Service 04
Thermal imaging and inspection
A radiometric sensor records an actual temperature at every pixel, which turns a hunch into a measurement. Flown in the right window, thermal finds what a visual pass cannot see at all.
What you get
- Thermal orthomosaic of the full area with anomalies marked and coordinates listed
- Paired visual imagery so each finding ties to a physical feature
- Temperature values per finding, not just colours
- A print ready field data sheet where crews need to carry the findings
- Repeat capture to track whether a suspected area is spreading
How it is flown
- Pre dawn starts on landfill and roofing work, when thermal contrast is strongest
- Radiometric capture, so every pixel carries a temperature value
- Altitude set to the size of the anomaly you need to find
- High overlap for a clean thermal mosaic rather than a folder of loose frames
Related case study
Capture reference
- Sensor
- Radiometric thermal + RGB
- Reference altitude
- 100 m AGL
- Reference GSD
- 13 cm/px
- Overlap
- 90% front / 85% side
- Window
- Pre dawn preferred
A landfill hot spot program west of Edmonton was flown at 100 m AGL for a 13 cm/px thermal ground sample distance with 90 percent front and 85 percent side overlap and a pre dawn start chosen for thermal contrast, delivered with a print ready field data sheet.
How it works
See how we do the restWhy thermal roof scans fly before dawn
Read the steps
- Hidden moistureWater gets under a roof membrane and soaks the insulation. From above, the roof looks perfectly normal.
- Thermal at middayFly thermal at midday and the sun heats the whole surface. The wet area gets lost in an evenly hot roof.
- Thermal before sunriseOvernight the roof gives up its heat. Wet insulation holds heat longer, so before sunrise it stands out warmer than the dry roof around it.
- Numbered findingsEach anomaly is outlined, numbered and placed on the roof plan so the roofer knows where to core and confirm.
- DeliverablesA pre-dawn thermal map, numbered findings and a roof plan overlay.
Used for
7 applicationsLandfill subsurface hot spots
Pre dawn capture across an active site, with anomalies located and issued as a field ready data sheet.
Flat roof moisture and insulation loss
Trapped moisture outlined and located, turning a whole roof problem into a short list of places to open up.
Building envelope and heat loss
Thermal bridging, air leakage and insulation gaps across a facade.
Solar array screening
Cell and string anomalies across a utility scale array, with roughly 150,000 panels screened in a single operating day on a recent Alberta site.
Electrical and substation scanning
Overheating connections, bushings and terminations located before failure.
Mechanical and process equipment
Bearings, motors, steam lines and vessels running outside normal temperature.
Search support
Heat signature search across open ground, bush, water margins and agricultural land, for missing person support, livestock recovery and post incident sweeps. Flown on request and coordinated with whoever is leading the search on the ground.
Recognise your project in that list? Send the site and the deliverable and a scoped quote comes back, usually within one business day, with the positioning method and delivery window stated and your licence to use the imagery included.
Get a quote for thermal imagingCommon questions
Answered plainlyWhy are thermal flights done before dawn?
Thermal contrast is what makes a hot spot visible. After a day of solar loading, everything on a site reads warm and real anomalies disappear into the background. A pre dawn start, after the surface has shed heat overnight, is when a subsurface hot spot or a wet patch of roof insulation stands out clearly.
What is radiometric thermal imaging?
Every pixel carries an actual temperature value rather than just a colour. That means findings can be compared between flights and reported as measurements instead of impressions.
What can drone thermal inspection detect?
Landfill subsurface hot spots, trapped moisture and insulation loss in flat roofing, cell and string faults in solar arrays, overheating electrical connections, and mechanical equipment running outside normal temperature.
What resolution does thermal capture reach?
A landfill program flown at 100 m AGL produced a 13 cm/px thermal ground sample distance with 90 percent front and 85 percent side overlap. Flying lower increases detail and increases flight time, so altitude is set to the size of the anomaly you need to find.
Other services
See all eleven
Mapping and terrain models
Orthomosaics, terrain and surface models, contours and point clouds captured with RTK positioning to a stated accuracy.
Volumetric measurement
Material volumes and cut and fill figures reported against a stated reference surface, on a repeatable cycle.
Area and quantity measurement
Measured areas and quantities reconciled in a workbook and shown over a scaled image anyone can verify.
Asset and structure inspection
Close visual inspection of structures and assets that are difficult, expensive or hazardous to reach on foot.