Southern Mapping is an aerial surveying company that provides topographic surveys and mapping for a variety of industries and sectors. These include civil engineering and infrastructure development, mineral explorations and mine management, environmental planning and rehabilitation, and urban and agricultural planning.

Southern Mapping Company (SMC)

Southern Mapping Geospatial (SMG)

The Southern Mapping team of airborne survey professionals has been working with airborne LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology since the mid 1990's. The company is dedicated to providing clients with accurate topographic surveys and mapping for a variety of industries and sectors as well as bringing innovative technology to Africa and the rest of the world.

The company utilises Lidar (light detection and ranging technology) combined with high speed digital cameras to produce accurate topographic surveys. Lidar is typically defined as the integration of three technologies (lasers, GPS and inertial navigation systems) into a single system capable of acquiring data to produce accurate digital elevation models (DEMs). The Lidar laser scanner is mounted together with airborne industrial cameras in the bottom of an airplane along with an inertial measuring unit and an airborne GPS (global positioning system). Each laser pulse strikes the earth's surface and returns back to the sensor in the airplane. The data is then calculated and accurate distances and changes in terrain are measured. This creates an accurate digital terrain model (DTM).

The Lidar unit is capable of measuring up to 200 000 pulses per second, with four possible distances logged for each pulse.

Lidar provides numerous advantages compared to conventional surveying and mapping technologies such as total stations, GPS (global positioning systems) and photogrammetry. For the penetration of vegetation, the Lidar has a very narrow beam that is able to penetrate dense foliage to reflect off the ground and return to the aircraft. This provides accurate ground elevation readings beneath the tree canopy. In addition for digital workflow efficiency, both the Lidar and the digital camera deliver their raw data to computer discs in the aircraft. This data is then delivered to the processors and within hours documentation of the days surveying is complete, this saves time. Furthermore, accuracy is critical for the success of any project. Due to the sheer density of the laser points, a terrain model of extremely high accuracy can be delivered. Finally, minimal ground control is required due to the accurate measuring equipment used in the air craft.

Airborne Lidar mapping

Southern Mapping makes use of the world's smallest, full-system ALTM Lidar sensor, in order to conduct Lidar surveys.

With an investment of US $1.2 million, the Orion uses laser distance measuring technology to perform highly accurate and dense topographic mapping. The Orion, combined with a digital camera, fires 200 000 laser pulses per second resulting in extremely precise and high speed digital terrain mapping. The extent of detail of our surveys varies according to client requirements. 200 000 pulses per second means 200 000 point coordinates in latitude, longitude and height AMSL (above mean sea level) every second.

Lidar for Urban development

Data acquired from the Lidar surveys can also be used by municipalities for infrastructure planning, as well as transport planning divisions for the upgrade and maintenance of major public transport systems.

Lidar for Mining

Our professional survey results are used for a number of applications throughout the life cycle of a mine.

Our key mining sector services include aerial surveys for:

• Disaster planning
• GIS data capturing
• Calculation of pit and stockpile volumes
• Audit surveys
• As build surveys
• Infrastructure design
• Mine expansion planning
• Environmental rehabilitation and monitoring
• Surveys in dangerous or inaccessible places
• Slimes dams design, survey, and monitoring
• High accuracy DTM for enhanced geophysical analysis

Lidar for Power

Access to electricity is vital to sustain a decent quality of life. Companies are under pressure to deliver power to end users in greater quantities and at a greater speed than ever before. At the same time, it is becoming more difficult to find sites for power generation and routes for transmission lines. Lidar is the ideal technology to assist in power line infrastructure maintenance and development. The results are used for a variety of applications and include:

• Site selections, whether the source is hydro, coal, or nuclear
• Infrastructure design on the final site, from supply of raw material to delivery of power
• Life cycle surveys for on-going design and maintenance
• Selection of the optimal transmission line corridor
• Profile survey of the final route
• Surveys to maximise electricity transmission on existing power lines
• Danger tree and clearance violations

Hyperspectral imaging

Hyperspectral remote sensing, a result of the integration of optical remote sensing and traditional spectroscopic technologies, allows for the differentiation of unique spectral signatures of target on the surface of the earth. Hyperspectral systems now make it possible to collect and analyse hundreds of spectral bands across the electromagnetic spectrum, providing detailed spectral data previously not possible through multi-spectral systems.

