Aerial Survey & LiDAR

Aerial Survey & LiDAR

AAM began performing aerial surveys over 50 years ago. Our aerial technologies now include topographic LIDAR and digital cameras allowing us to deliver orthomosaics and terrain data sets of large land areas quickly with resolutions ranging from 5 to 30cm.

View aerial mapping images

We have expanded our fleet to 12 aerial survey aircraft operating throughout Oceania and South East Asia, equipped with a range of digital aerial cameras and airborne LiDAR systems. Our airborne operations team can respond rapidly to your project, where ever the location.

AAM has the resources, experience and expertise to deliver cost-effective, fit-for-purpose solutions for your enterprise GIS, or engineering requirements. Accurate terrain  and image products are delivered via the cloud or other customised requirements which maximise your investment in these key foundation data sets. 

Aerial Imagery & Aerial Photogrammetry

Aerial imagery provides a record of the earth's surface at an instant in time and is relied on by all organisations that manage or interact with the natural and built environments. Aerial imagery provides a common language to help communicate complex concepts or problems to developers, planners, decision makers and society at large.

Aerial photogrammetry is a method of surveying involving the measurement and interpretation of features directly from aerial photographs. Aerial photogrammetry complements aerial imagery and airborne LiDAR derived datasets.

Some applications of aerial imagery include:

• Governments use aerial imagery to help monitor and manage environmental change
• Local governments use aerial imagery to improve town planning
• Mining companies use aerial imagery to help quantify and manage disturbance and rehabilitation
• Engineers rely on aerial imagery to help determine optimal route location and design for major infrastructure projects
• Emergency services rely on rapid-response aerial imagery to help assess damage caused by natural disasters and plan future mitigation strategies.

Some applications of aerial photogrammetry include:

• Topographic mapping
• Precise mapping of building outlines and roof structures to create 3-dimensional city models
• Volumetric determination of stockpiles and mine voids
• Preparation of Land Use maps

High resolution digital aerial cameras coupled to airborne LiDAR systems allow imagery to be captured with LiDAR simultaneously, minimising project costs.

Several of AAM's digital aerial cameras allow the infrared spectrum to be captured in addition to conventional visible light, benefiting applications for environmental, agricultural and forestry purposes.

Airborne Thermal Infrared and UV Imagery

AAM UAV CAPABILITY

CASA Approved and Certified Operators

AAM Currently uses several UAV’s for Survey Mapping and Inspection services.

Current Fleet:

• Microdrones MD4-1000
• 3DR Solo Quad Copter
• AAM Skywalker X8 Flying Wing

Services:

• UAV  Aerial Surveys and Mapping    
• UAV Inspection Services
• Thermal Surveys
• Multi Spectral Surveys
• Lidar Surveys

Contact AAM to learn how aerial survey and LiDAR, aerial imagery and aerial photogrammetry or airborne thermal infrared and UV imagery can help your organisation or project.

LiDAR

Airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) involves mounting a laser scanner in an aircraft that measures the height of discrete points in the landscape below the aircraft. This technology can capture hundreds of square kilometres in a single day.  Well crafted project design by AAM specialists enables the accuracy of the terrain data sets to be confirmed prior to their critical application on planning and design projects.

LiDAR can also penetrate dense canopy, enabling the capture bare earth terrain models (not visible using image based photogrammetry). A number of other derived products can be generated about Vegetation and assets (powerlines, towers, buildings) which leads into the change monitoring services we also offer.

We introduced topographic LiDAR technology to our clients back in 1998. We continue to offer the latest generation sensors deployed with professional expertise and experience.

More about LiDAR

Airborne LiDAR consists of a high frequency laser scanner that records the time differential between the emission of the laser pulses and the reception of the reflected signal from the environment. By combining this data with the position and orientation of the scanner (determined by differential kinematic GPS and an Inertial Measurement Unit) LiDAR creates highly accurate and detailed models of the earth's surface with a height accuracy down to +/- 10cm.

LiDAR scanners can also be mounted on ground vehicles and on tripods for traditional ground survey style usage. They can also be used to capture as-built constructions, including building interiors and exteriors, pits and stockpiles. The platform used depends on the scale of the project and the nature of the site.

To find out more click here to get in touch with us.

Bathymetric LiDAR

Bathymetric LiDAR measures the depth of water using airborne lasers scanning across the line of flight creating a swathe effect.

The laser beam is made up of 2 transmitted wavelengths; one infrared at 1064nm which detects the sea surface and any land, and one green at 532 nm which penetrates the water and is reflected back from the seabed. The time lapse between the returns from the two wavelengths provides the basis on which the depth can be calculated.

Full waveform data can be analysed to give indications of water quality, the nature of the seabed, and areas of underwater vegetation.

Bathymetric Hydrographic LiDAR allows rapid coverage of large areas.  Although it is constrained by water clarity and generally limited to depths of less than 50m, it offers a cost effective solution to wide area surveys which are impossible, difficult or expensive to access or complete using conventional acoustic systems.

Shallow Water Capability

The need to conduct bathymetric surveys in very shallow water in a safe, efficient and flexible way is met by AAM’s lightweight and highly deployable ASV solution. AAM’s vessel is fitted with a dual frequency GNSS receiver and a dual frequency echo sounder in a fully integrated survey package that defines the underwater surface safely, accurately and quickly.

Explore the 'Collateral' tab on the right to learn more about our Shallow Water Capabilities.