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.

ROCK R3 Pro – 117-Acre Sports Complex & Highway Survey | ROCK Robotic | ROCK Robotic