National Drones

National Drones is an Australian drone company that provides aerial surveys, asset inspections, thermal imaging, LiDAR, spraying, pilot training and mapping software. The company is based in Mansfield, Queensland, and the site says it works across Australia. Its service runs from field capture through analysis to delivery of project data that clients can review in their own teams.

Industries and project types

The company focuses on linear infrastructure, mining, power and utilities, solar, facilities management, and bridges and transport structures. Work usually begins by agreeing the assets, access and inspection outputs needed before capture takes place. Field data is then processed into orthomosaics, elevation models, 3D meshes and point clouds for review.

Project examples

• Rail corridor: inspections for Aurecon and Sydney Trains covering 3,818 assets across 438 km of rail.
• Mine site survey: a survey of 180 square km at BHP's Olympic Dam operation, with orthomosaic imagery, a 3D model, terrain data and contours delivered to BHP's GIS.
• Tower inspection: a Broadcast Australia project that captured overlapping imagery and assessed bolts, paint and steelwork to support asset-condition review.

For the tower project, the review looks at bolts, mounting steelwork and adjacent cabling together, so each component is judged in context.

SmartData and training

SmartData is the company's review platform. It brings imagery, maps and 3D models together so teams can explore assets, review findings and share evidence. The company also offers drone training that it describes as CASA-certified. On its asset dashboard, teams can review annotations and recorded status, then explore a tower model and an inspection history.

Key facts

• Based in: Mansfield, Queensland, Australia
• Certifications: CASA-certified training
• Products: SmartData platform, drone survey and inspection services
• Markets: Australia-wide