Drone360 Imagery

Service 09

Aerial lidar capture

Where vegetation stands between you and the ground surface, lidar is the only sensor that gets through it. Captured alongside RGB imagery in one mobilisation, so you receive both datasets from a single trip to site.

What you get

  • Classified point cloud in LAS or LAZ at the density the specification calls for
  • Bare earth digital terrain model with vegetation and structures removed
  • Contours at your chosen interval as DXF or SHP
  • Conductor and powerline position capture where the scope calls for it
  • High resolution RGB orthomosaic from the same flight
  • CAD and GIS ready packages in the formats your engineering team uses

Planning a lidar program

  • Large blocks planned as multi day field programs with take off and landing positions set in advance
  • Flight lines and point density specified before mobilisation
  • Lidar and RGB captured together, so one mobilisation covers both datasets
  • Airspace authorization, access and prequalification handled before travel

Capture reference

Point cloud
LAS / LAZ, classified
Bare earth
DTM, vegetation removed
Paired capture
Lidar plus RGB, one mobilisation
Program scale
12,000 acre plan delivered
Formats
LAS, LAZ, DXF, SHP, GeoTIFF
Coverage
AB, SK, BC

A 12,000 acre lidar and RGB program was built for an engineering client as a five day field plan across fourteen take off and landing positions, with flight lines and point density specified before mobilisation.

Used for

6 applications
01

Bare earth beneath tree canopy

Ground surface where a camera only ever sees the tops of trees.

02

Corridors through wooded terrain

Pipeline, road and utility right of way where brush and canopy obscure the ground.

03

Transmission and distribution lines

Conductor position, sag and clearance capture.

04

Reclamation and environmental terrain

Bare earth modelling across revegetated or partially wooded ground.

05

Forestry and vegetation structure

Canopy height and structure alongside the ground surface.

06

Specification driven projects

Work where a client or regulator names lidar as the required method.

Recognise your project in that list? Send the site and the deliverable and a scoped quote comes back, usually within one business day, with the positioning method and delivery window stated and your licence to use the imagery included.

Get a quote for lidar capture

Common questions

Answered plainly

Should I use lidar or photogrammetry?

Lidar if you need the ground surface beneath tree canopy, heavy vegetation or brush, or if a client specification names it. Photogrammetry on open ground, pavement, pits, stockpiles and construction sites, where it has returned 0.01 m RMSE at a fraction of the cost and gives you an image based orthomosaic as well. We will tell you which one your site needs rather than defaulting to the more expensive answer.

Is lidar more accurate than photogrammetry?

They answer different questions. Lidar penetrates vegetation to reach the ground surface, which no camera can do. Photogrammetry produces a measurable image of the surface. Because both are captured in one mobilisation, most engineering clients take the pair and get the bare earth model and the orthomosaic together.

Can you capture lidar and imagery in the same flight window?

Yes, and it is usually the sensible way to scope it. Capturing both in one mobilisation means you are not paying twice to get an aircraft to the site.

How large an area can a lidar program cover?

Programs are planned to the block. A recent plan covered 12,000 acres as a five day field campaign across fourteen take off and landing positions, with flight lines and point density specified before mobilisation.

Tell us the site and the deliverable

Send the location, the approximate area and what your team needs out the other end. You get a scoped quote back with the accuracy method stated up front, usually within one business day.

Request a quote

Prefer a call? Send your details and we will ring you back.
info@drone360imagery.ca

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