LiDAR & Skytec — Revolutionizing the View for Professional Land Surveyors

When it’s summer in the south and you’re trying to accurately capture and survey land, you inevitably run into some challenges. After all, summer brings lush, green beauty — and along with that beauty, more difficulty seeing from the air to the ground.

What if there was a solution for that problem? One that allowed surveyors to more accurately capture the property or space they’re looking at, even in the midst of full bloom?

There is — the integration of aerial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) into Skytec’s workflow for PLS partners is allowing unparalleled views and accuracy.

“The amount of vegetation penetration we’re able to get is amazing,” says Andrew Carroll, CTO of Skytec. “Because we can fly lower, we’re able to capture what you traditionally couldn’t get during the summer months. I have been blown away by the level of ground capture we’re able to get.”

How It Works

Skytec works along with surveyors to strategically place aerial target and control/checkpoint locations. Once in the field, the PLS partner is able to make measurements and observe equipment for quality assurance.

After those quality tests are performed to the surveyor’s satisfaction, Skytec receives the coordinates, field notes, and additional details, then performs the LiDAR data processing.

A combination of specialized software is used to generate raw data for either LiDAR or photogrammetric products. From there, Skytec uses additional software tools to turn that raw data into a client’s requested end product. This processing step is complex and requires expert knowledge and experience working with aircraft telemetry, GPS positioning from multiple sources, site conditions, and accuracy reporting.

The LiDAR Difference

As compared with photogrammetric tools, which capture measurements using photographs, LiDAR is a remote sensing technology that uses light pulses from a laser to accurately measure distances between a sensor and other objects. This might include some specific spot in the landscape chosen by a PLS.

The initial data product for LiDAR is called “a ground classified point cloud.” While that may sound complicated, it’s simply the data that’s used to develop an elevation surface, which can then be opened up in software to help surveyors make accurate measurements.

However, before that data is shared with PLS partners, it’s first put through an internal quality assurance test by Skytec, ensuring it meets our own standards.

Using LiDAR and operating our high-resolution sensor technology at very low altitudes and speeds, Skytec is able to saturate a landscape or location with accurate measurements. As a result, Skytec’s data products meets or exceeds USGS and ASPRS Quality Level 1 and 0 standards, the gold standard in terrain mapping.

But this is only the first step in the process. Once internal quality measures are passed, we provide our PLS partners with a CAD surface or digital elevation model in a GIS format. Surveyors then compare our data with previous surveys and perform their own quality tests and checks.

After receiving the go-ahead from a PLS partner, Skytec then generates the final GIS or CAD products, which may include a variety of outputs, including:

• 1”-resolution image products
• Up to 6”-resolution digital terrain models
• Vector elevation contours
• Planimetric data
• Custom viewing web applications

Teaming up with professional land surveyors throughout the process ensures confidence in a high-quality final product — one that we’re proud to stand behind. And thanks to LiDAR, we’re able to capture these measurements, regardless of the season.

We’re using LiDAR to revolutionize the view. To learn more or to put our technologies into action for your company, contact us today.