Aerial LiDAR is especially valuable in early-stage exploration for surgical geology, to identify outcrops, understand glacial movements, and aid in the formation of geological theory. For later stage exploration, LiDAR offers value in the planning and construction of exploration roads, infrastructure placement, and construction of power & communication lines.

Traditional ground surveys often face challenges with site access, safety, and limited data density. In difficult terrain, especially areas with dense vegetation, GNSS signal can be unreliable, sometimes forcing crews to “pull in” points by briefly raising equipment to regain signal, which can impact data consistency.

Airborne LiDAR removes these constraints. It enables safe, rapid coverage of large areas while capturing vastly higher data density, often thousands of times more than traditional methods. It also provides both detailed terrain models and full canopy information, supporting better planning and more informed environmental assessments, all without the limitations of ground-based GNSS conditions.

Both Helicopter and RPAS offer comparable datasets in both density and accuracy, however, their application is situational. Helicopter surveys are best suited for large areas of interest, where access is limited. In situations such as these the use of RPAS suffers from several limitations including flight time (battery / fuel limitations), Line of sight requirements, and most importantly, operational safety.

RPAS Surveys however, are best suited for small focused areas of interest with reasonable site access. In these situations, helicopter usage can be prohibitively expensive and could be negatively impacted by helicopter availability.

RPM Prioritizes identifying the most suitable data collection method for your project, to minimize cost, maximize efficiency, and provide you with high quality data on your timeline.

LiDAR does not penetrate vegetation. As a light-based technology, each pulse reflects off the first surface it hits. However, because airborne LiDAR systems emit hundreds of thousands of pulses per second in a radial pattern, many of those pulses naturally find gaps between leaves, branches, and other vegetation to reach the ground.

This high point density allows LiDAR to build accurate terrain models beneath forest canopies. A simple way to think about it is: if you can see spots of sunlight reaching the forest floor, LiDAR can capture the ground there as well.

Accurate terrain models support pit design, pit stability assessments,  haul road planning, drainage analysis, volumetric calculations, and infrastructure layout, anywhere one would usually default to a traditional topographic survey. With increased speed and density, the resulting elevation data reduces uncertainty during feasibility, design, and production phases.