THE CHOICE OF PROFESSIONALS

“Basically this PPK unit is awesome.
Most errors come in at around 20mm horizontally and 30mm vertically. The worst result I have achieved is 49mm vertically on a checkpoint, and 33mm horizontally. This is well within spec for the work we do with the UAV.”

“I read numerous articles on PPK vs RTK, and PPK appeared to be the better option for many reasons. I started researching PPK units for UAV’s and found the Klau unit. I then spoke to Rob a few times about how it all worked etc and he was extremely helpful. Being able to speak directly to the company and ask questions was a big plus. And that support has been ongoing, even after purchasing the unit.”

“The best thing about this unit is that it allows you to survey areas that are inaccessible without having to lay ground control. The time saved by not having to drive all over the survey area putting out ground control is huge. The unit is also very small and doesn’t seem to have an effect on flight times, and the post-flight reduction software is pretty straight forward to use.”

“Give [Klau Geomatics] a call and have a chat. Then just buy one!”

“Our UAV is now my main piece of survey equipment on the mine site. We’re getting productivity and accuracy like never before. I have found them to be extremely helpful in getting us up to speed even with photogrammmetry processing workflow and providing very useful tips and tricks. I would highly recommended this PPK solution for high accuracy drone surveys, as the necessary support is exceptional.”

“We conducted a ground-based site surveying by qualified surveyors with survey grade total stations to evaluate the accuracy of the KlauPPK system. Then with a Klau calibrated X4s camera on a DJI Inspire2 drone we captured aerial data at a 10mm ground sampling distance. The Klau Geomatics post processing software geo-tagged the images in our local Japanese coordinate system and geoid model shortly after landing using the national CORS base station data without running any local base station GPS receiver. We then achieved extremely precise and better than 30mm accuracy in XYZ from photogrammetric processing compared to our ground-based surveying without using any ground control points. We are now offering the solution across all construction, surveying, inspection and” engineering sectors in Japan.”

“The accuracy of the Klau PPK Module exceeds expectations every time. I have performed some checks using a surveyor’s Total Station against the results from the Klau PPK Module, and if the flight is done at low altitude and with a large overlap, the accuracy on any point is as good as single measurement performed by RTK GNSS measurements (usually better than 20mm).”

“After an experience with a competing system, I needed to be sure that Klau Geomatics was going to deliver the system that was offered. After speaking with Rob Klau many times, I could tell that he and his company were very capable of delivering, as well as being always available to provide support and answer any questions.”

“I love the fact that it just works… every time. Oh, and not spending hours/days placing ground control points too, of course.”

“The support is second to none. And the cost-benefit of not placing GCPs will pay for itself very quickly. Not to mention the added safety and freedom of not needing to walk the subject site. It’s no brainier.”

After conducting numerous missions of trial areas, as well as comparisons to physical GPS/laser scanning surveys I have observed the following accuracies :

Camera accuracy MAX 30mm (as reported in agisoft)
PPK accuracy AVG 12mm (compared to RTK points)
GCP accuracy AVG 4cm (compared to RTK points, flown at GSD 3.2, 120m AGL)
DEM accuracy AVG 1cm (compared to how we normally survey surfaces via driving or walking with RTK GPS)

Standard deviation of all output point clouds to ‘site proven’ data is 30mm.
We compared multiple products and ended up down the path of PPK, this left 2 products on the market. We already had one of the other products, so was in our best interest to trial the KLAU system. Ultimately the results were favourable for KLAU, hence our subsequent orders. The difference came down to:

Ease of use: only requiring 2 SD Cards to process the data. i.e no flight controller data required
Portability: the external batteries are favourable when surveying all day
Software: easy to follow, localized site datums
Hardware: physical modification of the camera to get the exact timing
Support: excellent telephone and email support. Screen sharing, general optimization tips and quick software updates definitely tipped the scales towards KLAU
As above, however excellent support, accurate. Physical modification and calibration of the camera to get the exact timing
We have found the accuracy to be excellent, based on our flight settings and subsequent processing in Agisoft. The support received from KLAU team has proven superb and helped with implementation of the product. Physically tapping the shutter on the camera removes a large source of error that other products only compensate for.

“The experts at Klau Geomatics have really revolutionized precision drone data collection with their PPK unit. The system allows us to outfit our existing equipment with accurate camera positioning.”

“I’ve been working for couple of years with the Klau Geomatics team and they have been awesome.”

“Videographics Ingenieurgesellschaft is an engineering company, providing technical demanding drone services in Germany and a KLAU PPK reseller. We have been able to impressively demonstrate 2 cm accuracies in all axis repeatedly, without the use of GCPs for both interested customers who are dying to get a GCP-free solution and our tech service customers.”

“Technically the KLAU PPK solution made a lot of sense. However, the most important fact to purchase a unit for our company as well as becoming engaged and motivated to enter the market as a reseller was the level of engagement, technical depth and fastest possible response time of the KLAU experts”

“The simplicity in using the system in the field as well as the PPK software, making it a smooth repeatable and reliable process to calculate the exact center of image coordinates.”

“The KLAU PPK system is the most accurate system available worldwide, easy to use with standard UAVs at very favorable pricing. It eliminates to worry about the accuracy and frees you up to focus on the photogrammetry process which is well supported through camera calibration data for smooth and fast processing.”

“The main “issue” on KLAU PPK is that customers do not believe that the accuracies claimed can be really achieved without any “magic”. We have done quite a number of demos from mining sites to international construction companies: They are overwhelmed by the precision of the results they get, processing our data, but still need to sell this in their environment before procurement will place an order.”

“The accuracy we are now able to achieve with UAV surveying is truly remarkable, thanks to KLAU PPK’s revolutionary technology. With KLAU PPK’s system, Stahly Engineering consistently receives results accurate to 3 cm (XYZ) or better on our wide array of projects. Our ability to provide our clients with cost-efficient, high-quality UAV products has drastically improved since acquiring the system. On top of all that, the technical support we receive from KlauGeomatics is responsive and effective. One of the main reasons that Stahly Engineering chose KLAU PPK is their strong background in land surveying and photogrammetry. For us, that means that KLAU PPK understands its clients’ needs and will work hard to get the job done right!”

“The KlauPPK application is awesome, its’ performance far better than I would have anticipated, and something I’ve been looking for since 1993. Great technical support from Klau team is second-to-none especially in adding support to our custom Geoid models and fulfilling our survey requirements.”