Lidar Scanning Technology

Learn more about how we use Lidar to deliver the highest quality scans

Bare Earth MappingProgress MonitoringEarthworks QuantitiesSurvey of Large Areas3D Building OverlaySafe Topographic Survey

We make the complicated simple

How Lidar Works

LiDAR is an active remote sensing method that emits pulsed light waves into surrounding environment. These pulses of light bounce off surrounding objects and reflect to the sensor. The LiDAR sensor then uses the time it took for each pulse to return to the sensor to calculate the distance that the light pulse traveled. Our LiDAR scanners output a high 640,000 laser pulses per second, and when used alongside a high quality, survey-grade GPS base station and excellent processing software we can consistently achieve accuracies better than a few centimetres between our post processed data and survey control points.

Abstract lidar point cloud

Watch The Video

Play button

Our Tools

DJI M300 RTK Drone

Aerial Platform

DJI’s latest commercial drone platform offering up to 55 minutes of flight time, advanced AI capabilities, 6 Directional Sensing & Positioning and more, the M300 RTK sets a whole new standard by combining intelligence with high-performance and unrivaled reliability.

DJI M200 drone used by Spitfire Drone Survey

Trueview 535 Lidar Sensor

Lidar Sensor

After thorough research and trials of other sensors we purchased a LiDAR/Imaging System from the Geocue Group that provides the best product for the price. Geocue’s expertise in hardware and software enables us to provide the best land surveying product for our sensor class. Ultra low-cost sensors such as the L1 sensor from DJI compromise a number of performance metrics to achieve the low price point. Our Geocue Trueview 535 is a fused triple camera/lidar drone surveying system with two oblique cameras providing a wide 120-degree fused field of view coincident with the laser scanner track allowing a true 3d colorization of all LiDAR points. The third nadir facing camera improves photogrammetric deliverables and an important 3rd laser beam return improves penetration of densely vegetated sites. With its superb sensitivity and high laser pulse rate it redefines lidar wire extraction and dense vegetation penetration. It is simply the best performing all-purpose grade mapping sensor.

A Complete Solution

Our Digital Toolkit

GPS logs from the drone sensor and the static base station are merged to correct for any errors in the drone sensor location. Once the location of the sensor in the air is corrected, data from the inertial measurement unit (IMU) is applied to create a trajectory for which the drone was flown. LiDAR data and photos can then be appended to the derived trajectory to create georeferenced point clouds and orthophotos. Bare earth models are then extracted from the raw point cloud by isolating only points that have penetrated all above ground features and have reached the ground

Rapid Turn-Around

Software Processing

Having the right software is key to getting the most of your LiDAR data.  The Geocue Group solution for surveyors and geomatics professionals is LP360.  It is one of the key reasons why we chose the North American Geocue Group to provide us with a lidar mapping solution.  LP360 has many additional features and resources to produce the right deliverables without using any secondary processing software.

LP360 logo

We integrate to your existing systems

Lidar Deliverable Formats

Deliverable
Format
Description
Orthomosaic
GeoTIFF, JPEG
Orthographically rectified image of all photos stitched together
Digital Terrain Model
GeoTIFF
3D Elevation  model of ground topography in raster format. Typically 1-3cm resolution
Ground Surface
XML, DXF
Triangulated irregular network (TIN) 3D surface model of ground topography including points and break lines
Point cloud
LAS, LAZ, e57
Georeferenced and colourized collection of data points in 3D space
Linework
DWG, DXF
Extracted linework of key features within the scanned site. Typical extracted linework features include curb/gutter, road lines and surface utility outlines

Improve the quality of your DJI L1 data

LP360 Drone enhances data from your DJI (P1, L1, P4 RTK, M200 RTK, Zenmuse X4S, and X7S). We start where DJI Terra software ends. Produce final deliverables, including DTM, one-foot contours, classified point cloud and volumetrics. Step-by-step workflow to:

  • Manage extensive list of coordinate systems
  • Separate LAS files by flight lines
  • Strip align for geometric correction (optional add-on)
  • Smooth data + Add GCPs for data QC
DJI drone lidar scanning

Case Study

Ground points iconLidar scanning iconPhotogrammetry scanning icon

Lidar Topographic Survey

Vancouver Port Project

Our Process

1

Preparation

We start by understanding your project needs and target output. We will review the location to ensure safe and legal flight and verify any regulatory requirements.

2

Scanning

We will arrange to be on site at the optimal times during your project to capture the initial scan and subsequent progress update. Our team of certified and insured pilots will ensure minimal disruption to site activity.  

3

Data Processing

After the flight, we process data and prepare it for your use. We provide the appropriate file types and formatting to fit your workflow.

4

Quality Assessment

Independent measurements collected from traditional survey techniques are compared to our processed product to confirm our data is accurate.

5

Deliverable Generation

Using our product from the data processing, we generate deliverables catering to our clients’ individual needs, including digital terrain models, grading plans, earthworks reports, monitoring reports, various point cloud classifications, 3D design overlay and integration of high precision total station/survey grade GPS measurements with aerial survey data.

2

Scanning

We will arrange to be on site at the optimal times during your project to capture the initial scan and subsequent progress update. Our team of certified and insured pilots will ensure minimal disruption to site activity.

Expert team
3

Data Processing

After the flight, we process and data and prepare it for your use. We provide the appropriate file types and formatting to fit your workflow.

4

Quality Assessment

Independent measurements collected from traditional survey techniques are compared to our processed product to confirm and our data is accurate.

5

Deliverable Generation

Using our product from the data processing, we generate deliverables catering to our clients’ individual needs. Deliverables include but are not limited to point clouds, digital models, and survey drawings.

Ready to Scan?
Get In Touch

We're Proud of Our Customers

From monitoring and assessment, as analytical data, or as marketing materials, our outputs consistently bring businesses and workflow to the next level.  We thrive on your success!

Finning Caterpillar client logo
Creus Engineering client logo
Quattro client logo
RAM client logo
British Columbia Ministry of Transportation client logo
Oxford construction client logo
BatterbyHowat architects logo Vancouver BC
Cypress Mountain ski area logo Vancouver BC
Frontera logo
British Columbia Ministry of Transportation client logo
District of North Vancouver logo
BC MEA logo
Cypress Mountain ski area logo Vancouver BC
Grouse Mountain logo
City of Powell River logo

What Our Customers Say

"

"Spitfire delivers data that is responsive to our needs and catered to our workflow as an architecture firm, capturing what traditional surveys miss and enabling us to effectively site our projects to suit any given context."

"
"

“We recently chose to have Spitfire Drone Survey look after all of our project completion quantity verifications.We have been thrilled with the services they offer, they are fast, professional and provide quality end products that we are happy to share with our customers.To top it all off they provide their services at a very reasonable price. I would highly recommend their services, the finished results exceeded our expectations.”

"
"

"The data is absolutely fantastic. Comparing to the “original” high-altitude lidar, it’s now obvious that it was smoothed pretty aggressively, and your data gives us the real shape of that canyon."

"