Drone Powerline Inspection : what to consider and how to choose the best drone Drones are transforming how electric utilities inspect powerlines, offering safer, faster, and more cost-effective solutions than traditional methods. But with so many drone types, sensors, and features on the market, how do you choose the right one? This guide explores key considerations for drone-based powerline inspection […]
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Canadian Summer Internship Program Trains Hydrographers of the Future By Kevin P. Corbley Three marine organizations teamed in the summers of 2023 and 2024 to prepare Canadian ocean mapping students to become “Hydrographers of the Future.” The first-of-its-kind internship program focused on equipping the students with the technical skills and knowledge that are increasingly required in the hydrography profession but […]
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How to Generate a Digital Terrain Model from a LiDAR Point Cloud: Complete Workflow May 8, 2025 Digital Terrain Model (DTM) generation from LiDAR point clouds is a fundamental process in geospatial engineering, supporting applications such as flood modeling, infrastructure planning, environmental monitoring, and terrain analysis. Although the task may seem simple at first glance, it encompasses a sequence of […]
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How We Built Digital Twins That Could Survive Remote Alaska When you think about energy infrastructure, you might picture dense grids, smart meters, and sprawling cities. But in rural Alaska, keeping the lights on is a different challenge altogether. Communities are separated by hundreds of miles of mountains, tundra, and coastline—accessible only by bush plane, boat, or snow machine. Infrastructure […]
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Protecting the Unseen: Non-Invasive Seabed and Coral Reef Mapping with RIEGL Aerial Bathymetric LiDAR AB Surveying & Development, a leading surveying solutions firm in the Philippines, has made a significant advancement in marine surveying by adopting the RIEGL VQ-840-G system. This world-class survey-grade LiDAR scanner is renowned for its precision and non-invasive capabilities. The cutting-edge technology captures data with a nearly elliptical scan […]
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Calibration or Static for Base Position Do you calibrate every project with a rover? Do you really need to? What are the pros and cons? A site calibration, or localization, is a way to average the error between observed control points and help you know if certain points are outside of your acceptable tolerance. The control is initially established with […]
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Digital Precision at the Black Sea: 3D Scanning a Port Facility in Constanta with Trimble X7 My name is Codrin Bolocan, the owner of SENZORTECH and the “lucky” guy who gets to travel all over the place doing scanning work. At Senzortech, we’re constantly exploring new ways to bridge the gap between physical infrastructure and digital design. One of our […]
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Breaking New Ground: U.S. Air Force Tests Drone LIDAR for Airfield Safety at McChord Airfield In a groundbreaking effort to enhance airfield safety and precision mapping, the U.S. Air Force recently completed a comprehensive LIDAR survey using drone technology at McChord Airfield, located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Washington. The 627th Civil Engineer Squadron (627 CES), in collaboration with Stitch3D […]
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Sergiu Ceausu, Head of the 3D Scanning Department at GISCAD, recently shared the fascinating details of a LiDAR cave mapping project in Romania. To delve deeper into his expertise and career, we invited him for an interview to discuss his background, experiences in the industry, technological insights, and his vision for the future of the field. 📍 Career History & […]
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Originally constructed in 1866 and reconstructed in 1906, the Susquehanna River Bridge is a significant piece of infrastructure spanning the Susquehanna River in Maryland. Part of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, the bridge features large stone and concrete piers and operates as a swing bridge, allowing the rails to disconnect and open for shipping traffic. However, the ability to open and close […]
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GeoCue Brings Drone LiDAR Technology to Madison City Schools STEM Program A Day of Discovery: GeoCue Presents Drone LiDAR Tech to Local 5th Graders In an engaging and educational outreach initiative, GeoCue recently visited Mill Creek Elementary in Madison, Alabama, to introduce fifth graders to cutting-edge drone and LiDAR technology. Jake Fields, a UAS Service and Support Technician at GeoCue, led the interactive […]
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In The News: RIEGL’s Airborne Bathymetric LiDAR – Revolutionizing Hydrographic Surveying The following article by Janowski, Tysiąc, and Mandlburger provides a comprehensive understanding of Bathymetric technology, detailing its applications and benefits. In their insightful article on Hydro International, Łukasz Janowski, Paweł Tysiąc, and Gottfried Mandlburger delve into the immense potential of airborne bathymetric LiDAR and RIEGL technology to revolutionize hydrographic surveying. They explore its applications […]
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March 21, 2025 – UN World Day for Glaciers Project Pressure Rwenzori Expedition maps Uganda’s disappearing tropical glaciersABSTRACTNestled on the Uganda-DR Congo border, the Rwenzori Mountains—a UNESCO World Heritage site—are home tosome of the world’s last tropical glaciers. Project Pressure, in collaboration with UNESCO and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, led a groundbreaking expedition tothe Rwenzori surveying all three mountains (Stanley, […]
