Aeroscan: Within 10 years all buildings will be scanned with drones
In October 1903, a pilot took off in North Carolina with a vehicle weighing about 340 kilos. It was an outgrowth of the Wright brothers who pioneered the skies. Where air vehicles for passenger transport grew significantly in weight over the past century, something else also took to the skies: the drone. Sometimes with only a mass of a few hundred grams. Not to transport people, “But to inspect buildings, for example. So with high-resolution photos or 3D measurements,” says Mark Nicolai. Founder, co-owner and technical director of Aeroscan. The company that won the Frisian Startup of the Year award on a water stage in early April, accompanied by dozens of boats and hundreds of spectators. And we asked Mark what pioneering in the sky looks like in 2022.
Market leader
Aeroscan flights have a clear destination; collecting data is key. Mark: “We program drones to inspect flying objects with cameras or laser scanners. In this regard, we are the largest in the Netherlands. For example, we have already digitized around twenty thousand buildings. In addition, we develop unique software, in-house. This allows fellow drone operators, but also building owners or maintenance parties, to do the same as us. The data that is collected can be converted to measurement states, condition scores and maintenance plans using our software 'Aspect' in accordance with NEN-2767; a method that is the standard for many housing associations, real estate organizations, the government, but is also emerging at, for example, the water board. In a very practical way, this allows you to calculate how many maintenance activities and budget you will systematically need in the coming decades; per time unit, per element, you name it.”
5 Years of Aeroscan
In August, Mark and Aeroscan will celebrate their wooden wedding; a five-year anniversary. “And looking back, quite a lot has changed,” says Mark. “First of all, we grew from two to twenty-five people. That was quite a bumpy road. Because, just grow when there are almost no people in the labor market who can already do what you are looking for. That means that to get a new employee into a position, we had to invest about a year. To do this, we were mainly looking for people who work with similar techniques, but in a different sector. Think of graphic 3D. In addition, I also looked at people who have the same background as me; who learn quickly and learn new technology quickly. Then, for example, you end up with CMD's who focused specifically on 3D modeling and design during their training. In addition, an eagerness to learn and a passion for technology are essential qualities.”
Infrared as an obsession
Steve Jobs had the timing and Oprah Winfrey the positivity, but what characterizes Mark Nicolai's entrepreneurship? “Being very innovative, to the extreme, I think,” he laughs. “That means you're working on things that are actually very far in the future. These can be opportunities, but I've learned that it's also a threat. After all, your company has to operate in the here and now. With Aeroscan, we come up with solutions to problems we encounter, but some solutions are so technically complex that they are simply not mature enough to use already. We really need to make sure that there are not too many such immature techniques at the heart of our business. What else characterizes me? I think working is based on my passion. And above all, that passion changes all the time. Something can really interest me and then I can learn a lot about it in a short time. I sometimes say that my talent is that hyperfocus; almost obsessively wanting to understand something. In my role at Aeroscan, that in turn helps to share knowledge. So coaching, like a consultant in daily operations.”
What about his latest obsession? “Yes, that's a nice look into the kitchen. I see a lot of opportunities in infrared data. Getting that data from the air with drones is still quite an unexplored area. Photography and film have just arrived, so you mainly make visible what is visible to the human eye. With infrared, you go one step further. We have already run a few projects to see what is possible. So analysing buildings with infrared. That, combined with the energy transition, seems to be a kind of 1+1=3 situation. We will also present this to the Municipality of Amsterdam in the short term. So using infrared and drones at the municipal level to show where the homes have a higher priority, but in those homes, also which building components are concerned.”
Towards a global first from Leeuwarden
Friese Startup of the Year's profit came at the right time for Aeroscan, according to Mark. “That event was a genius anyway. So with a stage on the water and the audience in dozens of boats. And then pitching: two minutes, one chance to tell my story. On stage, meanwhile, I was attacked by a bee during the pitch. And I just thought; this takes another fifteen seconds, haha. I did not expect that we won next. We haven't gone public in a long time anyway, but now that our software has recently been out in the open, this made it the perfect time. And the fact that we then received cake by mail every day for two weeks is, of course, a nice bonus.”
Receiving an award is a great time to take a moment to reflect on the milestones achieved, although Mark prefers to look ahead: “With a view to the energy transition, we want to expand our added value towards providing information to municipalities, for example. So it could well be that we'll get a global first in Leeuwarden; an entire city scanned with drones. That could then be done in cooperation with the air base and, as a Frisian achievement, would be really cool.”