On-site Innovation: LRTK Drone Point Clouds — Cost Reduction and Increased Efficiency Using the Cloud

Table of Contents

• The current state and challenges of drone surveying

• What is the On-site Innovation LRTK Drone Point Cloud?

• Cost-reduction benefits of using the cloud

• Efficiency benefits of using the cloud

• Key functions and features of LRTK drone point clouds

• Zero-blind-spot site measurement with drone + smartphone surveying

• Conclusion: The future of on-site surveying expanded by the cloud

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The current state and challenges of drone surveying

In recent years, aerial surveying using drones (drone surveying) has rapidly spread across construction and civil engineering sites. Because an entire site can be photographed from above in a short time and high-precision 3D data can be obtained, it has advantages over traditional ground surveying (total station surveying) in terms of safety and efficiency. In fact, according to a survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, when surveying a site with an area of 0.31 square kilometers, a task that took about 45 days with total station surveying was completed in about 1.5 days with drone surveying. Using drones can greatly reduce surveying days and personnel, and enables safe data acquisition even in steep terrain or disaster sites where people cannot enter.

However, there are several challenges to actually leveraging drone-derived data in on-site operations. Generating 3D deliverables such as orthophotos and point cloud data from the numerous high-resolution photos taken by drones typically requires specialized software for image analysis (SfM processing) and a high-performance PC. On large sites the number of photos can be enormous, and processing can take hours to days. There are also costs for licenses for dedicated software and for preparing and maintaining high-spec PCs, and if there are no skilled operators in-house, analysis is often outsourced.

Additionally, the resulting point cloud data files are very large, and viewer software and the effort to share data are also challenges. Even if high-quality 3D data are generated, if they cannot be shared and viewed by all stakeholders, they are difficult to use for on-site consensus building and rapid decision-making. Furthermore, because drones capture images from above, blind spots exist. Areas not visible from the air—under trees, behind bridges, or inside buildings—will have missing point cloud data. In urban areas or other places where drones cannot be flown, it is necessary to bring in ground laser scanners, which increases cost and effort. To truly make drone surveying an on-site innovation, measures to address these issues are required.

What is the On-site Innovation LRTK Drone Point Cloud?

The solution designed to solve the above challenges and bring out the true value of drone surveying is the “LRTK Drone Point Cloud.” LRTK Drone Point Cloud is a cloud service that automatically generates point cloud data from photos taken by drones on the cloud and supports the full workflow from on-site sharing to utilization. It is developed and provided by a domestic manufacturer, and a notable feature is the comprehensive support available from implementation through operation.

With LRTK Drone Point Cloud, the previously required high-spec PCs and complex analysis tasks are unnecessary. Using LRTK’s proprietary point cloud generation algorithms, uploading photo data to the cloud alone produces a high-precision 3D point cloud model with latitude, longitude, and elevation information. During generation, ortho images (photos seen directly from above, like a map) are also automatically created, and all data are assigned absolute coordinates based on real-world space. No difficult parameter settings or specialist knowledge are required; the system is designed to be easy to use with intuitive cloud operations.

In short, by adopting LRTK Drone Point Cloud, the entire sequence—drone capture → point cloud generation → viewing, analysis, and sharing of survey data—can be realized in a one-stop workflow. For companies that want to leverage aerial point clouds for large-scale sites, it is a tool for on-site innovation that removes the need to worry about preparing processing environments or possessing specialized data usage expertise.

Cost-reduction benefits of using the cloud

Using the cloud-based LRTK Drone Point Cloud yields various cost-reduction effects. First, investment costs for equipment and software are greatly reduced. Traditionally, expensive workstations and licenses for dedicated software were required for drone point cloud processing, but LRTK Drone Point Cloud eliminates that necessity. Because the cloud-based processing engine and viewer are available, an ordinary laptop is sufficient. There is no need to purchase separate dedicated viewer software, as that is all included in the cloud subscription.

Cost reductions are also expected for labor and outsourcing fees. When difficult point cloud processing was left to specialist staff or outsourced, personnel and outsourcing costs accumulated. With LRTK Drone Point Cloud, on-site personnel can simply upload captured data and obtain results, enabling operation with a small team. It is not a problem if there are no in-house staff with advanced analysis skills, and training costs can be kept down.

Furthermore, the cloud provides unlimited storage capacity, so there is no need to prepare expensive servers or storage devices to store and manage large point cloud data. Because you can use cloud resources only as needed, you can flexibly respond to project-specific loads. This eliminates wasteful overinvestment for peak periods.

Overall, leveraging the cloud with LRTK Drone Point Cloud optimizes capital and operational expenditures. By avoiding unnecessary upfront investments and using resources only when required, total costs can be substantially reduced.

