Aerial Imaging Market

Global Aerial Imaging Market Size (2023 to 2028)

The global aerial imaging market size is expected to be worth USD 2.09 Billion in 2023. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.2% during the forecast period and reach a value of USD 4.06 Billion by 2028.

Aerial imaging combines the main features of high precision and cost-effectiveness for volume-based calculations, route design, urban planning, and updating existing maps. Also, the increasing popularity of location-based services and the growing areas of aerial imaging applications are major market drivers. Furthermore, incorporating advanced technologies, such as LiDAR systems, 360-degree vision cameras, and geographic information systems, should open the door to new growth opportunities in the global market.

MARKET DRIVERS:

The growth of the global aerial imaging market is underpinned by growing demand from various sectors. Agriculture uses aerial photography to observe effective changes in crop yield, crop health management, and improved soil condition. The defense sector needs aerial imaging services to protect border areas and prepare cartographic structures. Besides, applications for end-users like research and exploration, archaeological studies, mining, oil and gas, and resource management promote the implementation of these aerial imaging services.

The aerial imaging market is still in its initial growth phase, and the increase in application areas is expected to spur market growth during the outlook period. Furthermore, the development of electronic media, technological advancements in wireless applications, the adoption of smartphones, and the Internet of Things (IoT) applications have resulted in various companies offering location-based services.

MARKET RESTRAINTS:

Confidentiality issues and national security regulations are expected to negatively impact global aerial imaging market trends in the coming years.

Impact of COVID-19 on the aerial imaging market:

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues worldwide, many global defense and aerospace companies feel the impact during this uncertain time. This article discusses concerns about the short, medium, and long-term disruption that COVID-19 will have in the industry, including aircraft manufacturing and defense, and the next steps that can be taken to react, recover, and prosper. While airlines have yet to keep the planes stationary, secondary market revenue will drop dramatically as revisions are postponed saving money, and hourly maintenance pillar contracts follow the schedule and the ability to drop. As airlines make model recall decisions and re-evaluate their fleet needs, aircraft production and after-sales services will need to be reassessed to account for long-term changes in demand. Defense markets, and their dependent supply networks, remain strong in demand, with governments that facilitate supply processes and offer better payment terms. Although considered an actual state of the infrastructure industry in many countries, defense contractors worldwide face deadlocks.

REPORT COVERAGE:

This research report on the global aerial imaging market has been segmented and sub-segmented into the following categories.

Global Aerial Imaging Market - By Platform:

• UAV/Drone
• Helicopter
• Fixed-wing Aircraft

The UAV/drone segment is foreseen to register the most substantial share of around 78% in the global aerial imaging market by 2027 due to the wide adoption of aerial photography applications by the government and defense sectors. Furthermore, as drones offer a practical imaging alternative to capture aerial photographs in urban areas, government agencies are increasingly adopting these platforms for police and criminal investigation purposes.

Conversely, since helicopter-mounted camera platforms are costly compared to drones, their adoption of aerial imaging should experience a steady decline. This tremendous growth can be attributed to the advantages of oblique imaging to assess the heights of buildings during realistic 3D City Models' texture. The key advantage of using oblique images is the ability to visualize the ground elements generally obstructed in vertical views by taller structures or vegetation.

Global Aerial Imaging Market - By Imaging Type:

• Oblique Imaging
• Vertical Imaging

Global Aerial Imaging Market - By Application:

• Conservation & Research
• Urban Planning
• Surveillance & Monitoring
• Energy & Resource Management
• Disaster Management
• Geospatial Mapping

The disaster management applications in the global aerial imaging market are expected to show a lucrative CAGR of approximately 16% by 2027 due to the increasing adoption of aerial imaging platforms to assess the extent of damage caused by natural disasters. As climate change has increased the number of natural disaster incidents worldwide over the past four decades, the need for effective damage assessment measures has increased significantly. As a result, drones are increasingly used after disasters, such as storms and forest fires, to respond to timely repair and rescue needs.

Global Aerial Imaging Market - By End User:

• Oil & Gas
• Archaeology & Civil Engineering
• Agriculture & Forestry
• Military & Defense
• Energy
• Government

End-users of agriculture will see huge gains until 2027 due to technological advancements in drone rigs and sensor technologies to aid precision agricultural functions by mapping various parameters such as vegetation health, soil health, and fertility levels. Some of the applications in which aerial imaging aids are precision farming operations like irrigation scheduling, pesticide application, seasonal analysis, and evaluation of the effectiveness of crops.

Global Aerial Imaging Market - By Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa

The aerial imaging market in the Asia Pacific is expected to grow more than 16% during the outlook period, spurred by increased awareness of the value of aerial imaging among developing countries. Furthermore, the adoption of aerial photography platforms will rapidly increase in the region due to the increased affordability of aerial imaging capture due to the advent of low-cost drone platforms. Furthermore, with the widespread use of drones for aerial imaging in countries like China and Japan and the increasing popularity of smart cities in emerging economies like India, the market is expected to grow considerably in the APAC locale.

KEY MARKET PLAYERS:

Some noteworthy players operating in the global aerial imaging market include PrecisionHawk, Getmapping, Cooper Aerial Surveys, Kucera International, DJI, GeoVantage, Fugro, DroneDeploy, 3D Robotics, Airobotics, Digital Aerial Solutions, Nearma, Eagle View Technologies, and Google. Cooper Aerial Surveys had the largest share of the Aerial Imaging Market in terms of sales and revenue in 2017.

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE MARKET:

• In January 2019, AirSelfie confirmed the creation of its three novel airborne cameras, AIR 100, AIR ZEN, and AIR DUO, which are specially created to offer different imaging technology angles for flight capabilities. These new cameras are equipped with aerial imaging robotics and autonomous imaging mission technology. This new camera will capture images and videos without connecting them to smartphones.
• In February 2018, Geomni launched a new mobile app for terrain imaging and drone inspection, allowing users to collect image data from their mobile devices and perform a full vehicle inspection. In addition, unnamed planes (UAVs) use compatible drones.
• In July 2017, The Sanborn Map Company announced that it had entered into a multi-year contract with El Paso County in Colorado, United States, allowing county departments and municipalities to negotiate task orders with the company in the next five years. In addition, the contract allows the county to obtain services and products from UAS Sanborn.
• In June 2017, Quantum Spatial announced that it had acquired a complete collection of aerial photography assets from Air Flight Services. This has added millions of photos to the Quantum library. In addition, the acquisition expanded Quantum Spatial's current collection by adding vertical and oblique images of Northern California, including Alameda and San Mateo.