AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CEO OF MDGROUP ABOUT THE AERIAL LIDAR SURVEYING INDUSTRY
At the 2022 Commercial UAV Expo, Richard Fischer, Publisher of Inside Unmanned Systems and Inside GNSS, interviewed Vivien Heriard Dubreuil, CEO of mdGroup, to discuss company news, LP360 Drone software, and other updates. Learn how together, Microdrones and GeoCue fully serve the aerial LiDAR surveying market by meeting the needs of professional surveyors for all of their drone-enabled data collection and processing. Watch the interview in the player below.
Leaders in LiDAR
At the beginning of 2022, mdGroup, the parent company of Microdrones, acquired GeoCue, a leader in aerial LiDAR mapping technology. GeoCue is one of the largest suppliers of LiDAR mapping processing tools in North America, and their LiDAR and photogrammetry 3D point cloud software, LP360, is one of the most widely used tools for exploiting point cloud data.
According to Heriard Dubreuil, “LP360 was one of the main drivers of this acquisition. The software brings a lot of additional features to our users. So, we want to ensure that our users have all the resources they need in LP360 to produce the right deliverable without having to use any secondary processing software.”
Having the right drone surveying tools is important, but data collection is the key to unlocking the best deliverables, and LP360 acts as a master key. As an advanced desktop LIDAR software package, LP360 makes easy work of extracting information and generating deliverables in an intuitive GIS environment. Whether it’s airborne or terrestrial collected LIDAR data, LP360 can handle multiple data sources and large data sets.
Expanding the market
Adding LP360 benefits the entire range of data processing and collection tools in the mdGroup portfolio and will help expand the market. The software can be used to transform and process data from any airborne or drone sensor on the market today. This means users of Microdrones will have access to powerful new features in LP360 Drone software.
“With LP360, once the data is in the standard .LAS format,” explained Heriard Dubreuil, “the software can process data from any system, whether it’s manned aircraft or collected by drone LiDAR, such as our fully integrated systems from Microdrones.”
Both Microdrones and GeoCue provide a full range of drone surveying products that capture raw flight data which LP360 can convert into high-quality deliverables such as contours, digital elevation models, cross sections, or transmission line modeling.
Microdrones provides end-to-end LiDAR systems, such as the GE industrial line or the Microdrones expert line, which fully integrate drones, LiDAR & photogrammetry payloads, and a complete software workflow.
GeoCue is the maker of TrueView 3D Imaging Systems, high-end drone LiDAR and imagery sensors. The TrueView product line offers innovative drone LiDAR and photogrammetry solutions integrated into lightweight payloads, that can be mounted on any platform capable of carrying the weight of the sensor.
“At Microdrones, we provide fully integrated drone surveying equipment,” said Heriard Dubreuil. “And with GeoCue, we’ve added a full range of entry to advanced-level LiDAR and dual mapping camera payloads along with the LP360 software. This combination ensures that we can offer our customers the most comprehensive set of solutions for drone LiDAR and imagery mapping in the market.”
On the software side, Microdrones users are familiar with mdInfinity, an in-house software suite used to process geospatial data through a number of data processing modules. mdInfinity is now merging with LP360 Drone to offer the best of both worlds. LP360 Drone is a desktop application used for processing and transforming drone-collected point cloud data.
“We are combining the algorithms and software capabilities of mdInfinity into LP360 Drone, to improve the overall package,” explained Heriard Dubreuil.
We provide continuous customer support. We are there for our customers because we know if they are successful, they will grow their business and we will grow with them.
Vivien Heriard Dubreuil, CEO of mdGroup
Full Support
As the drone surveying market continues to expand and evolve, one thing that won’t change at either Microdrones or GeoCue is the level of support provided to customers. Whether it’s training, consultation, or providing a high-level knowledge base of resources, tips, and workflows, support extends long beyond the initial purchase of drone surveying equipment.
Heriard Dubreuil understands that customer support is what sets his business apart from the competition. “At the end of the day, our service isn’t over with the sale and delivery or our products,” he said. “We provide continuous support. GeoCue is famous for that; for their training packages and the overall support they provide their customers to help them develop their drone surveying program.”
He further acknowledged that, “the same can be said for Microdrones, where we provide complete support for our fully integrated package. We are there for our customers because we know if they are successful, they will grow their business and we will grow with them.”