WSP announced it has upgraded its surveying capabilities with a mobile light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system following its recent purchase of a RIEGL VMX 2HA Mobile Scanning System.

LiDAR is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure varying distances to an infrastructure asset that is being surveyed.

When processed, registered, and combined with other surveying methods, these pulses generate precise, three-dimensional information rendering of assets.

This dual-scanner mobile mapping system provides dense, accurate, and feature-rich data from highway-speed data gathering. The system is capable of 3.6 million measurements and 500 scan lines per second and is ideal for survey-grade mobile mapping applications. 

“Mobile mapping technology allows us to create an accurate snapshot of the built environment in a faster, safer, and more cost-effective way when you compare it to traditional survey methods,” said Barry Creed, geospatial manager for WSP’s Southeast district. “This technology can be used for many of our clients, across every business line within WSP services.”

Incorporating 360-Degree Camera

Another element of this system is the incorporation of the Ladybug 360-degree spherical camera. WSP is one of the first firms in the U.S. to use this Ladybug6 camera, which features multiple 72-megapixel cameras that captures 360-degree georeferenced imagery.

These images can be stitched together for high-resolution panoramic imagery, similar to Google Street Maps. 

Since earlier this year, the technology has been used to collect survey data on a variety of projects, such as high rail asset management, underground rail/tunnel mapping, large-linear roadway projects, overhead utility corridor mapping, and pavement conditions analysis.

The team is currently expanding this system's usage into other projects, such as airport runway pavement analysis.

“This technology is great for airport runway design use cases,” Creed said. “It allows us to collect as-built ‘survey’ data at 55 miles an hour, with minimal impact to airline traffic and reducing necessary safety oversight that traditional surveys would require.” 

WSP's Involvement in Digital Project Delivery

The team’s involvement in the transition to digital project delivery is another priority for this service. The team will help create a “digital twin” of an asset, which is a virtual replica of an asset that incorporates associated real-time data during operation of that asset.

“We can go out, collect data, and create a digital twin of virtually any asset located on the ground surface,” Creed said. “Over the life cycle of that asset, we continue to monitor and document all changes to the asset. Our team is adept at data extraction and mining, which are essential to the digital delivery process.” 

WSP’s Geospatial and Surveying team has been involved with remote sensing and LiDAR project delivery for the past 15 years with in-house drones, ground-penetrating radars, and terrestrial laser scanners.