Introduction to Drone Mapping with LiDAR & SfM Photogrammetry for Engineering Applications

• Registration: Open until April 27, 2026
• Course Dates: May 7 & 8, 2026
• PDH: 16
• Price: $1,499
• Location: 2127 Innerbelt Business Center Drive, St. Louis, MO 63114
  
  • Directions 

The Introduction to Drone Mapping with LiDAR & SfM Photogrammetry for Engineering Applications Bootcamp, the first in our Drone Mapping series, provides a comprehensive, end‑to‑end overview of drone mapping for engineering applications. Participants will explore how drones support site assessments and surveys, including an introduction to key hardware, software platforms, and the regulatory and safety framework governing flight operations.

The course establishes the foundational principles of three‑dimensional mapping using Structure‑from‑Motion (SfM) photogrammetry and LiDAR, with emphasis on the role of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in achieving engineering‑grade accuracy. Building on conceptual understanding, the workshop moves into practical skills such as mission planning, field operations, and core data‑processing workflows.

Participants will also examine the range of 2D and 3D survey products generated through drone mapping, focusing on their use in engineering design and assessment. The course concludes with discussions on accuracy and precision, change detection, and best practices for long‑term data management and archival.

By the end of the course students should be able to:

•         Describe key engineering applications of drone‑based mapping.
•         Support the planning and design of a complete drone mapping campaign.
•         Explain the fundamental concepts underlying LiDAR and SfM photogrammetry.
•         Evaluate the advantages and limitations of LiDAR and SfM for site survey and assessment tasks.
•         Plan, specify, and interpret the range of mapping products generated through drone workflows. 

Day 1 — Foundations + Photogrammetry (SfM)

1. Welcome, Objectives & Context

• Engineering use‑cases (site grading, roadway & utility corridors, volumes, floodplain work)
• Regulatory environment (FAA Part 107 focus areas)
• Comparison of sensing modalities: LiDAR vs Photogrammetry vs RTK GNSS

2. Drone Hardware for Engineering Mapping

• Multirotor vs. fixed‑wing platforms
• Payloads:
• RGB, multispectral (e.g., MicaSense Altum‑PT)
• LiDAR sensors
• RTK/PPK GNSS—why it matters for engineering tolerances

3. Structure‑from‑Motion Photogrammetry Essentials

• Overview and theory
• Image formation, overlaps, motion constraints
• Accuracy considerations:
• GSD
• Flight altitude
• Shutter type, lens distortion
• Environmental factors (wind, lighting)
• Ground Control Points (GCPs) vs. Check Points (CPs)

4. Mission Planning for SfM

• Safety and regulatory considerations
• Flight planning (nadir vs. oblique)
• Corridor vs. area maps vs. mapping structures
• Estimating actual time in the field
• Sun angle considerations (avoiding shadows & glare)
• Software options: DJI Pilot, Pix4D Capture, etc.
• Exporting flight logs and metadata

5. Field Operations

• Safety and regulatory considerations
• Planning for the field
• Survey team and roles
• Preflight workflow and checklists
• Mission notes and data organization
• Collecting nadir and oblique imagery
• Capturing control points with RTK/PPK GNSS

6. Photogrammetry Processing Workflow

• Importing photos
• Photo alignment
• Sparse cloud & point cloud reconstruction
• DEM, DSM, orthomosaic generation
• Accuracy checks (RMSE, reprojection error)
• Software platforms

Day 2 — LiDAR + Advanced Engineering Analysis

1. Principles of Drone LiDAR

• How LiDAR works (time‑of‑flight, scanning patterns)
• Accuracy vs. precision

2. LiDAR Mission Planning

• Optimal altitude & flight speed
• Overlap requirements
• Importance of scan angle
• Vegetation & canopy penetration considerations
• Planning for corridors, linear infrastructure

3. Field Operations with LiDAR

• Warm‑up & calibration
• IMU alignment
• LiDAR + RGB data synchronization
• GNSS base station setup for PPK

4. LiDAR Processing Workflow

• Importing raw LiDAR data
• Noise filtering
• Point classification
• Feature extraction (powerlines, road edges, etc.)
• Exporting LAS files (1.2 or 1.4) for engineering applications

5. LiDAR + Photogrammetry Hybrid Workflows

• When to combine
• Strengths vs. weaknesses relative to photogrammetry

6. Engineering Deliverables from LiDAR and SfM

• Bare‑earth DEM
• Contours
• Volumetrics (stockpiles, cut/fill)
• Breaklines & hydrologic enforcement
• Cross‑sections for roadway/utility design
• Planimetric feature extraction
• Integrating with civil engineering software:
• AutoCAD Civil 3D
• Bentley MicroStation
• ArcGIS Pro
• Accuracy reporting

7. Monitoring and Assessment and Change Detection

• Four-Dimensional survey techniques
• Applications of “before and after” and time series data
• Planning for repeat site surveys.

8. Data Management & QA/QC

• File formats
• Metadata organization
• Archiving raw + processed data
• Version control