Designing for hillside terrain comes with complexity. For this residential development project, Rekon combined drone LiDAR and photogrammetry to map 116 hectares of brush-covered slope. It gave engineers a reliable bare-earth model to build on with confidence.
The client needed highly detailed topographic data to inform their engineering design team. The terrain (that was a desert hillside with sagebrush and scattered trees) required more than photogrammetry alone could deliver to achieve bare-earth accuracy.


We deployed drone-based LiDAR to penetrate vegetation and generate an accurate bare-earth elevation model, supported by photogrammetry for high-resolution visuals. With 116 hectares of sloped terrain and sparse vegetation, this dual approach ensured the data was both precise and easy to interpret for the design team.
After site review, we confirmed partial vegetation with scattered trees and brush. While photogrammetry could suffice, LiDAR was chosen to capture the true ground surface beneath vegetation and rugged terrain.




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