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Introducing Emesent and Dr. Hrabar Many of our readers are familiar with Emesent, a global leader in mapping challenging environments and the developer of the Emesent Hovermap lidar system. Lidar News recently had the opportunity to interview co-founder Dr. Stefan Hrabar to explore the origins of Emesent, their latest advancements, and their vision for the future. At Lidar News, we’ve […]
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In the News: RIEGL’s Cutting-Edge Technology Unveils Ancient Secrets at Cahokia Mounds In a groundbreaking collaboration, RIEGL‘s advanced geospatial technology is playing a pivotal role in uncovering the mysteries of Cahokia Mounds, one of North America’s most significant archaeological sites. The RIEGL miniVUX-3UAV system, a state-of-the-art airborne laser scanner, is at the forefront of this exploration, providing researchers with unprecedented precision and efficiency. Designed […]
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Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient Trees with RIEGL Terrestrial LiDAR Researchers from University College London (UCL), the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) are collaborating with RIEGL UK to gain new insights into some of the UK’s rare and exceptional ancient oak trees using the RIEGL VZ-400i terrestrial laser scanner. The SCATTER project (Scanning Ancient Trees with Terrestrial LiDAR) employs […]
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Bridging the Gap: SAM’s Swift Collaborative Efforts in the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Recovery When the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, after the container ship MV Dali lost power and struck the southwest supporting pier of the main truss, it triggered an instant crisis across the entire Baltimore metro area and beyond. In such situations, […]
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Enhancing Industrial Plant Layouts with Efficient Point cloud to CAD IntroductionIn the industrial sector, precision and efficiency are paramount when designing and optimizing plant layouts. Traditional methods of measurement and documentation are often time-consuming and prone to errors. However, with advancements in technology, LiDAR-based point cloud to CAD conversion has emerged as a game-changer. This approach not only enhances accuracy […]
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Leveraging the USIBD Level of Accuracy (LOA) v3.1 to Enhance Laser Scanning Project Specifications Written by John M. Russo, Architect Introduction The use of 3D laser scanning in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) industry has grown significantly, enabling practitioners to capture existing conditions with remarkable precision. However, defining and communicating accuracy expectations between project stakeholders remains a challenge. […]
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Reimagining Infrastructure with Advanced Mobile Mapping Solutions An interview with Katherine Hunt, CEO and Co-Founder of Teleqo Tech January 2025 Can you please provide a brief overview of your professional background(s) and experience, particularly with 3D laser scanning/lidar technology, and/or a brief history of the growth of the company and its use of 3D technology? Please include an idea of […]
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SurvTech Solutions Elevates Aerial Mapping with Advanced Leica Chiroptera 5 LiDAR and RCD30 4-Band Camera SurvTech Solutions Expands Aerial Mapping Capabilities with the Acquisition of a Leica Chiroptera 5 Topographic/Bathymetric LiDAR Sensor and a LiDAR RCD30 4-Band Camera SurvTech Solutions is excited to announce the acquisition of the Leica Chiroptera 5, a cutting-edge topographic/bathymetric (topo/bathy) LiDAR system designed for precise […]
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Safer surveying with integrated utility mapping solutions Matthias Twardzik at Hexagon discusses how innovative mapping solutions are improving the efficiency and safety of surveying at the same time. As major transportation and infrastructure projects escalate worldwide, there is an increasing demand for safe, efficient, and comprehensive utility mapping. In fact, a 2022 report from the UK government estimated that a […]
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Tcp PointCloud Editor: Cost-Effective Point Cloud Software for All Your Needs Today, point clouds are widely used to represent 3D models and digital twins in all kinds of projects. Point clouds can be easily captured with static or handheld scanners, drones equipped with cameras or LiDAR sensors, and even smartphones, and in many cases can be downloaded for free from […]
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Addressing the Complexity of Vegetation Management with Advanced Technology Utility vegetation management (UVM) is a challenging task, requiring management of tree and vegetation growth around power lines and utility assets to prevent outages and maintain consistent service. As climate change increases, the risk of vegetation-related disruptions due to extreme weather, utilities, EPCs, and surveyors are turning to advanced technologies to […]
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USF and Phoenix Lidar: Building the Future of LiDAR Education and Smart City Planning Lidar News readers are interested in how innovators are leveraging Phoenix LiDAR 3D technologies to solve a wide variety of problems, educate students and support academic research. Lidar News Founder Gene Roe has provided the following interview questions to Dr. Laura Harrison, Founding Director of Access […]
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