Drone GPR Systems, Ready For The Field

Most likely yes. The current GPR portfolio is integrated with DJI M400, M300/350, M600 RTK, Inspired Flight IF1200A, Harris Aerial H6, and Wispr Ranger Pro platforms. Drones of comparable specification can also be supported on request.

GPR penetration depth depends on antenna frequency, antenna height, target size, processing, and the electrical properties of the surveyed material.

From a drone, typical ranges are about 0.3 to 0.5 m at 1000 MHz, about 1 to 2 m at 500 to 600 MHz, and about 5 to 10 m for the 50 MHz setup under favorable conditions. In ice and dry sand, low-frequency can easily reach 100 m or more.

In theory yes, in practice no.

The main issue is the high rate of false positive detections in the real environment. The only feasible application of GPR in this context is as an auxiliary sensor to collect more information (depth, size) about targets detected using sensors based on different physical principles, such as magnetometers or metal detectors.

See the study on evaluating airborne GPR's potential for UXO and landmine detection in a controlled environment.

The lower the flight, the better data can be received. Each antenna has a recommended maximum altitude: 0.3 m for 1000 MHz, 0.6 m for 500 to 600 MHz, 1 m for 300 MHz, 2 m for 150 MHz, and 3 m for 50 MHz, but the final height depends on antenna type, target size, terrain, vegetation, safety and local radio regulations.

True Terrain Following on SkyHub helps to keep the drone at a constant altitude above ground, which is essential for good GPR data quality.

Contact the SPH Engineering team if more questions arise.

Best: snow, ice, dry sand, and dry sandy soils. In ice and snow, drone-based GPR performs almost as well as ground-based surveys. Worst: high-conductivity materials such as clay, clayey soil, fertilised farm fields, seawater, and contaminated or highly conductive water.

Saltwater and other highly-conductivity media will strongly attenuate the radar signal and are generally not practical for GPR.

Typical deployment timing should be confirmed during quoting. For standard configurations - 6 to 8 weeks. The window covers sensor procurement, integration, factory checks and calibration, shipping, and onboarding for your crew.

Configurations vary by sensor, drone, altimeter, and software stack, so quotes are individual.

Often yes. Send us the model and we will assess. If we have an existing integration profile, deployment timelines shorten substantially. If not, we scope a custom integration project.

Georeferenced raw traces ready for processing in GeoHammer, Prism2, or Geolitix, depending on your team's preference. Processed deliverables can include vertical profiles (radargrams), horizontal slices, 3D reconstructions, or thickness grids. Training on the full data pipeline is included with every system.

In many countries, there is a limit on antenna elevation over the ground, usually 1 m.

If the antenna is within that limit during flight, you are typically compliant. Practical use of drone-mounted GPR rarely benefits from flying higher than 1 m anyway (except in snow, ice, or very dry soils), so regulatory limits and operational practice usually align. Drone operations must also comply with local aviation rules, site permissions, and any spectrum or equipment certification requirements.