Propeller

Propeller serves companies in the aggregates, waste management, mining, and civil construction industries worldwide.

The Propeller Platform lets you import drone survey data and project designs in a number of file formats. You can also export your drone survey data in a wide range of formats, so that you have easy access to the data you need for existing workflows in programs like Trimble Business Center, Agtek, Carlson, Vulcan, and AutoCAD.

Absolutely. Propeller hosts the majority of its platform on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform. AWS provides state-of-the-art data center security that complies with industry standards such as SOC, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001. All physical network and server security responsibility is delegated to AWS. Propeller also manages a private cloud of on-premises servers for the intensive data processing tasks required to generate the 3D models that Propeller produces. These servers and their network are housed in a secure building, protected by self-closing, swipe-access doors, alarms, and security cameras. They are further protected by a locked physical barrier around the servers themselves.

Much like our physical network security, the majority of our virtual network security is handled by AWS. Amazon provides completely isolated environments where we deploy our applications, and they do so for over one million companies and government organizations across the globe. Some well-known clients who use Amazon to protect their data include NASA, Shell, Autodesk, British Gas, GE, Hitachi, Lafarge, Trimble, and the US State Department. Learn more about Propeller’s commitment to keeping your data secure here.

We have a dedicated team of experts to assist with customer and data success. Visit our About Us page to learn more about our Customer Success teams.

Yes, you can check out Propeller for yourself with a 14-day free trial where you can upload your own data and visualize your site in our platform. Sign up here for your free trial.

After you’ve flown your site, you can upload drone imagery and ground control information using our drag-and-drop uploader. For a step-by-step guide, check out this help center article.

Propeller can work with essentially any drone that has proper camera capabilities. Visit our online Supported Drones and Cameras Tool to learn more.

Currently, the Propeller Platform only processes photogrammetric drone survey data, not thermal or lidar. However, we do accept the import of pre-processed lidar data (.LAZ files).

It depends on the kind of drone technology and ground control you’re using. For a traditional drone (e.g., non-PPK/RTK), and 10 AeroPoints, you can expect to get a 3D survey accurate down to 3/10ft (9cm). With the Propeller PPK solution, you can achieve uniform 1/10ft (3cm) accuracy with only one AeroPoint, (if you follow our recommended best practices) .

Absolutely. Proper ground control is vital for survey accuracy. Depending on your drone surveying solution, different setups are needed. For a solution like Propeller PPK, you only need one AeroPoint on solid ground to achieve 1/10ft accuracy. For traditional drone surveying, like with a Phantom 4 Pro, we recommend using 10 AeroPoints to achieve survey-grade accuracy.

Getting Part 107 certified to commercially operate a drone in the US means a formal test with the FAA. Check out how easy it really is in our blog post on the topic.

Getting your ARN certificate from CASA is simple. You can do everything online, just make sure you have ID documents ready. See how it works here.

Once you’ve uploaded your drone imagery and ground control data to the Propeller Platform, data processing takes 24 hours at most. We’ll notify you via email when your 3D survey is ready to view.