Aerial Mapping is our most recent service addition that builds upon our legacy of providing the highest quality and most extensive array of product options for our Clients.  Our capability in aerial mapping began in 2018 when Matt Rogers, P.E., obtained his FAA Remote Pilot Certificate.  In 2020, DDS ENGINEERING began flying aerial mapping missions for Clients.  We customize each mapping mission to best meet the needs of the Client and to best capture information from the project site.  Our aerial mapping service is completely vertically integrated within our business thus you can be assured that we have start-to-finish secure management of your potentially sensitive site map data.

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The core of our aerial mapping abilities is provided by an RTK GNSS capable sUAS carrying a near-infrared LiDAR scanner with integrated high-resolution, mapping-optimized camera.  The UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) department's tight integration with the Survey Department allows for aerial-mapping-specific robust  ground control networks to be implemented on the site.  This comprehensive approach allows our remote sensing data to be as precise and accurate as possible.

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After collecting images and scans in the field, the UAS department then processes the data 100% in-house.  At no point is any client data sent to any entity outside of DDS ENGINEERING without explicit client authorization.  This ensures client data privacy and product quality. 

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Aerial images collected are typically used in SfM Photogrammetry, where the image data in each photo and the precise location data from the RTK GNSS are combined to produce a high accuracy orthomosaic which, in turn, is verified with our ground control point network.  This orthomosaic is a top down view of the entire site in which every pixel in the image is mapped to a precise location in real world coordinates.  This allows for precise measurements, feature extraction, layout planning, site visualization, and many other things in support of the Survey Department, Civil Engineering Department, and/or the Client.​

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On most sites, LiDAR scan data is also collected.  The LiDAR system excels at getting good topographic coverage across a site, and performs much better than photogrammetric methods for areas of low contrast or under obstacles such as vegetation, e.g. tree canopies.  The LiDAR scan allows us to generate a point cloud of the site and extract all kinds of actionable information from it, most commonly the exact elevation and location of the ground surface of the entire area of interest.  Since the point cloud is essentially a 3D snapshot in time of a site, subsequent LiDAR scans can be compared to one another to determine changes or trends in anything from trees, slopes, erosion, sinkhole growth, or anything else that has changed between one scan to the next.

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As Professional Engineers and Surveyors, we are ever developing our knowledge, skills, and abilities in new technology that supports our engineering, surveying, and inspection services.  By deploying our aerial mapping capability, we can provide you with another perspective of your project.  Contact us today!

Pride and Excellence in:

• 3D Scanning

• As-Built Surveys

• Boundary Surveys

• Construction Staking

• Cross Sections

• GPS Surveying

• Planimetric Surveys

• Property Platting

• Topographic Surveys

• Volume Surveys

• Watershed Studies

DDS is licensed to practice surveying in:
Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, North Dakota, Mississippi, & West Virginia.