Presented during the 2022 North Dakota Geospatial Summit in Bismarck, ND, September 14-15.

1. UAS Lidar Mission
Planning and Applications
September 14th, 2022
Geospatial Project Manager
Tyler Kaebisch

2. Firm Overview
• Who is Ayres?
• With a team of 300+ innovative
problem-solvers nationwide, we
stand with integrity behind
thousands of projects that
strengthen communities and our
country’s infrastructure,
economy, and environment.

3. Firm Overview
Our tools and expertise include:
• civil and municipal engineering
• transportation
• structural design and inspection
• river engineering and water resources
• architecture
• landscape architecture
• environmental
• geospatial
• planning and development
• telecommunications and SUE

4. Agenda
1. UAS Equipment Innovations
2. UAS Pilot Certification
3. UAS Mission Planning
4. Project Examples and Lessons
Learned

5. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Aircraft innovations
• GPS stabilization (allows flight automation)
• Battery life and hybrid power systems
• Safety (collision avoidance, remote ID,
redundant systems)
• Flight control systems (AI-assisted flight,
improved sensors to coordinate control
and flight)
• Hardened communications
• VTOL

6. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Sensor innovations
• Smaller high-resolution cameras (4K
now the minimum standard)
• More choices (specialization)
• Zoom, multi-band, thermal, and metric-
grade options
• Lidar
• More powerful and capable sensors
• Better choice of IMUs (accuracy)
• Integration with imagery
• Reductions in size, weight and power
consumption

7. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Capability Gradient
Consumer
Grade
Mapping
Grade
Survey
Grade

8. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
UAS by the numbers (US Market)
• 860,742 drones registered
• 329,433 commercial
• 527,755 recreational
• 3,554 paper registrations
• 260,276 Remote pilot certificates
• Global market in 2020 was USD $18.28B, projected to reach USD 40.90B
in 2027 (12.27% CAGR)
Sources: FAA (Jan 21, 2022) and Brandessence Market Research and Consulting Private Limited Sep 2021)

9. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Ayres’ Capabilities
BFD SE-8 with True View 620
• 40 pounds
• ~35 minutes flight
• RIEGL Mini VUX2 UAS
• APX-20 IMU
• Dual offset Sony cameras
• Missions: Lidar scanning to
create colorized point clouds
*Also requires a survey-grade GPS
base station to properly calibrate data!

10. UAS Hardware
• Optimized for the
simultaneous collection of
ortho imagery and Lidar point
clouds
• Focus on data quality
• RIEGL sensor and Applanix IMU
• 1-inch resolution imagery can
be captured to pair with Lidar

11. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.

12. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.

13. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
UAS Pilot Certification

14. Ayres UAS Projects
• Ayres began processing UAS data in 2015
• Part 107 (Commercial Small Unmanned
Aircraft Regulations) were announced in June
2016. These regulations streamlined the
ability to operate UAS commercially in the
national airspace.
• Ayres had its first FAA-certified remote pilot by
August 2016.
• Ayres currently has 13 certified remote pilots
and 12 UAS platforms within the company.
• Advanced systems, including a metric camera
and the UAS Lidar system

15. Remote Pilot in Command
(RPIC)
✓ Remote Pilot in Command (Remote PIC or Remote Pilot). A person
who holds a remote pilot certificate with an sUAS rating and has the final
authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of an sUAS
operation conducted under part 107.
✓ To become a pilot you must:
• Be at least 16 years old
• Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English
• Be in a physical and mental condition to safely operate a small UAS
• Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge exam at an FAA-approved
knowledge testing center

16. Aeronautical Knowledge Exam
✓ sUAS ratings privileges, limitations, and flight operations
✓ Airspace classification, operating requirements, and flight restrictions
✓ Aviation weather
✓ sUAS loading and performance
✓ Emergency procedures
✓ Crew resource management
✓ Radio communication procedures
✓ Physiological effects of drugs and alcohol
✓ Aeronautical decision-making and judgement
✓ Airport operations
✓ Maintenance and preflight inspection procedures

17. Safety Checklist and Protocols
• Site hazards
• Aerial operation hazards
• Hazard assessment
• Personal protective equipment
• Local emergency resources
• Emergency contacts
• Preflight equipment checklist

18. Controlled Airspace Authorizations
Since 2018, authorizations to fly in
many controlled (non-Class G)
airspaces have been streamlined
with the implementation of LAANC
(Low Altitude Authorization and
Notification Capability) and the
FAA DroneZone website.

