Drone LiDAR, Aerial Mapping and 3D Scanning for Road and Rail
Survey data for corridors, bridges, tunnels and slips, captured quickly, safely and without closing the network.
The first step in any transport project is understanding what's already there. Recon provides drone LiDAR, aerial photography and terrestrial laser scanning for road and rail corridors, bridges, tunnels, stations and hazard sites. Our clients include rail and road asset owners, councils, engineering consultancies and contractors.
The Problems We Help Solve
Accurate data for renewal, resilience and new routes.
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We capture accurate existing conditions for renewal and strengthening design.
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LiDAR maps unstable ground under vegetation and measures change after events.
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Drones and scanners capture data from a distance, keeping people off the carriageway, the track and steep slopes.
What We Survey
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Corridor LiDAR
Wide-corridor terrain under vegetation, structures and drains for route planning and detailed design.
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Slips & Hazards
Safe surveys of slips, cliffs and rockfall areas, with repeat captures to measure movement.
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Bridges, Tunnels & Stations
Millimetre-accurate scans and CAD or Revit models of structures, kerbs, signs and streetscapes.
Corridor LiDAR for Route Planning and Design
For a Northland rail upgrade, engineering consultants were investigating and designing the lowering of 13 century-old rail tunnels. Recon captured drone LiDAR and aerial photography around the portals and above every tunnel. Dense vegetation ruled out photogrammetry, and the LiDAR delivered thousands of reliable ground points within a tightly compressed timeframe.
Large point clouds are hard to use in CAD, so Recon builds optimised TIN surfaces: dense where detail matters, sparse over even grades. They can be analysed for grade, drainage and pavement wear.
Projects Across New Zealand
A selection of recent transport projects. Client names are withheld; we're happy to provide references.
Northland: 13 rail tunnels on a rail line upgrade. Drone LiDAR and aerial photography around portals and above tunnels.
South Auckland: road bridge and stream underpass. 3D scan and Revit model for shared-path design.
Southland: transmission line access way, Fiordland National Park. Drone LiDAR of three landslide and rockfall risk sites.
Canterbury: rail corridor hazard survey. Drone survey to map debris flows and erosion.
Auckland: road and intersection upgrades. 3D scanning and CAD modelling of the existing streetscape.
How We Deliver
We agree the corridor, accuracy and deliverables, and plan around road-corridor and rail access requirements.
Scope & approvals
Drone LiDAR and aerial photography from above, and laser scanning from the roadside or during possessions.
Capture
Classified point clouds, terrain models, TIN surfaces, contours, orthophotos and CAD in your project datum.
Process & deliver
Certified, Safe and Fully Compliant
Recon is a CAA Part 102 certificated unmanned aircraft operator. Part 102 is the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand’s certification for commercial drone operators who need to work beyond the standard Part 101 rules, and it is only granted once the CAA has reviewed and approved how an operator identifies and manages every hazard and risk.
What Part 102 certification means for your project:
More places we can fly: our certificate allows us to be approved for work that standard Part 101 rules restrict, such as flying over people or property, near aerodromes or in controlled airspace, subject to the conditions of our certificate and the required permissions.
A CAA-approved exposition: every operation follows our approved procedures for pilot competency, aircraft maintenance, flight planning and emergency response.
Job-specific risk management: each inspection includes a site risk assessment, airspace checks and coordination with air traffic control, landowners and site managers where needed.
Ongoing CAA oversight: as a certificated operator we are subject to CAA audits, giving asset owners and principal contractors confidence that the work meets New Zealand aviation safety standards.
Alongside our Part 102 certification, Recon holds SiteWise Gold accreditation and is a Site Safe member, so our health and safety systems meet the expectations of New Zealand’s leading contractors and asset owners.
Transport FAQs
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Usually, yes. Drone LiDAR and aerial photography are captured from above, and scanning can be done from the roadside or during possessions. We plan around corridor access requirements and the asset owner’s safety rules.
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On open, hard surfaces our drone LiDAR is accurate to better than ±50 mm vertically and ±100 mm horizontally. We tie it to survey control and supply an accuracy statement. Where tighter tolerances are needed, we combine it with ground survey or laser scanning.
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Yes. That’s its main advantage over photogrammetry. Laser pulses pass through gaps in the canopy, so we can classify ground points and build an accurate terrain model under bush and scrub.
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Typical deliverables include:
classified LiDAR point clouds
terrain models and optimised TIN surfaces
contours
orthophotos
CAD features
scan point clouds, and CAD or Revit models of structures
All are supplied in NZTM2000 and NZVD2016 or your project datum.
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Yes. Repeat surveys on the same control let us measure ground movement and volume change between captures, including after storm events.
Our Drone Fleet & Equipment
DJI Matrice 300 RTK
Heavy-lift inspection and survey platformOur workhorse for demanding sites. RTK positioning, up to 55 minutes of flight time and IP45 weather resistance let us fly longer, more precise missions while carrying professional camera payloads.
DJI Camera Payloads
Zenmuse H20, P1, XT2 and L2The full-frame P1 with 35mm and 50mm lenses captures survey-grade imagery for photogrammetry and 3D models. The H20 zoom camera inspects fine detail from a safe distance, the XT2 thermal camera reveals heat-related faults, and the L2 LiDAR sensor captures accurate 3D point clouds.
DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise
Compact rapid-deployment droneQuick to deploy on smaller sites, roofs and tight spaces. Its mechanical-shutter wide camera and zoom camera deliver sharp inspection imagery and mapping data without the setup of a larger aircraft.