Background
MNG Survey has for many years been reliant on aerial capability being provided by other companies. With the advent of UAVs and the associated hardware and software MNG re-evaluated their reliance on other aerial service providers but found with the size of many of the jobs MNG is involved in software and imaging hardware was of more interest to MNG than the UAVs themselves, so MNG set out developing a niche aerial system that sits between large scale aerial survey systems and the smaller capability of UAVs. The heart of this system is a high accuracy scanner - perfect for corridor surveys, greenfields and brownfields developments, 3D visualisation and City Council sized areas. Add a range of imaging systems and the result is a very accurate 3D point cloud with the ability to identify vegetation accurately, create 3D visualisations and derive accurate terrain models for coastal erosion, planning, watershed analysis, sightline calculation and community consultation.

Aim
The aim was to be able to provide our clients with rapid deployment of an accurate aerial survey system that would reduce or remove the issues faced by ground survey where line of sight is limited and property access can be slow and problematic. This system needed to be capable of meeting a range of needs for a range of clients.

Method
To achieve this MNG has partnered with a local UAV company for expertise in narrow band multispectral imaging for vegetation definition and health, and ground based thermal imaging. MNG has its own RGB camera and software to develop accurate and dense point clouds and orthophotos, and MNG have successfully used a thermal camera to map the hotspots and heat sinks across a Perth Council.

Results
The results of combining an accurate 3D scanner with an RGB camera, or a multispectral camera or a thermal camera is the ability to develop a range of products from any survey that can provide information to a wide audience. Tree height and stratification are exceptional from laser scan data with vegetation easily identified and its health determined from multispectral. Erosion can be quickly and easily calculated with very automated processes based on the differences between two flights. Survey beyond line of sight, discrete and low impact can provide critical forward planning information.
Road and rail corridors can be more detailed and account for features and drainage factors that impact the corridor, further away from the corridor.

Conclusion
The MNG aerial laser scanning system is capable of producing a range of products from every survey, from targeted information such as thermal scans and multispectral imaging to simultaneously providing detailed survey information to derive accurate terrain models, extract trees and houses and other features. This system has been very successful in conjunction with the enhanced accuracy and density of the MNG ground based laser scan systems when utilised for visualisations, discrete survey information and sightlines.