Drone LiDAR Surveying for Alaska’s Remote Frontier

High-accuracy 3D terrain data—faster, safer, and more affordable than manned-aircraft surveys.

WHAT IS LiDAR

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) uses precision laser pulses to measure the distance between the air and the ground—creating ultra-accurate 3D models of terrain, vegetation, and structures. Unlike standard aerial photography, LiDAR penetrates tree canopy and captures true elevation data, giving engineers, planners, and communities the information they need to design, build, and protect infrastructure in Alaska’s most challenging environments.

MNM Lidar System Specs

Why Choose Drone LiDAR (Not Plane-Based)

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Lower Cost

Our top-tier drone platform provides the same quality as manned-aircraft LiDAR—without the high operating costs.

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Faster Turnaround

Typical 100-acre surveys are completed within about a week, including processing.

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Safer & More Flexible

Drone-based flights can launch from remote villages, vessels, or project sites—no runways or large flight crews required.

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Design-Grade Data

Deliverables are accurate, CAD-ready, and immediately usable by engineers and contractors.

HOW IT WORKS

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Planning

You provide project size, location, and goals; we develop a flight and data plan tailored to your needs.

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Acquisition

Our drone captures dense LiDAR data across the site, collecting millions of laser measurements.

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Processing

We process and classify data into 3D models, elevation maps, and detailed terrain analysis.

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Delivery

You receive high-accuracy, CAD- and GIS-ready files, plus a summary of findings and key insights. Typical turnaround: 5–7 business days after flight completion for sites up to 100 acres.

Our Equipment: Built for Alaska’s Frontier

Homestead Marine Services uses advanced technology and marine access to reach Alaska’s most remote regions. Our team gathers accurate, reliable data where roads end and weather challenges others.

Our LiDAR system is mounted to a rugged, all-weather UAV engineered for stability, endurance, and precision in harsh northern environments. Paired with a lightweight, high-accuracy LiDAR payload, this platform allows us to safely capture detailed elevation data in remote, difficult-to-access, or weather-limited areas. The integrated system combines heavy-lift capability, advanced GNSS positioning, and efficient data processing to deliver reliable, survey-grade results.

Supporting this airborne system are our vessels:

Pokagon, a former U.S. Navy tugboat that serves as our mobile base of operations.
Sarah K, our smaller support vessel used for coastal and river-based deployment.

This combination of marine and aerial capability allows us to launch and recover drone missions directly from Alaska’s waterways, providing access where aircraft can’t reach and ground surveys aren’t practical.

View Ascent Spirit™ UAV Drone Specs

Get a Hold of Us

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PRICING & SERVICE INFORMATION

Pricing & Service Area

Standard Rate: $187 per acre (minimum project size applies).
Ideal Project Range: 100–1,000+ acres.
Bundle Discounts: Available for multi-site or seasonal contracts.

Based in Kodiak, Alaska, we operate throughout coastal and interior Alaska, focusing on roadless and weather-limited communities. Our marine access allows us to deploy directly from local ports and harbors, minimizing mobilization costs.

Use Cases in Alaska

Village Development – Site planning for housing, roads, and utilities.
Airstrips & Roads – Rehabilitation, grading, and alignment planning.
Coastal & River Erosion – Monitor changes and support mitigation efforts.
Energy & Telecom Corridors – Routing, slope analysis, and stability studies.
Forestry & Watershed Management – Sub-canopy mapping and slope modeling.
Research & Environmental Projects – Permafrost studies, habitat analysis, and coastal change detection

Deliverables

Our LiDAR surveying services provide high-quality, actionable geospatial data suitable for engineering, environmental, and infrastructure applications. Deliverables are tailored to project requirements and may include:

Georeferenced LiDAR point clouds delivered in industry-standard .LAZ format
Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and Digital Surface Models (DSM)
Bare-earth terrain models with vegetation and structure classification
Contour lines generated at client-specified intervals
Orthorectified outputs compatible with GIS and CAD platforms
PPK-processed GNSS data for improved positional accuracy (base station required)

All data is collected using an airborne LiDAR system mounted to a heavy-lift UAV, allowing for efficient deployment in remote or difficult-to-access locations across Alaska.

Custom deliverables, projections, and formats are available upon request.

Why Homestead Marine

Frontier-Ready Operations: Built around the unique challenges of Alaska—unpredictable weather, limited infrastructure, and extreme remoteness.
Mission-Driven: Our goal is to connect communities and partners with the data they need to plan, build, and thrive.
End-to-End Capability: We handle flight, data processing, and delivery entirely in-house to maintain quality, speed, and accuracy.

Safety & Compliance

FAA-compliant drone operations with verified pilot certification.
Mission-specific safety protocols for each survey.
Secure data handling and transfer standards.
Full metadata documentation with every deliverable.