Aerial laser scanning (LiDAR)
Fast 3D scanning of large areas with drone-mounted LiDAR: dense point cloud, terrain and surface models (DTM/DSM), topographic plans and orthophotos.
Aerial laser scanning (LiDAR) measures the ground from the air with a laser scanner mounted on an unmanned aircraft. The scanner emits hundreds of thousands of pulses per second, while GNSS and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) compute the position of every return. As a result, several hundred hectares can be captured as a dense, accurate point cloud in a single working day.
Unlike photogrammetry, LiDAR pulses pass through gaps in vegetation and reach the ground, so a reliable terrain model can be obtained even under shrubs and trees. Flights are tied to the national grid, WGS-84 or UTM zone 39N using ground control points and GNSS RTK/PPK. Typical vertical accuracy is ±3–10 cm, depending on flying height and point density.
The point cloud is classified into ground, vegetation, buildings and other classes, and then used to produce a digital terrain model (DTM), a digital surface model (DSM), contours, topographic plans and volume reports. An orthophoto can be captured with a camera on the same flight. The method is especially efficient for road and pipeline corridor design, quarries, coastal zones and landslide studies in Azerbaijan.
When you need it
- Topographic surveys of large areas
- Road, rail, pipeline and power line corridor design
- Volume calculation in quarries and waste sites
- Terrain mapping beneath vegetation
- Landslide, erosion and coastal monitoring
- Base data for urban planning and master plans
What's included
- Flight planning and advice on permits
- Ground control points measured by GNSS RTK
- Aerial scanning with drone LiDAR
- Trajectory processing and strip adjustment
- Point cloud classification
- DTM, DSM, contours and topographic plan production
How we work
- Site and requirements review, flight plan
- Setting out and surveying control points
- Aerial scanning and, if needed, aerial photography
- Data processing and classification
- Quality check and delivery
Deliverables
- Classified point cloud (LAS/LAZ)
- Digital terrain and surface models (DTM/DSM)
- Topographic plan with contours (DWG)
- Orthophoto and volume report (on request)
