3D Reality Capture & Mobile Mapping

Foster Survey Company, Your 3D Reality Capture Experts

What is Reality Capture?

Three-Dimensional Reality Capture uses technology to represent a real-world subject in a digital 3D model. It is faster, safer, cheaper, more accurate, and produces better quality products than traditional 3D modeling. The process is achieved by various techniques, including terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry with handheld cameras, drone services, and LiDAR.

Drone surveying and mapping is a rapidly growing field that uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to collect data about the ground. UAVs are equipped with cameras and other sensors that can capture high-resolution images and videos of the terrain. This data can then be used to create detailed maps, 3D models, and other deliverables.

Drone surveying and mapping has a number of advantages over traditional surveying methods. Drones, or UAVs, can collect data much faster and more efficiently than ground-based surveyors. They can also access areas that are difficult or dangerous to reach for humans, such as steep cliffs or hazardous waste sites. Additionally, UAVs can collect data with much greater accuracy than traditional methods.

LiDAR uses a pulsed laser to measure distances to the Earth, creating detailed scans of a subject where point-cloud data are reconstructed into a 3D model. Photogrammetry makes measurements from photographs to reconstruct a 3D image; the photographs can be close-range, terrestrial, or aerial, where the camera is mounted onto a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Here are some of the benefits of using drones, LiDAR and other Reality Capture technologies:

  • Increased accuracy: Collect data with centimeter-level accuracy, which is much higher than traditional surveying methods.
  • Reduced time and cost: Collect data much faster than traditional methods, which can save time and money.
  • Improved safety: Access areas that are dangerous or difficult to reach for humans, which can improve safety.
  • Enhanced data quality: Collect high-resolution images and videos, which can provide more detailed information about the terrain.
  • Improved productivity: In addition to being very efficient and productive technologies and workflows, the wealth of data captured for one need may include other information needed later in a project, reducing or eliminating altogether the need to return site to capture more data.

Mobile Mapping

What is Mobile Mapping?

Mobile Mapping is the process of collecting geospatial data from a moving platform. The platform must be capable of movement – such as a ground-based vehicle, airplane, boat, or UAV – and must have a data collection element that can be referred to a specific geographic location. Primary advantages include high productivity, increased safety, and high accuracy.

These remote sensing systems are typically equipped with navigation and imaging sensors, for instance GPS, LiDAR, cameras, or radar. Their primary outputs include GIS data, digital maps, and georeferenced images and video.

Our Services

At Foster Survey Company, we employ a state of the art drones, handheld camera/photogrammetry scanners and traditional scanners that enable us to provide fast and reliable 3D Reality Capture and Mobile Mapping services to our clients. Our skills encompass the capturing of data, the processing of data, and the mapping of data.

Our most popular 3D Reality Capture and Mobile Mapping services are residential and commercial topographic field surveys and existing condition plans, both of which are held to a survey accuracy standard. However, there is a wide variety of applications where 3D Reality Capture and Mobile Mapping can be used within the commercial, industrial, institutional, governmental, or residential sectors, some examples of which are listed below.

  • Accident & Crime Scene Forensic Mapping
  • Architectural & Historical Scanning
  • As-Built Surveys
  • Asset Collection
  • Building Façade Mapping
  • Building Information Modeling (BIM) Project Support
  • Civil, Infrastructure & Utility Scanning
  • Crash Avoidance & Detection
  • Commercial Scanning (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing)
  • Construction Verification & Monitoring Scanning
  • Crop & Vegetation Scanning
  • Cross Slope Analysis
  • Design & Dimension Mapping in CAD
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Elevated & Hard-to-Reach Locations
  • Existing Condition Plan
  • Historical & Heritage Preservation
  • Litigation Support
  • Pavement Condition Assessments
  • Power & Energy Scanning
  • Rail Facility Mapping
  • Storm Sewer Feature Collection
  • Topographic Field Survey
  • Transportation Engineering Projects

Contact Us Today For Your 3D Reality Capture & Mobile Mapping Quote

In addition, we would be happy to speak with you concerning any specialized needs where 3D Reality Capture or Mobile Mapping would be beneficial for your project. There is no project too small or too large.

For 3D Reality Capture & Mobile Mapping services, please Contact Us or complete our online Survey Request Form.