LiDAR Mapping
Airborne laser scanning that returns true ground elevation beneath tree cover, delivers dense corridor models and works where photogrammetry physically cannot.
- Point density
- 80-400 pts/m2
- Range accuracy
- +/- 2 cm
- Returns
- Up to 5 per pulse
- Canopy penetration
- Yes
What it is
Bare-earth terrain through vegetation, corridors and canopy
LiDAR fires hundreds of thousands of laser pulses per second and times their return. Because a single pulse can produce several returns, some pulses slip between leaves and strike the ground - which is why LiDAR is the only reliable way to model terrain under vegetation from the air.
We deploy LiDAR for corridor mapping along transmission lines, canals, railways and highways, for forested and plantation terrain, and for any project where the difference between canopy top and true ground would corrupt an earthwork calculation.
Our LiDAR capability is delivered through vetted equipment partners on a per-project basis, with an in-house sensor being commissioned. That means you get the right sensor for the job rather than whatever we happen to own, and our processing, classification and QA pipeline stays consistent across every dataset.
What you receive
- Classified point cloud (ground, vegetation, building, wire, noise) in LAS/LAZ 1.4
- Bare-earth Digital Terrain Model
- Canopy Height Model and vegetation encroachment layer
- Corridor cross-sections and profiles at set chainage
- Powerline catenary and clearance analysis
- Intensity raster and classification accuracy report
Indicative from
On requestproject based
Priced per corridor kilometre or per hectare depending on terrain and required point density.
How we deliver it
Our lidar mapping workflow
Each step exists because skipping it shows up later as an error somebody else has to find.
Sensor selection
We match pulse rate, field of view and range to your terrain, canopy density and required point density before committing to a platform.
Base station setup
A GNSS base logs throughout the flight for PPK trajectory correction, giving a centimetre-accurate flight path.
Acquisition
Overlapping flight lines with cross-lines for boresight calibration, flown low and slow to maximise ground returns under canopy.
Trajectory and strip adjustment
Tightly-coupled IMU/GNSS post-processing, then strip alignment to remove systematic offsets between flight lines.
Classification and QA
Automated classification refined by manual editing, validated against ground check points and reported per class.
Where it is used
Typical applications
- Transmission line and railway corridor mapping
- Forest inventory, canopy height and biomass estimation
- Flood modelling and drainage design over vegetated floodplain
- Archaeological prospection under tree cover
- Terrain modelling for plantations and tea estates
Industries served
Sectors that commission this
We operate LiDAR through equipment partners today and are commissioning an in-house sensor. Our processing, classification and quality assurance are performed in-house on every dataset regardless of whose sensor captured it.
Need lidar mapping on a site?
Send us the site, the area and what the data has to support. We respond within one working day - and if the method you asked for will not hit your accuracy target, we will say so before you commit.