Our Robotics Department recently piloted a reality-capture workflow at Union United Methodist Church in Union Township, NJ. Combining drone imagery + drone LiDAR + handheld LiDAR to create a complete 3D point cloud.

Why it matters: a reliable point cloud helps model accurate existing-conditions (cutting guesswork for renovations, utilities, and complex sites by replacing manual measurements and outdated “as-builts” with dense spatial data), reduce site revisits (owners and non-technical stakeholders can “walk” the site virtually), supports better planning (aligns everyone around what’s installed, not what the drawings say is installed), and sets teams up for smoother coordination.

Here’s how we captured the data:

✅ Skydio flight to collect high-definition imagery (ideal for the roof + upper portions of the building)

✅ Elios scan to capture high-quality LiDAR data

✅ iPhone + PIX4Dcatch to collect facade LiDAR as a lower-cost alternative

Next up: We’ll merge these datasets into a single, geo-referenced point cloud, which should make alignment much more straightforward and streamline downstream use.