Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Lidar Evaluation

In the past decade, Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have moved from the almost exclusive domain of tinkering hobbyists and the military, to mainstream use in numerous industries. During this same time period, 3-dimensional (3D) remote sensing methods, such as lidar and structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry, have become the state of practice for mapping and understanding changing geological environments and geotechnical projects. Combining these two technologies has enabled geoscientists and engineers to efficiently collect data at remote sites, including imagery and 3D point cloud data, and communicate complex earth science and engineering concepts.​

BGC has collaborated with Dr. Scott McDougall and the Geohazards Research Team at the University of British Columbia to test the applicability of UAV-based lidar for mapping and monitoring geohazards  and geomorphic process in areas with challenging terrain, where data collection from a helicopter or piloted aircraft may not be cost-effective, and the UAV-lidar may provide higher-resolution topography models.