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UAV or drone flying in a cloudy sky with the Archaeological Services logo top right

UAV and topographic survey

Archaeological Services has Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Operational Authorisation to deploy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for a variety of purposes, including: detailed topographic surveys (LiDAR), historic building recording and landscape aerial photographic survey, including multispectral photography. For large area surveys, including high resolution LiDAR, pre-programmed flight paths are uploaded to our Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and data is used to create detailed composite images, high density pointclouds, digital surface models (DSM) and digital terrain models (DTM).

We produce scaled 3D photo-realistic models, videos and aerial photographs in either oblique or georeferenced plan views (orthophotos). These can be used in support of other surveys, as stand-alone products and in support of excavation and other archaeological recording. All survey outputs are fully integrated with CAD and GIS.

We also offer traditional topographic surveys, using both GPS and total-station equipment, which can be used independently of, or in addition to, UAS survey.

A UAV or drone with a camera flying over an exposed rock which contains rock art

Our Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) in action at a rock art site, used to create a landscape aerial LiDAR survey, supplemented with multispectral photography

The surface of a sandstone rock covered with cup and ring rock art designs

Detail from the final scaled orthophoto showing part of the decorated rock panel

A 3D image of a building created using a drone

Photogrammetric 3D model

Field with an excavated area in light brown soil with lines and a circular barrow ditch picked out in contrasting darker soil

Aerial photogrammetric survey showing the darker large ring-ditch of an excavated prehistoric round barrow in Tyne and Wear

A LiDAR image showing archaeological features and ridge and furrow

Digital surface model (DSM) of a LiDAR landscape survey, showing archaeological features