Hyperspectral applications for mining

The huge volumes of multi-dimensional data collected by hyperspectral systems make a wide diversity of mining applications possible. Southern Mapping can assist mine management in detecting mineral deposits, indentifying and monitoring mining operations as well as providing an accurate assessment of the extent of how tailings (dumps) have changed over time which is necessary in calculating the life cycle of a mine.

Mine pollution supervision is a primary objective on mines. Hyperspectral imagery allows the mining industry and environmental managers to obtain spatially comprehensive and accurate data for mapping and monitoring effects that the mine has on the environment, which assists in ensuring that rehabilitation measures are adhered to.

Hyperspectral applications for agriculture

Precision farming is an agricultural concept that seeks to optimize agricultural inputs on the basis of 'in-field variability', i.e. the varying nature of soil content, land carrying capacity etc. The accurate determination of in-field variability allows for the effective implementation of precision farming techniques, such as:

• Early detection of disease
• Soil characterisation and inventory
• Harvest estimation
• Directives for supervised treatment of land

The precision management of farming activity increases efficiency and output, while reducing environmental impacts. The availability of hyperspectral sensor systems allows precision farming experts the opportunity to choose solutions-oriented products derived from hyperspectral data.

Effective and timely disease management is critical in maintaining a competitive advantage in the agricultural sector. Like many crops, sugarcane is susceptible to a variety of pathogens that can cause serious damage to crop yield. Curative measures to minimizing the impact of crop disease range from identifying the location and extent of stressed crops, to the application of chemicals for disease control.

Up-to-date and accurate information on soil properties is important for precision farming and environmental management. While conventional soil sampling procedures are labour-intensive, time-consuming and expensive, hyperspectral remote sensing techniques provide a rapid and efficient tool for mapping soil properties. The precision management of farming activity increases efficiency and output, while reducing environmental impacts. The availability of hyperspectral sensor systems allows precision farming experts the opportunity to choose solutions-oriented products derived from hyperspectral data.

The orthoimage and a digital terrain model

The orthoimage is used as a layer in a CAD or GIS design to provide accurate visual information for the end user. In an urban environment the orthoimage will show the size and location of man-made objects such as roads, buildings, pipe and power lines, excavations and stockpiles. In other situations it highlights stands of different vegetation types, shows degraded or eroded areas, provides locations and extents of water bodies etc.

The digital terrain model is a digital representation of ground surface topography or terrain. It can be delivered as simple ground and non-ground sets of files. This data is used for a multitude of purposes. It can be used for the design of new roads or power lines; mine managers can also use the model to determine or verify the volume of rock moved out of pits and onto stockpiles; power line routes can be established as well as telecoms planning; the ideal site for a proposed dam can be located and a disaster plan can be compiled by plotting the path of the water in the event of a dam break and pipe line routes from the dam to a target area can also be optimised.

• Contour data plans
• Volumes of potential inundation areas for dams and pits and stockpiles on mines
• Detail mapping
• Paper plots
• 3D models, both physical and digital
• Surveying to suite your needs

Software and Certification

Southern Mapping holds an ISO9001:2008 quality rating issued by TUV. The company uses a Terrasolid range of software tools, based on the Microstation platform.

Southern Mapping operates in a variety of industries and sectors. Prime sectors that the company offers services to, are the mining and exploration industry, infrastructure development (roads, powerlines, pipelines, railways and dams), urban mapping, forestry and agricultural sectors, disaster management as well as environmental monitoring and rehabilitation.

Southern Mapping is focused on the unique needs of your organisation. We operate on a policy of open communication and focus on the priorities of your management team. We deliver customised Lidar and Hyperspectral surveys that are highly detailed and accurate.