Groundbreaking Research Reveals Comparable Accuracy to Mobile Mapping and Enhanced Performance, Driving Greater Flexibility and New Applications for Transportation Projects
Hollywood, Fla., January 25, 2021 – NV5 Geospatial, North America’s largest provider of geospatial data services and solutions, will share ground-breaking research on the use of low altitude drone and rotary wing lidar surveys for transportation applications during the 2021 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting, a virtual event taking place in late January. The presentation – “Detailed Comparison of Three Lidar Captures from Drone and Rotary Platforms, and at Different Altitudes on Oklahoma DOT Roadway” – will be part of the session, “The Continued Evolution of UAS for Transportation Design,” scheduled for 4 p.m. on January 28.
During the presentation, Mark Meade, P.E., PLS, CP, senior vice president at NV5 Geospatial and Kyle King, PLS, chief of Surveys for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (DOT), will discuss the performance and accuracy of lidar applications over a two-mile stretch of rural highway. The three applications evaluated were:
- Traditional linear-mode RIEGL 480i sensor flown on a helicopter
- NV5 Geospatial’s comprehensive low-altitude sensor solution (CLASS), which combines two RIEGL VUX-LRs with nadir and oblique imagery, mounted to a helicopter
- Single RIEGL VUX-1 flown on a small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS)
The project demonstrated that the different, cutting-edge lidar technologies and aerial platforms could deliver extreme horizontal and vertical accuracy for airborne systems flown at altitudes of 250 feet to 600 feet. These configurations also offered results that were similar to those achieved by mobile or terrestrial collection.
The results of the Oklahoma DOT research project showed that options exist to provide even greater flexibility for transportation projects, as well as for broader use by airports, railways, utilities and general engineering design.
“Helicopters and drones both play an important role in many types of large- and small-scale projects,” Meade noted. “These platforms appeal to many specialized applications where extreme accuracy and resolution are needed, including utilities, infrastructure, asset management, forestry, environmental, and emergency response as well as transportation. The technology aerial platforms can carry is impressive, allowing us to use lidar, multispectral imagery, and long wave infrared (thermal) sensors to derive highly informed answers for our clients.”
For more information or to attend, visit the 2021 TRB Annual Meeting website.
An article about the project appeared in the Winter issue of LIDAR Magazine: https://lidarmag.com/2021/01/24/accuracies-amaze-the-experts/
About NV5 Geospatial
NV5 Geospatial, powered by Quantum Spatial, is North America’s largest provider of geospatial services, providing end-to-end solutions and insights to organizations that need geospatial intelligence to mitigate risk, plan for growth, better manage resources and advance scientific understanding. We combine the widest array of advanced remote sensing technologies with proprietary processes, analytics tools, algorithms, and analysis tailored to meet our clients’ needs. For more information visit the NV5 Geospatial website, join us on LinkedIn or follow us on Twitter @nv5geospatial.
About NV5
NV5 Global, Inc. is a leading provider of compliance, technology, and engineering consulting solutions for public and private sector clients supporting infrastructure, utility, and building assets and systems. The Company primarily focuses on six business verticals: testing, inspection & consulting, infrastructure support services, utility services, buildings & program management, environmental health sciences, and geospatial technology services. NV5 operates out of more than 100 offices nationwide and abroad. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.NV5.com. Also visit the Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Vimeo.