SPH Engineering and Measur Expand Partnership to Bring Advanced Drone Sensors to Canada
Industrial drones have become far more than flying cameras. Today they carry sophisticated sensors capable of mapping underground utilities, detecting methane leaks, measuring underwater terrain and even identifying mineral deposits. But getting those specialized payloads, and the technical support needed to use them effectively, has often been a challenge. A newly expanded partnership between SPH Engineering and Measur aims to change that for Canadian organizations.
A Master Distributor Agreement for Canada
The Latvia-based drone software and sensor solutions company has expanded its partnership with Canadian geospatial technology provider Measur, appointing the firm as its Master Distributor for a portfolio of specialized drone sensor solutions across Canada. The move is designed to make advanced drone technologies more accessible to Canadian organizations operating in mining, oil and gas, hydrography, geophysics, utilities, surveying and environmental monitoring.
Rather than simply shipping hardware, the partnership focuses on providing local expertise alongside the equipment. As Master Distributor, Measur will help customers choose the right sensor configurations, conduct product demonstrations, provide operator training and offer first-line technical support. SPH Engineering will back those efforts with certification programs, technical resources and product training.
Why Sensor Access Matters for Mapping
The announcement highlights a broader shift in the geospatial industry. The value of a modern surveying drone increasingly lives in its payload rather than its airframe. Mapping underground utilities requires ground-penetrating radar. Measuring underwater terrain demands bathymetric echo sounders. Detecting methane leaks calls for laser-based gas detection sensors, while mineral exploration relies on magnetometers and other geophysical instruments. Each of these sensors is specialized, and each requires its own operational knowledge to deploy correctly.
For firms in mining, hydrography and utilities, the barrier to adopting drone-based mapping has therefore rarely been the drone itself. It has been access to the right sensor, confidence that it is configured properly, and a path to support when something goes wrong in the field. By pairing hardware distribution with local demonstrations, training and first-line support, SPH Engineering and Measur are targeting precisely that friction.
The breadth of the portfolio underscores how segmented drone sensing has become. A hydrographic team mapping a harbor needs echo sounders that can operate from a skimmer or tethered platform. A geophysical crew surveying for minerals relies on magnetometers flown in tight, low-altitude grids. A utility contractor tracing buried lines depends on ground-penetrating radar whose data must be processed with an understanding of soil conditions and depth calibration. Each domain has its own hardware, software and field procedures, and a distributor that can advise on all three shortens the path from purchase to productive survey.
Local Support for Critical Industries
Canada’s resource and infrastructure sectors are a natural fit for this kind of capability. Vast mining operations in remote regions, extensive hydrographic coastlines, aging underground utilities in dense cities and a sprawling energy network all create demand for geospatial data that is difficult or dangerous to collect on foot. Drones carrying specialized sensors can gather that data faster and more safely than traditional methods, provided the technology is available and the operators know how to use it.
The partnership is also notable for its structure. By appointing a Master Distributor with deep roots in Canadian geospatial technology, SPH Engineering is betting that a knowledgeable local partner can do more than a distant vendor to make specialized drone sensing practical at scale. For Canadian surveying and mapping teams, the result should be shorter procurement cycles, faster time to competency and more reliable field operations.
As drone mapping continues to move from general-purpose photogrammetry toward an expanding menu of specialized sensors, partnerships like this one are likely to become an increasingly common way for technology developers to reach the industries that need their tools most.
Source: DroneDJ, “Advanced drone sensors now closer to Canada’s critical industries” (September 10, 2026).
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