Efficiency benefits of using the cloud

In addition to cost benefits, using the cloud greatly contributes to improving operational efficiency. First, processing time is shortened. Because powerful servers on the cloud perform image analysis, there is no need to heavily load an in-house PC for long periods. For example, even for photo data from a very large dam site, there is a record of point cloud generation completing in about one hour. While processing is underway, staff can proceed with other tasks, contributing to overall speed-up.

Next, the immediacy of data utilization is improved. 3D point clouds and ortho images generated on the cloud can be viewed from anywhere via the Internet. If data captured on-site are uploaded immediately, they can be shared with office-based stakeholders on the same day, enabling meetings and decision-making based on the latest conditions. There is no need to wait for dedicated software installation or to send huge files, and all stakeholders can view the same data on the same platform in real time.

Also, LRTK Cloud includes a full set of survey analysis functions, reducing post-processing effort. Distance, area, and volume measurements can be performed with a click, and earthwork volume calculations on the order of thousands of cubic meters can be completed instantly. It is also possible to extract arbitrary cross-sections from point clouds and save them as DXF drawings, significantly reducing processes that previously required manual work in CAD software. There is also a function to overlay design data on 3D point clouds and automatically color-code differences from the current condition, allowing immediate verification of whether as-built shapes match design. This streamlines construction management and inspection processes and aids in early detection of defects.

Furthermore, the professional support from the LRTK team helps prevent unnecessary rework. Staff with extensive drone surveying know-how support flight planning consultation and flight feasibility decisions, so even those attempting drone surveying for the first time can operate smoothly. This total support minimizes time losses due to on-site trial and error or rework.

In this way, leveraging the power of the cloud streamlines the entire flow from data processing to sharing and analysis, realizing increased productivity across the site.

Key functions and features of LRTK drone point clouds

Below is a summary of the representative functions and features provided by LRTK Drone Point Cloud.

• Automatic point cloud generation: Generates high-density point cloud data automatically on the cloud from multiple photos taken by drones. No specialist knowledge is required; after upload the automatic processing completes 3D modeling in a short time.

• Ortho image generation: High-resolution ortho mosaic images are also created simultaneously during point cloud generation. These map-like images taken from above are useful for plan-view applications and as-built management.

• Absolute coordinates and high-precision positioning: Generated point clouds and ortho images are assigned latitude/longitude and elevation absolute coordinates and can be perfectly overlaid with maps and other survey data. If required, positioning can be enhanced to a few centimeters (cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy)) by specifying ground control point information in the cloud.

• Web 3D viewer: A viewer function allows 3D point clouds to be viewed and manipulated in a browser without installing dedicated software. Access is possible from PCs and tablets, so anyone can easily check 3D data.

• Unlimited cloud storage: LRTK Cloud includes unlimited storage, so even enormous point cloud datasets can be stored entirely in the cloud. This avoids filling local PC disk space and makes project-based data management easy.

• Measurement and analysis tools: In the cloud viewer, various measurements using point clouds—distance, area, volume, height difference, slope, etc.—can be performed. Required on-site numbers can be calculated immediately without relying on additional analysis software.

• Cross-section creation and CAD integration: Arbitrary cross-sections can be extracted from point cloud data and downloaded in DXF format. This enables smooth linking to CAD drawing creation and earthwork volume calculation software (as-built management software).

• Comparison with design data: Upload design 3D models or drawing data and overlay them with current point clouds to display differences in color. You can instantly check whether completed shapes match the design, aiding identification of inconsistencies and quality control.

• Point cloud editing and noise removal: The cloud also provides functions to automatically remove or edit unnecessary noise points and outliers from acquired point clouds. Data cleanup can be done without passing through other software.

• Data sharing via shareable links: Point cloud projects on LRTK Cloud can be easily shared with external stakeholders by issuing shareable links. Recipients can view the data without an LRTK license, and even without a high-spec PC they can smoothly check 3D data.

Zero-blind-spot site measurement with drone + smartphone surveying

There are places that a drone alone cannot fully cover, but LRTK provides means to complement that. By using the smartphone-mounted GNSS receiver “LRTK Phone,” one of the LRTK series, you can obtain high-precision point clouds simply by holding up a smartphone and walking in narrow spaces or areas not visible from above. LRTK Phone is a small device attached to a smartphone (iPhone/iPad) that combines centimeter-level position information (cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy)) from satellite positioning with the smartphone’s built-in LiDAR sensor and camera to 3D-scan the surroundings. For example, areas that are blind spots for drones—under trees, behind bridges, indoor spaces—can be easily surveyed in 3D with LRTK Phone.

