Drone-Based Vegetation Management for Complex Environments

A safer, smarter, and certified way to control vegetation
where traditional ground or aerial methods fall short.

Talk to Our Team

The field challenge

Traditional industrial vegetation and habitat management is labour-intensive and time-consuming, leading to high costs for personnel, equipment and transportation.

  • Sites that are too remote to access safely or efficiently
  • Terrain that’s too steep, wet, or unstable
  • Sensitive or machine-free areas that are either environmentally delicate or simply impassable
  • Environments where vegetation isn’t just a nuisance, it’s a hazard

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) identifies vegetation management as a core strategy for maintaining pipeline safety and preventing wildfires.

Source: Canada Energy Regulator (CER)

The AERIUM solution

AERIUM provides certified drone-based vegetation management designed for areas where access, safety, terrain or environmental regulation limit traditional methods.

We are the first company in Alberta legally registered to apply herbicides by drone (RPAS Service Registration), led by a team with expertise in herbicide and pesticide application and field operations.

Our approach enables:

GIS-based prescription mapping and targeted application

Safe deployment
in steep slopes, tailings zones, wetlands, and restricted areas

Reduced worker exposure to chemicals and unsafe terrain

Lower site disturbance compared to vehicle-based or helicopter spraying

Key Benefits

  • Improved Safety: Reduces worker exposure by removing the need for personnel to enter high-risk zones.
  • Higher Efficiency: Covers large or remote areas faster than ground crews or heavy equipment.
  • Lower Environmental Impact: Minimizing ground disturbance, targeted applications with low altitudes reduce drift into non-target, sensitive and protected areas.
  • Regulatory Alignment:  Delivered by certified
    applicators under approved RPAS Service Registration, with ongoing collaboration with Health Canada and PMRA.

How it compares:

Helicopter

  • Limitations:
    High cost, low precision
  • Drone-Based Advantage:
    Targeted prescription-based application, lower cost

Vehicle access

in sensitive terrain

  • Limitations:
    Soil, habitat disturbance
  • Drone-Based Advantage:
    Minimal ground impact

Key Applications

  • Habitat Management: Targeted vegetation removal to reduce habitat attractants and discourage wildlife presence in sensitive operational areas.

  • Noxious and Invasive Weed Control: Certified aerial herbicide application to control invasive and regulated weed species across difficult or inaccessible terrain.

  • Silviculture and Site Preparation: Vegetation clearing and land preparation to support reclamation, restoration planning and future land use.

Habitat Management

Aerial (RPAS) Herbicide Application

Utilization of RPAS to reduce impact to wildlife due to herbicide applications.

  • Protection of wildlife and associated habitats
  • Regulatory compliance and risk management
  • Reinforces commitment to sustainability and ethical practices
  • Prevention of contamination to sensitive areas
  • Enhances monitoring and data collection
veg_Management_image_1_AERIUM

A sample area of problematic vegetation growth in tailings operations.

aoi_AERIUM
  • Project Planning – Creation of an Area of Interest (AOI) orthomosaic prior to herbicide application to localize spraying and assist with planning and estimate development.
  • Project Design – Vegetation on the perimiter of a patch may require additional applications due to the potential for dilution from surrounding water.
veg_site_AERIUM
  • Vegetation Control – Multiple applications of glyphosate throughout a season to improve the control of problematic vegetation that has become established.
  • Vegetation Prevention – Application to bare ground to prevent emergence of vegetation using a specific combination of herbicides.

Watch how we manage
vegetation from above.

Ready to redefine
vegetation management?

Let’s Talk Vegetation Management
Aerium Analytics | Drone Technology Solutions - RoBird®
Aerium Analytics | Drone Technology Solutions - logo
Aerium Analytics | Drone Technology Solutions - logo