ROCK R3 Pro – 117-Acre Sports Complex & Highway Survey
Aug 26, 2023
This project demonstrates the ROCK R3 Pro's power and versatility in capturing a large, diverse 117-acre area that included a multi-field sports complex and a major highway corridor. Flying at 150 ft AGL on a DJI M300, the R3 Pro efficiently collected high-density LiDAR data, which was then used to generate a full suite of survey-grade deliverables, including detailed planimetric linework and a precise topographic model.
Mission Overview
- Platform: Aerial survey with ROCK R3 Pro on a DJI M300
- Flight Altitude: ~150 ft (45 m) Above Ground Level (AGL)
- Flight Speed: ~11 mph (5 m/s)
- Area Scanned: 117 acres
- Deliverables: ROCK Surveyor with Breaklines and full ROCK Planimetrics.
The flight plan was optimized with 50% overlap and focused on hard surfaces to ensure maximum accuracy for the critical infrastructure and features on site.
Coverage & Context
The project area presented a mix of challenges, from the intricate details of baseball fields—including fences, dugouts, and lighting—to the expansive, high-traffic highway. The goal was to produce a comprehensive "as-built" survey that captured all visible features with high fidelity.
The dataset was processed through ROCK Pro Services to generate not only a bare-earth DTM with breaklines but also extensive planimetric linework, digitizing features like pavement markings, curbs, buildings, fences, and utility poles.
Dataset Metadata
- Total Acreage: 117 Acres
- Coordinate System (Horizontal): WGS 84 / UTM zone 17N (EPSG: 32617)
- Vertical Reference: Ellipsoid height
The use of a standard UTM projection and ellipsoid vertical reference makes this dataset highly compatible with global GIS and engineering design software.
Performance Highlights
- High Accuracy Over Large Area: The project achieved an impressive Vertical Accuracy RMS of 0.078 ft (~2.4 cm) across the entire 117 acres.
- Comprehensive Feature Extraction: The combination of high-density LiDAR and ROCK Planimetrics enabled the detailed capture of hundreds of individual features, from fence lines to individual parking stripes.
- Efficiency and Scalability: Mapping a large, complex site like this in a single mission demonstrates the R3 Pro's efficiency for large-scale topographic and as-built surveys.
Applications
This rich dataset is ideal for:
- As-Built Surveys for Municipal & Commercial Properties
- Civil Engineering & Transportation Design
- Infrastructure Management and Planning
- Facilities Management for Sports Complexes
- Detailed 3D Site Modeling
Key Takeaways
- The ROCK R3 Pro is a robust tool for large-scale projects that require both high accuracy and detailed feature extraction.
- ROCK Pro Services transforms raw LiDAR data into client-ready deliverables like ROCK Planimetrics and ROCK Surveyor, saving significant time on manual drafting.
- The system delivers consistent, reliable results for complex environments combining natural and man-made structures.