“Obayashi Corporation uses Meissa for visual site management and earthwork tracking.”
Obayashi Corporation is actively utilizing the Meissa solution at large-scale construction sites, such as newly built factories with extensive land areas. The primary objective is to visualize site conditions through orthophotos and enable efficient information sharing among stakeholders.
In particular, during the early excavation phase, the solution proves highly practical for daily progress tracking and earthwork volume estimation.
Under the slogan “MAKE BEYOND,” Obayashi Corporation continues to lead diverse architectural and civil engineering projects. Explore how the Meissa platform is being deployed on-site by one of Japan’s leading construction companies.
▲ Mr. Shiiba (left), and Mr. Hirai (right)
Q. Why did you choose the 'Meissa Platform' among many drone-related solutions?
One of the biggest advantages of the Meissa Platform is its intuitive user interface, which makes operation remarkably easy. Even without reading a detailed manual, users can naturally learn how to use the platform simply by clicking through the interface.
Additionally, the solution is specialized for the construction industry and holds a strong market share in Korea. Its proven track record across numerous construction sites gave us confidence in its reliability, which was a key factor in our decision.
Given this background, we recognized that the platform already offers functions highly useful for domestic users in Japan, and we expect even more features to be added in the future. These reasons led us to adopt the Meissa Platform.
Q. What changes or benefits have you experienced on-site after adopting the 'Meissa Platform'?
One comment we often hear on-site is that "having orthophotos alone makes a significant difference." By using orthophotos during coordination meetings or daily briefings, we can share work progress and adjustments with subcontractors while visually presenting the site layout in a way that closely reflects real-world conditions.This has made it easier to discuss equipment or material placement, secure safe access routes, and plan layouts for the following day—all with greater clarity. The improved communication resulting from this visual aid has been especially well received.
At large-scale sites, it can take more than 30 minutes just to check the current situation in person. With Meissa, that hassle is greatly reduced. Many from our headquarters and regional branches have noted how convenient it is to monitor site progress remotely and gain a full understanding of on-site conditions without needing to be physically present.
Q. What has been the actual feedback from site personnel using the 'Meissa Platform'?
On-site personnel frequently mention how easy the platform is to use, and overall, we’ve had the impression that it is being utilized smoothly without any major issues.
What stood out most, especially during the initial implementation phase, was the courteous and thorough guidance we received. The team made efforts to address our needs from the field’s perspective, which left a strong impression.
While many parts of the platform are intuitive and can be operated by simply looking at the screen, there are inevitably moments when users encounter questions during more detailed operations. In those instances, having experienced that polite, face-to-face support during onboarding has made it much easier for users to ask questions comfortably.
We believe that this kind of attentive support goes beyond just the “ease of use” of the software itself. It’s a key factor that contributes to the overall user-friendliness of the service as a whole.
Q. Were there any features of the 'Meissa Platform' that stood out as particularly useful on-site?
One feature that left a strong impression was the earthwork volume calculation. Previously, we estimated the volume of excavated soil by counting the number of dump trucks transporting it off-site and managing it based on that data.
However, in many cases, part of the excavated soil is not removed from the site, but instead temporarily stockpiled in another area within the site. In such situations, it becomes necessary to identify the total excavated volume, the remaining volume on-site, and the actual amount transported off-site separately. This often required extra effort—such as cross-checking data, recalculating working days or equipment usage—to ensure consistency.
With the Meissa Platform, we can now visually and quantitatively confirm essential information at a glance, such as the excavated volume of the current area, the volume of temporary embankments on-site, and the required amount of fill based on the final grading plan. This has been a significant help in managing the site efficiently.
Q. Compared to other similar solutions, what strengths or unique aspects of the 'Meissa Platform' stood out to you?
One of the most outstanding features of the Meissa Platform is its ability to integrate with BIM models. As far as we are aware, most competing software solutions still only support two-dimensional data. However, many actual construction sites have significant elevation differences, and in such cases, Meissa’s 3D capabilities are particularly valuable.
We also found that features such as earthwork volume calculation become especially useful in the final stages of a project, depending on the specific site conditions.
Another point we appreciated is that Meissa goes beyond simply using drones. The company’s proactive approach to technical collaboration with Japanese firms has left a very positive impression. Thanks to this high level of compatibility and adaptability within Japan, we expect the platform to be adopted more widely moving forward.
What impressed us most, however, was the speed of feature development. While many drone mapping platforms are developed as general-purpose tools for use across various industries, they often fail to prioritize the specific needs of the construction field. Meissa, on the other hand, focuses on construction-specialized features and continues to evolve in a direction that aligns closely with real site operations. This gives us great confidence in the product.
We sincerely hope that Meissa will continue in this direction and keep delivering even better solutions in the future.
Q. What would you like to achieve in the future through the 'Meissa Platform'?
By utilizing a digital twin structure like that of the Meissa Platform, we expect to be able to share real-time site conditions more effectively. This, in turn, would help reduce the burden on site supervisors and further improve overall work efficiency.
We also believe that continued support from Meissa—particularly during the initial setup phase, such as establishing Ground Control Points (GCPs)—will be essential. If such support continues to be provided with the same level of care as it is now, we’re confident the platform will be able to establish itself smoothly on-site and be used effectively.In this sense, ongoing, attentive support remains a crucial factor for successful and sustainable implementation moving forward.
