Specialised service
Drone survey technology & aerial mapping
Contour mapping, ortho-mosaics, 3D terrain models, volume computation and site auditing — flown, controlled and processed to a stated accuracy.
Method
A survey you can build from, not just look at
Anyone can fly a site and hand over pretty imagery. The difference is ground control: targets surveyed and checked against a known datum, a flight plan built for the deliverable rather than the battery, and independent check points held back from processing to prove the result.
Every ARN aerial deliverable ships with the accuracy report — the check-point residuals, the datum, and the ground sample distance actually achieved.
- RTK / PPK airframes with surveyed ground control and independent check points
- Overlap and altitude planned to the required GSD and model detail
- Outputs delivered in your project coordinate system and datum
Services
What we fly for
Contour mapping & 3D topography
DTM and DEM surfaces with contours at the interval you specify, breaklines for roads, drains and crests, and a triangulated surface ready for design software.
Ortho-mosaics
Geo-referenced, distortion-corrected site imagery at 1–3 cm ground sample distance, suitable for measurement, planning overlays and boundary review.
Volume & stockpile computation
Cut-and-fill against a design or previous surface, stockpile volumes with a stated tolerance, and reconciliation between claimed and measured earthwork.
Progress monitoring
Repeat captures on a fixed cadence with change detection between them — an auditable visual and volumetric record for billing, lenders and dispute resolution.
Site auditing & inspection
Close-range capture of roofs, façades, tanks, towers and slopes without scaffolding or rope access, with defects tagged to coordinates.
Boundary & corridor mapping
Plot demarcation, encroachment checks, road, canal and transmission corridor mapping, and pre-acquisition site records.
Specification
Accuracy, resolution and deliverables
Typical values for a standard site capture. Tighter tolerances are available where the design case needs them — the flight plan and control density change accordingly.
| Parameter | Standard capture | High-precision capture |
|---|---|---|
| Ground sample distance | 2–3 cm/px | 0.8–1.5 cm/px |
| Horizontal accuracy | ±3 cm | ±1.5 cm |
| Vertical accuracy | ±5 cm | ±2.5 cm |
| Contour interval | 0.5 m / 1 m | 0.25 m |
| Volume tolerance | ±2 % | ±1 % |
| Ground control | Surveyed GCPs + check points | Dense GCP network + independent checks |
Flight to deliverable
How a survey runs
Scope & clearance
Deliverable defined first, then airspace permissions, site access and safety briefing arranged around it.
Ground control
Targets laid and surveyed to your datum, with independent check points held back from processing.
Capture
Planned grid and oblique passes at the altitude and overlap the deliverable requires; imagery quality checked before demobilising.
Processing & report
Aerotriangulation, surface generation, contours and volumes — issued with residuals and datum stated.
Airspace and operator requirements vary by location. ARN flies with licensed remote pilots and registered airframes; permissions are confirmed in writing before mobilisation.
Need the site measured before the next site meeting?
Most standard captures can be flown and processed inside a week of clearance.