Drone LiDAR captures survey-grade 3D data through trees, in complex terrain, and at night. If you’re planning a site, running volumes, or mapping a corridor, LiDAR gives you a cleaner ground model than photos can.
We fly drone LiDAR missions across North Texas and DFW using the DJI Zenmuse L3. Standard turnaround: 48 hours from flight to deliverable.
Photogrammetry builds a 3D model by stitching overlapping photos. LiDAR builds one by sending out laser pulses and measuring how long each one takes to bounce back. The difference matters in three places.
On open ground, a good RTK photogrammetry flight can match LiDAR horizontally. LiDAR still wins on vertical accuracy, and it wins cleanly on complex terrain like slopes, drainage features, and steep embankments.
LiDAR is an active sensor. It works at dusk, at dawn, and in overcast. You don’t lose a flight day because the sun isn’t cooperating.
Use photogrammetry when the site is open, well-lit, and you want color-accurate texture on the final model. Roof inspections, marketing flyovers, and simple stockpile volumes on a bare pad are good fits.
Use drone LiDAR when any of these are true:
Plenty of projects benefit from both. We can fly LiDAR for the ground surface and RGB for the texture, then hand back a combined deliverable.