DroneDeploy’s Progress AI turns drone photos into instant construction reports

DroneDeploy has launched Progress AI, an artificial intelligence tool that analyzes drone imagery and 360-degree photos to generate instant construction progress reports. The AI tool transforms routine aerial mapping into premium analytics services, calculating completion percentages for every trade and floor in minutes rather than the days typically required for manual progress tracking.

What you should know: Progress AI processes existing drone maps and 360-degree panoramas to create color-coded progress reports without requiring BIM model alignment or manual heat map creation.

• The system answers voice or chat queries like “How far along is Level 4 drywall?” by reading its “photographic memory” of project data from any time period.
• DroneDeploy, a drone software company, positions the add-on as a fraction of the cost of existing solutions, making it viable for mid-sized remodels.
• For Part 107 drone pilots already collecting imagery, this speed and price combination could transform routine flights into premium analytics services.

How it works: The vision-language model was trained on “billions of square feet and millions of acres” of ground-level and aerial visuals to identify installed work across framing, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing), and finishes.

• Users capture imagery with drones or 360 cameras using existing flight paths, then upload to DroneDeploy where Progress AI automatically processes the data.
• The system cross-checks location, sequence, and visible changes to flag completed work and items needing attention.
• No BIM files or complex schedule integrations are required, allowing field crews to maintain current routines.

Beta testing results: Superintendents used Progress AI to validate subcontractor pay applications in hours instead of days and spot out-of-sequence trade stacking before schedule delays occurred.

• The tool caught issues like mis-hung door frames through AI-generated room-by-room heat maps.
• Wharton-Smith Construction, a company supporting 90 projects nationally, says the system lets digital documentation teams “check in on progress without setting foot on-site.”

Who benefits: The tool serves multiple stakeholders across construction projects.

• Superintendents and PMs: Eliminates hours spent coloring drawings and compiling daily logs.
• Trade partners: Resolves sequencing conflicts faster with objective visuals.
• Owners and executives: Enables portfolio-wide schedule verification without travel.
• Drone service providers: Creates opportunities to package instant progress analytics alongside standard imagery services.

The big picture: Progress AI compresses days of manual progress tracking into coffee-break-length tasks using imagery many drone pilots already collect, potentially shifting client expectations from basic orthomosaics to instant, room-by-room analytics.