Quarries
Stockpile volumes
Volumetric quantification of stockpiles and quarry faces from a dense, repeatable point cloud.
Service · Aerial capture
Drone LIDAR for large areas and dense vegetation.
A laser sensor mounted on a drone: it measures actively, independent of daylight and of ground texture, sees through vegetation and covers large areas at a rate conventional surveying cannot match. We fly anywhere in Spain.
LIDARActive laser sensor, measures without daylight
RTKIntegrated centimetre positioning
AESALicensed Spanish operator and pilots
16×Returns per pulse, penetrates vegetation
Where vegetation or scale rule.
Drone LIDAR measures with an active laser rather than reconstructing from photographs, so it depends neither on daylight nor on the visual texture of the ground. It is the fastest way to cover large areas or see through dense vegetation without losing accuracy.
Industry
Biomass calculation
Volume and biomass estimates from the LIDAR cloud, including under tree cover.
Linear works
Earthworks
Earthworks measurement and progress monitoring on rail undergrounding and other linear schemes.
The difference is in the density of the data.
With drone LIDAR we cover up to 600 ha in a single day, at accuracies down to 3 cm.
+1 Mpoints/ha, against 20–60 points/ha with conventional surveying
30×more output: 600 ha/day against 5–20 ha/day for a two-person team
| Measure | Conventional surveying | Drone LIDAR |
|---|---|---|
| Point density | 20–60 points/ha | More than 1,000,000 points/ha |
| Points captured per day | 800–1,000 | More than 700 million |
| Output (two-person team) | 5–20 ha/day | 600 ha/day |
| Vertical accuracy | 2–3 cm, with RTK | 3 cm RMSE, also with RTK |
| Vegetation penetration | Only where the surveyor walks | Measures the ground under tree cover |
| Final product | Discrete points, annotated by hand in the office | Classifiable cloud, RGB and DTM/DSM ready |
Not just more scale: a different kind of data
Conventional surveying produces a mesh (TIN) from the minimum number of points the surveyor judged sufficient. An element exists only if somebody decided to measure it, and its meaning — that this is a gully or a kerb — lives in the surveyor's head until it is annotated back in the office.
A LIDAR cloud at this density is a different category of thing: every point carries intensity, return number, RGB colour and a timestamp, and that density lets objects emerge and classify themselves. It is no longer a one-off survey: it is the basis of a genuine digital twin, where any measurement nobody thought of at the time can be taken later, without going back to site.
Drone LIDAR or photogrammetry: it depends on the site.
Neither replaces the other: we choose on what has to be measured and where.
Drone LIDAR fits better when…
- There is dense vegetation to see through: quarries, linear works, biomass calculation.
- The ground has little visual texture, where photogrammetry loses accuracy.
- Maximum point density is needed regardless of lighting conditions.
Bear in mind
- In urban areas Spanish flight permissions are more restrictive than for photogrammetry.
- The operating cost of drone LIDAR is higher than a photogrammetric flight.
- For roofs, façades or urban settings, see drone photogrammetry instead.
Drone LIDAR at the Retamares water tank.
Aerial LIDAR capture completing the roofs and raised areas of an 83,000 m² water tank belonging to Canal de Isabel II, the Madrid regional water utility, combined with terrestrial scanning in the normally accessible areas.
A cloud ready to classify.
We process the LIDAR flight and hand over the classified cloud and its derivatives, combinable with ground-based capture.
LIDAR products
- Classified point cloud (ground, vegetation, buildings, overhead lines).
- Digital terrain and surface models (DTM/DSM).
- Contour lines and associated RGB orthophoto.
Technical production
- Volume and stockpile quantification.
- Mapping in DWG / SHP for GIS.
- Combined with terrestrial laser scanning for complete coverage.
From flight to classified cloud.
We plan the flight around coverage, vegetation and what the cloud is finally for. You can watch the whole drone survey process, stage by stage.
01
Planning and permits
We set the flight plan and obtain the AESA authorisations, assessing the restrictions that apply to the area.
02
Survey control
We measure control and check points with GNSS RTK to guarantee accuracy and georeferencing.
03
LIDAR flight
We fly the LIDAR sensor, capturing multiple returns per pulse to penetrate vegetation.
04
Cloud classification
We classify the cloud automatically by type and verify the accuracy achieved.
05
Delivery on the platform
Access to the web viewer and downloads in the formats you require.
Questions about drone LIDAR.
What is drone LIDAR and how does it differ from drone photogrammetry?
A drone LIDAR carries a laser sensor that measures distance actively, independent of daylight or the visual texture of the ground. Drone photogrammetry reconstructs 3D from overlapping photographs. LIDAR penetrates vegetation and works on untextured surfaces where photogrammetry fails; photogrammetry is faster and cheaper in urban areas.
When is drone LIDAR the better option?
When there is dense vegetation to see through (quarries, linear works, biomass calculation), where the ground has little visual texture, or where maximum point density is needed regardless of lighting. In urban areas flight permissions are more restrictive and the operating cost is higher than photogrammetry, so photogrammetry usually fits better there.
How much ground can drone LIDAR cover in a day?
Up to 600 hectares in a single day, against 5–20 ha/day for a conventional two-person survey team. Density changes scale as well: roughly 20–60 points/ha with conventional surveying against more than a million points/ha with drone LIDAR, at comparable accuracy (2–3 cm, both with RTK).
Does drone LIDAR see through vegetation?
Yes. Each laser pulse can generate several returns: part of the signal reflects off the canopy and part reaches the ground, which recovers the real terrain under tree cover — something photography cannot do.
Contact Have a site in Spain
Have a site in Spain
that needs capturing?
Tell us what you need surveyed. We review your case with no obligation and send back a technical and commercial proposal matched to your requirements — in English, working to your project timetable.