CASE C10 · BE ·
Brussels Mobility: LiDAR drone survey of 13 km of underground technical galleries and storm drains
Brussels Mobility surveyed 13 km of underground technical galleries and storm drains with a LiDAR drone. Some 241 flights over 9 field days logged 1,776 points of interest. The case also reports LiDAR drift, sections that had to be scanned by hand, and heavy data-processing effort.
Underground tunnels & utility conduitsGNSS-deniedConfined spacesDarknessWater, spray & humidityCold & icingStrong electromagnetic fields
| Owner | Brussels Mobility (Maintenance and Inspection Department) |
| Provider | SECO; Sweco; Medexon; Flywel |
| Location | Brussels, Belgium |
| Aircraft | Flyability Elios 3 with Surveying (LiDAR) payload |
| Sensors | LiDAR, RGB imagery |
Before
Walk-through visual inspections.
With drones
Drones flew galleries, storm drains and technical rooms; LiDAR point clouds were turned into maps and 3D cross-sections and defects were logged.
Outcomes
| Metric | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| coverage | 13 km surveyed with 241 flights in 9 intensive field days | Reported |
| defects logged | 1,776 points of interest | Reported |
| cost / safety | not quantified | Reported |
Caveats & limits
- Manufacturer case study; year not stated; flight count is given as both 241 and 'over 200'.
- LiDAR drift appeared in some datasets; some spaces could not be flown and the drone had to be carried by hand to scan.
- Unknown hazards (possible live cables in water, blocked passages) and cold affected work; data processing was a 'mammoth task'.
Sources
- Mapping 13 kilometers of underground technical galleries in BrusselsFlyability Full text read
Sources checked: 2026-10-22