At ROCK Robotic, we've been doing our best to spread the word that LiDAR is the game-changer in land surveying. Experienced drone pilot and YouTube aerial LiDAR content ROCKStar, Dylan Gorman, uses ROCK Robotic R2A mapping hardware and the ROCK Cloud LiDAR Processing Software Suite to capture ultra-precise topographical data. Read on to learn more.
The Job
Gorman's client needed 750 acres of a future commercial development mapped. While a traditional surveying team would take two to three weeks to accomplish this task, ROCK Robotic R2A got the job done in under 12 hours and with much greater precision.
"You can quickly get up and running with a turnkey LIDAR solution compared to some of the others out in the industry," Gorman noted. "ROCK Robotic makes that easy. They make everything super easy, super straightforward."
The Approach
Using Google Earth Pro, Gorman broke the imposing property into 12 manageable zones so the drone could tackle the task in practical 1-hour sessions. Then he let his DJI M300 RTK with mounted ROCK Robotic R2A do its thing. Even with a few battery swaps, this method was relatively uncomplicated.
The Data
Once the 12 sessions were complete, Gorman processed the raw data from the ROCK Robotic R2A's aerial capture and opened it up in ROCK Cloud. Part of the landscape surveyed was a ski resort, which had considerable elevation fluctuations. Using traditional surveying techniques, this would have been a massive headache. But the R2A's LiDAR data, capturing 240,000 points per second, had no problem reaching these areas, and easily cut through tree canopies to deliver gorgeous visual data.
The Experience
Gorman's experience using the combination of ROCK hardware and software was overwhelmingly positive. "Not only do they (ROCK) sell the hardware, but they also have the software in the cloud capabilities to essentially scale your LiDAR program through the roof with their awesome support team, their awesome hardware and their awesome products and services that they provide."
The Takeaways
The bottom line? Using ROCK Robotic R2A and ROCK Cloud was not only affordable for a project on this scale, but it was incredibly easy to use. The project netted Gorman a whopping $350,000, and his client was thrilled with the deliverable data.
"Ultimately, this has been one of the coolest projects that I've been able to work on in my nine-plus years of experience," Gorman said. Building on this experience, who knows what epic projects will be next? Follow Dylan Gorman on his YouTube channel for more LiDAR lessons and adventures in aerial photography.
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