704)