An aerial LiDAR survey captures topographic and structural data by firing laser pulses from an airborne platform — a drone, helicopter, or manned aircraft. Each laser pulse measures the distance to the ground or surface below, and combined with precise GNSS/IMU positioning data, produces a dense 3D point cloud of the surveyed area.
Key capabilities of aerial LiDAR:
- Vegetation penetration: LiDAR pulses pass through gaps in tree canopy, recording multiple returns — from leaves, branches, and the ground surface. This enables bare-earth terrain mapping beneath dense vegetation, something photogrammetry cannot do.
- Accuracy: 1-3 cm for drone-mounted LiDAR, 2-5 cm for helicopter/aircraft systems.
- Coverage: Drones cover 50-300 acres/day, helicopters cover 50-200 square miles/day.
- Deliverables: Classified point clouds, digital terrain models (DTM), digital surface models (DSM), contour maps, canopy height models.
Common applications: Topographic surveys, corridor mapping (power lines, pipelines), flood modeling, forestry inventory, archaeological surveys, mine site mapping, and environmental monitoring.
THE FUTURE 3D provides aerial LiDAR services across all platforms — from drone-mounted sensors for sites under 500 acres to helicopter LiDAR for large corridors and regional surveys. Learn more in our aerial LiDAR guide.