On June 14, Global UAV Technologies Ltd., InDro Robotics Inc., and High Eye Aerial Imaging Inc. conducted the first UAS mapping mission over a major Canadian metropolitan city, flying over the downtown core of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

The mission, which was a first of its kind operation, was completed for the City of Victoria’s Emergency Management Division and conducted alongside members of Transport Canada.

“This first of its kind operation signals a significant achievement for High Eye, InDro and Global UAV. The ability to safely operate a UAV over a populated downtown core without interrupting people’s daily commute is a milestone event and will aid in progressing UAV regulations in Canada,” says Jeremy McCalla, Global UAV Technologies’ Business Development and Operations Manager.

“The successful collaboration between Global UAV, InDro Robotics, Transport Canada and the City of Victoria on the project provides a foundation for future collaborations on similar missions.”

Approximately 1,000 high resolution images were collected using a Sensefly eBee plus RTK/PPK UAS during two flights that covered an area of 1.5 square kilometers. A professional flight crew that included personnel from all three entities completed the survey in just one day.

“Transport Canada’s willingness to work with the team to ensure this mission, vital to emergency planning and preparedness, could be flown in an efficient and safe manner has provided not only a wealth of data for emergency response but also a new depth of knowledge for future operations in such environments,” says Phillip Reece, CEO of InDro Robotics.

​A video about the mapping mission can be seen below: