Construction Drone Global Market Report 2024

The construction drone market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $6.01 billion in 2023 to $6.99 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.4%. The expansion observed in the historical period can be attributed to evolving regulations and guidelines, the swift pace of urbanization, heightened occurrences of disasters, ongoing infrastructure development, and challenges related to labor shortages within the industry.

The construction drone market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $12.27 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.1%. Anticipated growth in the upcoming period is expected due to the adoption of 5G technology, the surge in Data as a Service (DaaS) models, the advancement of smart cities initiatives, the adaptation to remote work setups, and an increasing emphasis on sustainability across industries. Key trends projected for this period encompass the development of hybrid drone solutions, the utilization of drone swarms, a widespread adoption of subscription-based models, the emergence of specialized drones for specific applications, and the integration of AI-driven analytics within drone technology.

The escalating trend of urbanization is anticipated to be a significant driving force behind the expansion of the construction drone industry. Urbanization denotes the continual rise in urban population owing to migration and a higher concentration of residents in cities compared to rural regions. This surge in urbanization directly correlates to an amplified demand for residential and infrastructural development, consequently elevating the necessity for construction drones. These drones play a pivotal role in conducting surveys and overseeing construction progress. For example, as of 2022, the World Bank, a prominent US-based financial institution, reported that over half of the global population resides in urban areas. Projections indicate a 1.5-fold increase, reaching 6 billion by 2045. Hence, the swift pace of urbanization stands as a key catalyst fueling the expansion of the construction drone market.

The anticipated surge in the construction drone market is directly linked to the escalating investments in public infrastructure. These investments, spearheaded by governments, encompass expenditures aimed at conceiving, constructing, maintaining, and enhancing various governmental infrastructure projects. The utilization of construction drones within public infrastructure endeavors serves to optimize monitoring, surveying, and data collection processes, thereby bolstering project oversight, curbing expenses, and expediting construction timelines. For instance, as per the Department of Transport's June 2022 report, the UK government allocated over $203.78 million (£160 million) to infrastructure initiatives. These investments targeted the improvement of local economies and the implementation of four programs in England, resulting in an estimated $839.71 million (£659.3 million) in monetary gains by alleviating traffic congestion. Consequently, the upsurge in public infrastructure investments stands as a catalyst propelling the growth trajectory of the construction drone market.

Advancements in technology represent a prominent trend gaining significant traction within the construction drone market. Leading companies operating in this sphere prioritize the development of innovative technological solutions to fortify their market standing. A prime example is Komatsu, a Japan-based manufacturer specializing in construction, forestry, mining, and heavy industrial equipment. In December 2021, Komatsu unveiled the Smart Construction Drone tool, aimed at streamlining production tracking and billing processes. This tool seamlessly integrates drones into its array of job site technologies, empowering contractors to meticulously analyze data across various project phases, ensuring precise production tracking and billing. Through topographic surveys incorporating hundreds of thousands of data points, contractors can gather and analyze comprehensive project data. The Smart Construction Drone's capacity to capture aerial photos from heights of up to 400 feet or beneath bridge decks proves invaluable for pre-job verification and keeping stakeholders abreast of project progress.

Prominent enterprises in the construction drone sector are strategically directing their efforts toward pioneering products, notably cloud-connected base stations tailored to fulfill the evolving demands of their clientele. These ground-based stations, interlinked with the cloud, serve as pivotal communication hubs for orchestrating and overseeing drone operations effectively. A prime illustration is the December 2022 launch by Skydio, a US-based firm specializing in drone and autonomous flight technology. Skydio introduced the Skydio Dock and Skydio Dock Lite, leveraging the latest Remote Ops software. These compact and lightweight Dock and Dock Lite units stand out as cutting-edge cloud-connected drone base stations available in the market. Powered by advanced AI models, Skydio's Dock solutions empower customers with comprehensive remote and autonomous insights, facilitating activities such as site inspections, precise tracking, visualization, and enhancing situational awareness both indoors and outdoors, accessible from any location worldwide.

In August 2021, Ondas Holdings Inc., a leading US-based provider of broadband cellular data network technology, completed the acquisition of American Robotics Inc. The financial specifics of the acquisition were not disclosed. This strategic move positions Ondas Network to offer pioneering solutions across various sectors including rail, agriculture, construction, and critical infrastructure development. American Robotics, renowned for its drone development expertise, brings valuable capabilities to Ondas Holdings, strengthening their portfolio and potential for innovation in these key industries.

Major companies operating in the construction drone market report are Rheinmetall Canada Inc., Autodesk Inc., FLIR Systems Inc., Topcon Positioning Systems Inc., Altus Intelligence Inc., Parrot SA, Skyward Company, AeroVironment Inc., Quantix by AeroVironment Inc., Insitu Inc., Yuneec International Co. Ltd., Freefly Systems Inc., Microdrones GmbH, YellowScan Inc., Percepto Ltd., Airware Inc., Cyberhawk Innovations Ltd., Kespry Inc., Aerialtronics LLC., Skycatch Inc., Draganfly Inc., Delair Tech SAAS, Datumate Ltd., 3D Robotics Inc., Airobotics Ltd., DJI Enterprise Co. Ltd., senseFly Ltd., Flyability SA, Vigilant Aerospace Inc., Martek Aviation BA, PrecisionHawk Inc.

Asia Pacific was the largest region in the construction drone market in 2023. North America is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the construction drone market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the construction drone market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Construction drones primarily fall into two categories such as fixed-wing and rotary-wing drones. Fixed-wing drones resemble airplanes, utilizing a single rigid wing to provide lift, contrasting with vertical lift rotors. These drones consist of components including solutions and services. Their applications span a wide range, from surveying, inspection, security and surveillance, disaster recovery, filming and photography, to various other activities. These drones are employed across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors within the construction industry.

The construction drone market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides construction drone market statistics, including construction drone industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a construction drone market share, detailed construction drone market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the construction drone industry. This construction drone market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry. 

The construction drone market consists of sales of multirotor drones, fixed-wing drones, helicopter drones, and other types. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.