
UAV
OPERATIONS

UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), combined with LiDAR (light and detection ranging) or photogrammetry technology, allows us to acquire data in dangerous or hard-to-reach areas while offering an excellent cost-to-benefit-ratio.
Drones are widely used in the GIS (geographical information systems) domain for surveying and mapping natural resources and infrastructures. UAVs can be deployed over almost any terrain and are often used to map large areas quickly and efficiently.
Use Cases for UAV Operations
Our UAV operations are tightly aligned with our surveying services on a variety of projects types:
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Archaeology
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Corridor mapping
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Construction site monitoring
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Contour mapping
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Environmental changes
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Excavation / leveling
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Forestry
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Highway / transportation
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Infrastructure, pipelines, power lines, railways, waterways
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Mines and quarries
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Urban planning and land management
UAV Data Processing and Deliverables
Our primary processing platform for UAV imagery processing is PIX4D. Learn more about our data processing services here.
UAV deliverable options include:
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Autodesk Recap point cloud file
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Civil 3D drawing
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LAS point cloud file
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Mesh model
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Orthographic image
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Planimetric map
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Surface drawing
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Topographic map
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Volumetric map
Benefits of Aerial Surveys
Used together, UAV and LiDAR technology form the most powerful surveying tool presently available. Notable benefits include:
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Faster than terrestrial scanning, can reduce field time by up to 60% for certain projects
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Can fly large areas quickly, reducing the time on site to collect data
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Can be deployed to inspect hazardous / dangerous areas


DJI Drone Controller

Point cloud
created from photogrammetry of the Statue of Liberty

UAV image layered with Civil 3D topographic drawing

DJI Inspire 2 Drone

Spectrum mesh model created from photogrammetry

3D model created from point cloud and photogrammetry of the Boise State University football stadium