19. Mission Planning

20. UAS Project Planning
Important Factors
• Location of Project
• Size of Project
• Features of Interest
• Site Access
• Ground Control
• Flying Height

21. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
• What UAS technology does not do:
× Replaces need for surveyor or boots
on the ground
× No or little planning needed
× No or little survey control
× ”One-click” and/or fully automated
pre/post-processing
Common Misconceptions of UAS
• The Principles and science behind lidar and imagery acquisition
processing remain the same, only the method of acquisition is changing

22. Constraints
• Weather constraints
• snow, rain or gusty wind
• Dense vegetation
• especially tall grass
• most forest is penetrable
• Certain applications require higher
accuracy and/or point density
• Airspace and FAA regulations
• Built-up areas are of concern

23. • https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/uas_facility_maps/

24. • https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/uas_facility_maps/

25. Landfill Project
• 20 ppsm Lidar
• 3-inch Imagery
• Site Size
• 740 acres
(1.15 sq mi)

26. Landfill Project
• 20 ppsm Lidar
• 3-inch Imagery
• Site Size
• 740 acres
(1.15 sq mi)
UAS Flight Plan
• 32 flight lines
• 22 ground
control points

27. Landfill Project
• 20 ppsm Lidar
• 3-inch Imagery
• Site Size
• 740 acres
(1.15 sq mi)
Aerial Flight Plan
• 3 flight lines
• 5 ground control
points

28. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Project Requirements
• Start with deliverables/objectives
• Accuracy requirements
• Capability gaps?
• Pilot or survey
• Post processing (skill or resources)
• Ground/Site conditions (seasonality?)

29. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Planning Process
Determine Project Feasibility
• Can you safely fly the project?
• Can you collect and process the data at the accuracy you require?
• Can you efficiently fly the project (or are there better alternatives?)

30. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
No-fly zones
• Restricted Airspace (e.g.
schools, prisons, military sites)
• Local Restrictions (e.g. State
Parks, wildlife areas)
• Temporary Flight Restrictions
(TFRs)
• Sporting events
• VIP visits
• Emergency response

31. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Manual Authorization
faadronezone.faa.gov
• Date & Time
• Frequency
• Location (coordinates)
• Max Altitude
• Nearest Airport and Airspace
Class
• Description of Operations

32. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Manual Authorization

33. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Risk Mitigation
Identify what might go wrong (rank and
prioritize)
Likelihood vs Severity
Mitigate risk to an acceptable level
Murphy’s Law…

34. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Quantifying Risk

35. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Additional Resources
Plan ahead, be prepared!

36. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Flight Planning
• Automated vs. Manual
• Test/Train thoroughly with your
hardware in a safe area
• Emergency procedures (geofences,
RTH)
• Terrain Models
• Software cannot replace human skill in
an emergency

37. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Survey grade Lidar

38. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Plan for accuracy!

39. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Flight Planning

40. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Adjusting to terrain

41. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Flight lines, launch points, control

42. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Control

43. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Training
• Think ‘Capabilities’
not platforms
• Maintain experience
• Depth vs. Breadth
• Develop subject
matter experts
(sensors, work flows)

44. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Fleet Management
• Flight logs
• Maintenance
Schedule
• Pilot experience
• Documentation!

45. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Project Examples

46. UAS Lidar data can be applied to:
• Topographic mapping
• Corridor mapping
- Transmission & distribution
- Transportation
- Pipeline
• As-built surveys
• Vegetation encroachment analysis
• Earthworks
• Agriculture
• Water Resources
- Floodplain mapping
- Coastal erosion
- Hydro-flow
Applications

47. UAS Lidar Capabilities and deliverables
• High vertical accuracy point clouds
• Typically, 2cm or better on hard surfaces
• Generation of surfaces
• Supports 1-foot contours
• Feature extraction
• Planimetrics
• Ortho-imagery
• Site documentation
• Oblique and nadir Video

48. Topographic Mapping
UAS mapping products can be applied to:
• Site design
• Slope measurement
• Drainage analysis
• Cut/fill and volumetric measurements

49. Earthworks
Quarry Volumetric Survey
• Derived Products:
• Classified & colorized point cloud
• Surface model & contours
• Image ortho-mosaic
• Volumetrics (cut/fill)

50. Lidar

51. Leaf-On High Vegetation Conditions

52. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Waste Management - Landfill
Derived Products:
Civil3D Surface Model
Raster DEM (1ft Pixel
Resolution)
Colorized & Classified
Point Cloud
Orthomosaic
Metadata in XML
Format

53. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Deliverables

54. Structural Inspections – Utilities

55. Corridor Mapping
T&D network mapping on corridors
up to 20 miles
• Derived Products:
• Classified & colorized point cloud
• Surface model & contours
• Image ortho-mosaic
• Feature extractions

56. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Transportation – Design/Build
Products Derived:
Civil3D Surface Model
1”:50’ Planimetrics in
DWG Format
Field survey outside
corridor due to heavy
vegetation
Colorized & Classified
Point Cloud
Orthomosaic
Metadata in XML
Format

57. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Products

58. IH 41 Milwaukee Project
• 2 miles of 4 lane urban divided interstate
• DTM
• Planimetric
• Utility survey (dry util + storm, san and water)
• Culvert survey
• 2 Mainline structure surveys over railroad
• Multiple sign structure surveys
• Started with countywide ortho & HD 30 ppsm
lidar and augmented with UAS and ground
survey at mainline railroad bridges

59. IH 41 Milwaukee Project

60. Limited access to project site

61. Agriculture
Lemon grove in Oxnard, CA
• Yield assessment
• Deliverables:
• Classified & colorized point cloud
Project highlights:
• High density LiDAR (~800 ppsm)

71. Difficult Terrain
California Slope Stabilization
• 13 acres rugged terrain
• 1000 ft+ elevation range
• Aerial targeting survey
• 80 ppsm lidar acquisition
• Classified, colorized lidar point cloud
• Supporting 1 ft contour creation
• 1 ft pixel DEM
• Civil 3D surface

72. California Slope Stabilization

73. California Slope Stabilization

74. California Slope Stabilization

75. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.

76. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.

77. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.

78. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.

79. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.

80. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.

81. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Transportation – Engineering/Design
Products Derived:
Civil3D Surface Model
MicroStation
OpenRoads TIN Surface
Bare Earth DEM
Colorized & Classified
Point Cloud
Metadata in XML
Format

82. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Water Resources – Lagoon
Derived Products:
Civil3D Surface Model
Raster DEM (1ft Pixel
Resolution)
Thermal Imagery
Colorized & Classified
Point Cloud
Metadata in XML
Format

83. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Water Resources - Stream Restoration
Derived Products:
Hydro-breaklines
1ft Contours
Bare Earth DEM
Colorized & Classified
Point Cloud
Orthomosaic
Metadata in XML
Format

84. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Asset Management – Dams & Levees
Derived Products:
Civil3D Surface Model
Colorized & Classified
Point Cloud
Orthomosaic
Metadata in XML
Format

85. Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.
Manual Editing

86. Initial Lessons on Data Processing
✓ Don’t under-estimate importance of editing surface model.
✓ Accurate GPS surveyed ground control points are essential for
accurate data.
✓ The type of ground surface had a major influence on bare
earth surface accuracy.
✓ Production done with combination of specialized image and
LiDAR processing software.
✓ Low-cost software/push-button solutions are not sufficient for
professional topographic mapping.

87. Thank You! Questions?
Tyler Kaebisch
Geospatial Project Manager
KaebischT@AyresAssociates.com