All data from LRTK Drone Point Cloud and LRTK Phone are acquired in a common coordinate system. Therefore, by adding point clouds acquired by smartphone to the large-area terrain point cloud created by drone, positions automatically overlap and a seamless integrated model is completed. This allows immediate on-site supplementation of missing details or blind-spot areas that the drone point cloud lacks. In practice, when a woodland area that had been shaded in drone imagery was later scanned with LRTK Phone, the point cloud gaps were filled and precise terrain data were obtained. By combining drone and smartphone surveying in this way, zero-blind-spot site measurement from ground to air can be achieved.

In addition, the LRTK series includes the omnidirectional camera integration solution “LRTK 360.” By storing 360-degree panorama photos of the site in the cloud along with point cloud data, stakeholders can vividly grasp site conditions without being physically present. If you record the full set—drone point cloud + smartphone point cloud + 360° images—you can inspect site details from the office and greatly streamline meetings and review tasks.

Conclusion: The future of on-site surveying expanded by the cloud

To maximize the potential of drone surveying, cost reduction and efficiency gains from cloud utilization are key. The On-site Innovation LRTK Drone Point Cloud has emerged as a solution that achieves both, providing an environment where anyone can easily use high-precision 3D data. By eliminating traditional problems such as equipment costs and technical hurdles, and by enabling a workflow that quickly completes everything from data processing to sharing, it truly accelerates on-site DX (digital transformation).

New surveying methods enabled by the cloud are expected to reduce on-site labor, speed up decision-making, and ultimately improve overall construction productivity. Going forward, by combining not only drones but also simple smartphone-based surveying, more flexible and agile on-site measurement practices will become mainstream. The LRTK series is a platform that supports such cutting-edge surveying all-in-one. From large civil engineering projects to small site investigations, anyone can easily obtain and utilize the data they need with LRTK. Change the style of future on-site surveying with LRTK, and take a step toward smart surveying that balances cost reduction and efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is LRTK Drone Point Cloud? A: It is a cloud service that automatically generates point cloud data from drone-captured photos and provides a one-stop solution for viewing, analyzing, and sharing 3D data. High-precision point clouds with absolute coordinates and ortho images can be created easily.

Q: Do I need dedicated hardware or software to use it? A: No, special hardware or software is not required. One computer with Internet access is sufficient. Access LRTK Cloud via a web browser, upload photos, and the cloud will perform the analysis. Results can also be viewed in the browser.

Q: Can I use it without an RTK-capable drone? A: Yes. It can be used with photos taken by ordinary GPS-equipped drones. LRTK Drone Point Cloud also supports installing and surveying ground control points, and when needed you can perform position correction using ground control points in the cloud to ensure high accuracy. Using an RTK-equipped drone can improve accuracy with less effort, but it is not mandatory.

Q: How long does processing take? A: Processing time varies depending on the number of photos and the scale of the area, but cloud processing typically yields results in a relatively short time. For several hundred photos it may take tens of minutes to about an hour, and for large projects point cloud generation is usually completed within a few hours. Because processing does not occupy your PC, you can perform other tasks concurrently.

Q: What is the accuracy of the point cloud data? A: Relative accuracy (consistent accuracy within the point cloud) is very high and can reproduce terrain and structures to a level of less than a few centimeters (less than a few in). Absolute accuracy (consistency with a known coordinate system) depends on drone GPS accuracy and the presence of ground control points, but by appropriately using RTK or ground control points it can be kept within a few centimeters (cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy)). In any case, the data obtained are sufficiently accurate for civil surveying and construction management.

Q: What if drones cannot be flown in a location? A: No problem. The LRTK series includes the LRTK Phone for easy smartphone surveying and the ground-based measurement device LRTK LiDAR. By using these, high-precision 3D data can be acquired in indoor, confined, or populated areas where drones cannot be used. Acquired data can be integrated with drone point clouds on the cloud.

Q: How can I share created data? A: Simply issue a shareable link for the project on LRTK Cloud to share data with internal and external stakeholders. Recipients can access the link to view 3D point clouds and ortho images in the browser. No special software or account is required, enabling smooth information sharing with owners and partner companies.

Q: Is the data uploaded to the cloud safe? A: Yes. Data on the cloud are securely managed. Communications are encrypted, and viewing requires an issued shareable link. Access rights can be managed per project, so sensitive survey data can be safely stored in the cloud.

Q: Can I download point cloud data and drawing data? A: Yes. Point clouds and generated cross-sections on the cloud can be downloaded in standard file formats as needed. Point clouds can be downloaded in LAS or PLY formats, ortho images in GeoTIFF, and cross-sections in DXF, among other formats, allowing smooth import into your CAD or analysis software.