What is drone LiDAR?
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sends laser pulses to the ground and measures the return time. A drone LiDAR thus records millions of 3D points and can capture several echoes per pulse — the first on the treetops, the last on the ground.
That 'last echo' makes LiDAR unique: it allows measuring through grass, shrubs and canopy down to ground level, and so reconstructing a clean digital terrain model.
Applications
- Terrain models under woods and vegetation
- Embankments, banks and watercourses
- Infrastructure: roads, railway, high-voltage lines
- Forestry and biomass analysis
- Flood and drainage studies
LiDAR or photogrammetry?
Both deliver a 3D point cloud, but with different strengths:
| LiDAR | Photogrammetry | |
|---|---|---|
| Through vegetation | Yes, partly | No |
| Colour/texture | Limited | Full |
| Open terrain | Very good | Very good |
| Cost | Higher | Lower |
For vegetated or watered zones we recommend LiDAR; in open terrain photogrammetry often suffices. We combine them where useful.
Method
- Flight planning with overlap and the right point height.
- RTK/PPK flight with measurement of control points.
- Classification and filtering of the point cloud (ground vs. vegetation).
- Delivery of DTM, DSM, cross-sections and point cloud.
What you receive
- Classified point cloud (LAS/LAZ)
- Digital terrain model (DTM) and surface model (DSM)
- Cross-sections and contour lines
- Export in DWG/DXF on request