Project Overview

When the government of Guam selected a heavily vegetated property for the island’s future hospital, traditional ground surveying presented significant obstacles. The site contained extremely dense jungle canopy and three massive sinkholes, making manual surveying methods impractical, costly, and hazardous.

To support Duenas, Camacho & Associates (DCA), we deployed a hybrid LiDAR and photogrammetry drone survey—a solution capable of penetrating vegetation, capturing accurate elevation data, and producing detailed imagery.

Methodology

Over the course of three days, our team executed systematic flights using:

• DJI M350 RTK

• Zenmuse L2 LiDAR sensor

• Zenmuse P1 photogrammetry sensor

A critical component was ground control point (GCP) distribution. Nearly 30 GCPs were strategically set across the site—an effort requiring crews to hike over 2 miles daily for 2.5 days through the jungle. This ensured great accuracy and reliable alignment of LiDAR and photogrammetric datasets.

Quality Assurance:

• RMSE checks confirmed 4–5 cm accuracy

Challenges

• Dense Vegetation: Required low-altitude, slow LiDAR flights to maximize canopy penetration.

• Difficult Terrain: Thick jungle and sinkholes made GCP placement a logistical challenge.

• Time Constraints: Coordinated workflows were essential to complete the scan within a timely matter.

Deliverables & Results

The completed deliverables provided DCA with:

• Classified LiDAR-derived topographic data – a clean, vegetation-free surface model suitable for engineering design.

• High-resolution orthomosaic – a georeferenced visual layer ideal for GIS integration, planning, and reference.

By leveraging drone-based LiDAR and photogrammetry, we enabled DCA to advance the hospital project with safe, efficient, and cost-effective survey data that would have been nearly impossible with traditional field methods.

Impact

This project underscores the value of integrating aerial remote sensing into modern surveying workflows. For Guam’s future hospital, the result is not just accurate mapping—but a foundation of trusted data that supports one of the island’s most critical infrastructure projects.

2cofly (pronounced Ecofly) is Micronesia's leading drone service and education provider. Our core competency lies in remote sensing via various sensing technologies such as photogrammetry, LiDAR, thermal and more.

Few key deliverables we can output with our drones & sensors:

• Orthomosaic Mapping (+ Planimetric Mapping)

• Topographic Mapping (via LiDAR & photogrammetry)

• General LiDAR Mapping (land feasibility study, power line, etc)

• Aerial Inspection

• Aerial Magnetometry (underground metal detection)

• Thermal Map (radiometric)

We are also the largest drone training and education provider, offering:

• Online Course

• In-person workshops

• Custom curriculums for students and professionals

Schedule a free consultation

(671) 988-1532 | dwl@2cofly.com