Everything you need to get started with drone-based Lidar

Lidar is one of the fastest-growing technologies in the drone mapping industry.  Its ability to measure under vegetation and capture precise 3D objects makes it attractive over other mapping and reality capture options.  By adding a drone to a mapping solution you gain access and on-demand efficiencies not previously realized.

In this course is designed for professionals with no previous mapping experience.  This means we will start from the ground up.  Walkthrough our step by step workflows covering planning, field operations, and post-flight processing to generate 3D point clouds.

Most places want to show you their software as part of a notional process.  In this course, we will teach you proven workflows that get results.  We know, we have perfected them over 5 years and as part of half a dozen national use case studies.

Come discover what you can do with Lidar and get mapping today.

Testimonials

Best Course I Have Taken

Gaurav Juneja

I have taken a lot of drone courses. This course was systematic and easy to follow. The level of experience of the instructor was amazing. You gave me a lot to think about. I feel well prepared to used lidar.

I was out flying within the week.

JH B.

~ Sr. Survey Tech, LW Survey I took the training last month. A great class. I was able to quickly learn and we were successfully completing projects within a week.

Sean G.

~Strategic Operations Manager, SkynetWest No doubt that the lessons taught in this course are perfect for anyone ready to take data capturing with unmanned systems to the next level, and especially for those who are ready and willing to take this line of work seriously.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Instructions for this course

    • How to Use this Learning Management System
  • 2

    Lidar Fundamentals - What every business owner needs to know?

    • What is Lidar Introduction

    • Why Lidar- How is Lidar changing geospatial businesses?

    • Lidar Data Collection- How fast and easy is it?

    • LiDAR Data Characteristic- What creates project value?

    • Lidar Data Products- Digital media changing the way we make decisions.

    • Lidar Software and Workflow- What is the basic process?

    • Lidar Standards and Guidelines

    • Lidar Data Quality- How does your customer know you are providing good data?

    • Lidar Applications- What use cases can it be used for?
  • 3

    Lidar Equipment- How does it all work?

    • Equipment Overview

    • Setting up Lever Arms?

    • What is OPUS?
  • 4

    Lidar Planning - What do you need to know to be successful?

    • Planning Introduction

    • Point Density Planning [BASIC]

    • Lidar Basic Flight Planning [BASIC]

    • Lidar Area Flight Planning [INTERMEDIATE]

    • Lidar Corridor Flight Planning [ADVANCED]

    • Lidar Planning Considerations for Vegetation [ADVANCED]

    • Lidar Urban Flight Planning [ADVANCED]

    • Base station Planning [BASIC]

    • Lidar Control Points [ADVANCED]
  • 5

    Field and Flight Operations - What you need to do for quality data?

    • Introduction- Shelter in Place Version

    • Pre-Deployment Checklist [BASIC]

    • Site Survey [INTERMEDIATE]

    • Preflight Checklist [BASIC]

    • Drone Take Off Procedures

    • Flight Automation Drone Recovery Best Practices
  • 6

    Basic Lidar Processing- What is really involved to create raw 3D point Clouds?

    • Compute and Compile Introduction

    • Workflow Overview [BASIC]

    • File Setup [BASIC]

    • Base Station Solution Report [INTERMEDIATE]

    • Telemetry Processing [BASIC]

    • Lidar Compiling Processing [BASIC]

    • Quick Visualization - Quick Terrain Reader [BASIC]
  • 7

    Advanced Lidar Flight Automation - How to use automation to improve your field work?

    • Flight Automation- Introduction

    • Flight Automation Software Guide

    • Flight Automation Free Trial

    • Flight Controller Software Architecture

    • Flight Automation System Menus

    • Flight Automation Basic Planning Interfaces PT 1

    • Flight Automation Basic Planning Interfaces PT 2

    • Flight Automation Mission Planning

Bonus material

Include additional content to your course curriculum to provide further value to your students.

  • Process Checklists

    Download our exclusive job guides and checklists. This way you can have those right next to you as we walk through each process step by step.

  • Trial Software

    With this course, you will get a free trial of the software we use. This can save you thousands of dollars.

  • One on One Consultation

    Free one-hour project consultation to talk to with our experts on your project. Leverage our expertise before you bid on a project.

Instructor(s)

Dan Hubert

Dan Hubert is a 25-year veteran of the drone and geospatial intelligence industry. . He started as a tactical air imagery analyst managing a theater-level geo-intelligence center. As a Naval Aviation TOP GUN Tactical Instructor, he authored and taught hundreds of tactical procedures for the latest sensors, aircraft, and emerging military drones. He took command of several special forces UAV combat units and drafted operational innovations in co-use airspace and multi-sensor intelligence products. As General Atomics Program Manager, Dan oversaw MQ-9 Reaper unique payload integration and hyperspectral, lidar, ISAR sensor exploitation training development. Today Dan, as the assistant Director of UAS research and training for the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), recognizes the commercial UAV mapping industry is being taught by sensor manufacturers who are making wild performance and accuracy claims. Dan wants to lead the development of standardized ASPRS UAV procedures and training that can be shown by ASPRS representatives to increase ASPRS certifications as the standard for sUAS mapping products.

Pricing Options

Expanding this Course

We originally put this course together to augment our field training.  Since Feb 2020 we have been slowly transferring over our live training to online training.  

We will continue to add to this course over the year.  Our goal is to be the complete source for drone-based lidar anywhere in the world.  

Dan has recently become the director of UAS for the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.  His charter is to chair the UAS standards and best practices committee for ASPRS.  

We can guarantee if you take this course you will continue to get the latest techniques and best practices for UAS lidar anywhere in the world. 

FAQ

  • If you don't know anything about lidar should I take this course?

    Unlike a lot of other courses we start with the basics. Actually the first part fo this course was designed for your boss who probably is not interested in drones and lidar, but wants to understand the business case. For the more advanced, you can easily skip over what you think you know. WARNING: I do put a lot of information I have learned over the 20 years I have been flying drones. Some of this I guarantee you will not anywhere else.

  • Is software included

    Yes there is software for the flight planning portion of this course. You will be able to walk through the planning with use step by step. We are working on adding raw data sets and trial versions of the data processing.

  • Do I get to fly?

    This was designed to be the introduction to a flying portion. Once we are through the pandemic we will be going on tour to allow students to get hands-on training as an additional micro-course.