UAV 101: Intro to LiDAR Mapping and High Accuracy Photogrammetry for Survey

Use of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) mapping and high accuracy photogrammetry applications are rapidly increasing. UAVs with GPS are more cost-effective for aerial HAP survey compared to manned aircraft with traditional photogrammetry. These drones now contain cameras and small computers making survey accuracy down to the centimeter possible.

Learn more about drone mapping technology and industries benefiting from UAVs.

What Is UAV High Accuracy Photogrammetry?

High accuracy photogrammetry (HAP) survey involves the science of making measurements from photographs. It creates an output of a map, drawing, or 3D model of a land mass or object.

To create 3D maps from aerial photogrammetry, the camera is mounted on a UAV pointed toward the ground. If measuring a statue or monument, the camera is mounted horizontally on the drone.

As the UAV flies along a programmed flight path called a waypoint, multiple overlapping photos of the model or ground are taken at a rate of 80-90%. This rate of overlap would be impossible based on pilot navigation alone. Waypoint navigation technology is essential for a UAV to achieve 80-90% overlap accuracy. 

The Basics of LiDAR and Drone Mapping

With UAV LiDAR, a laser scanner is mounted on a UAV to measure the height of objects in the landscape below. These scanners can capture hundreds of square miles in a single day.

By achieving accurate measurements, 3D models can be created for design, planning, and decision making processes throughout many industries. LiDAR sensors are especially useful in agriculture where they can pierce dense canopy and vegetation, making it possible to capture the earth at a higher accuracy than satellites.

With UAV HAP survey and LiDAR mapping, many products can be created from aerial imagery, including:

·         3D building models

·         Contour maps

·         Surface models

·         Geospatially corrected aerial images (orthophotos)

·         Volumetric surveys

Precision 3D images can benefit the following industries by increasing efficiency and reducing costs:

·         Archaeology

·         Cellular network planning

·         Coastline management

·         Flood modeling

·         Forestry management and planning

·         Oil and gas exploration

·         Pollution modeling

·         Transport planning

·         Urban planning

·         Quarries and minerals

Top DJI UAVs for 3D Mapping and High Accuracy Photogrammetry

·         DJI Mavic Pro: Perfect for HAP survey and LiDAR mapping applications. Flight control and stabilization allows this quadcopter to fly still and create accurate point clouds and 3D maps with software.

·         DJI Matrice 100: With DJI’s easy-to-fly technology, this drone has additional expansion bays for cameras, infrared sensors, and LiDAR scanners for 3D maps. Enhanced GPS allows for high accuracy photogrammetry.

·         DJI Phantom 4 Pro: Uses dual navigation and flies perfectly smooth. It has a 4k camera and uses waypoint navigation. The Phantom 4 is one of the most popular quadcopters for 3D imaging.

·         DJI Phantom 3 and Inspire 1: These models now have waypoint navigation and can be used for photogrammetry. The best software to use with DJI drones is the Pix4Dmapper Mesh DJI edition.

Other Popular UAVs for Photogrammetry

·         SenseFly eBee Pro Mapping UAV: A fixed-wing, fully autonomous drone which captures high-resolution aerial photos for 2D orthomosaics and 3D models. It can cover 4.6 miles in a single flight and comes with two software packages: eMotion and Postflight Terra 3D.

·         3DR X8-M Drone for Aerial Mapping: Includes a quadcopter, Canon high-resolution 12 MP digital camera, and Pix4DMapper software for rendering photos into 3D maps. This drone offers the right balance of technology for precision aerial maps and surveys.

·         3DR Aero-M Fixed Wing UAV: This is the all-in-one solution for high-resolution visual-spectrum aerial maps. You can acquire detailed data for large-scale operations such as construction, farming, search and rescue, and conservation. Includes the Canon S100 high-resolution 12 MP camera.

At Insitu, we offer services and software solutions for commercial and military UAV. Contact us to learn more.

New Trends in Aerial Survey Service and LiDAR Survey

It’s an interesting time for geospatial technology. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and 3D data acquisition tools are experiencing notable innovations impacting aerial survey service and mappers the most.

Many of these changes are leaving aerial survey consulting companies and LiDAR survey professionals wondering what will happen next. Could drones replace manned aircraft systems? Will LiDAR survey replace photogrammetry? To get answers to these questions, let’s look at industry trends.

Trends in Aircraft

Twenty years ago, aerial survey service businesses and mapping service providers needed extensive capital to buy manned aircraft, expensive cameras, and computing technology. Now, for just $5,000, almost anyone can put a quality camera in the air and collect 3D data for mapping.

High costs and safety issues were previously a deterrent. But now drones are easier and cheaper to use than planes and helicopters. As federal regulations catch up and allow travel beyond visual-line-of-sight, we’ll see small unmanned aircraft use will really take off.

3D Trends Through the Decades

In the mid-1990s, film cameras were still used which required significant time and manpower. Not long later, GPS technology launched followed by computer-based soft copy photogrammetry from scanned film.

The early 2000s brought more computer advancements making it possible to gather high-resolution data in a matter of weeks. Today, computer algorithms and small consumer cameras can be positioned in both manned and unmanned aircraft.

Drones have introduced a new dimension to the survey industry making a once elite and experienced industry affordable and available to just about anyone who wants to try it. While these innovations are positive, reliance on software can deliver challenges as new users may be unaware of the principles behind photogrammetry which play a role when their software fails.

LiDAR Survey or Photogrammetry?

Photogrammetric techniques can be used to derive a point cloud from the photography or can be collected directly with a LiDAR sensor. However, LiDAR is typically more expensive than using a camera.


Cost aside, a key difference between LiDAR and photogrammetric point clouds is the ground. LiDAR survey uses active sensor technology to reflect off the ground below vegetation. LiDAR has a distinct advantage by providing the surface of both, including the bare earth elevations that photogrammetry can’t provide. This technology offers more accurate models of the earth’s surface.


Photogrammetry is still useful and important with its significantly lower cost and other application uses. For many projects, the 3D point clouds derived from drone photography are accurate enough for their purposes.

What Does This Mean for Surveyors?

While the entry costs with drones are cheaper for aerial survey service, Aerial survey consulting companies should know that they don’t necessarily make data collection any cheaper. In some cases, labor and incidentals may be higher. The learning curve of flying drones will likely result in a few crashes and burns. In addition, surveyors should understand the limitations of software to avoid misrepresenting the quality or accuracy of the product that comes out.

Despite all this, many companies see drones as an opportunity to bring complete survey or mapping projects in house versus perceiving drones as a threat. While it may appear just about anyone could become an aerial surveyor, the trade still requires knowledge of the whole photogrammetric process to achieve desired project requirements.