Taking a Topographic Survey Start-to-Finish with Mach9
End-to-end feature extraction for a complex infrastructure project in California desert terrain, navigating irregular topography and poor delineation with Leica Pegasus TRK700 NEO.
Modernizing the workflow at scale.
Langan Engineering and Environmental Services successfully completed a complex survey project from start-to-finish with Mach9. The Langan team efficiently navigated the challenges of the California desert terrain environment while delivering accurate and high quality planimetric maps for a 9-mile infrastructure design-grade project. Feature extraction for the entire project was completed with Mach9, demonstrating the production platform’s capability to support survey-grade projects with comprehensive geospatial workflows.
What made this hard.
Surveying in California’s desert areas presents unique challenges, such as broken lines, poor delineation, and irregular topography. This project required precise mapping of curb, edges of pavement, road centerlines, utility poles, manholes, and additional point and vector features.
How we solved it.
Russell Hall, PLS (Langan’s Mobile Mapping Manager), and his team strive to use the latest technology hardware and software to accelerate project timelines. That’s why, on this project, they combined the power of Leica Pegasus TRK700 NEO, which offers dual scanners with 1,000,000 measurements per second, with the speed of automated feature extraction from Mach9.
The entire survey feature extraction process was completed with Mach9, combining automation with manual QA/QC and drafting workflows to deliver high accuracy planimetrics. Key aspects of the workflow included:
- 01Automated feature extraction
Mach9 was able to automatically extract features including pavement striping, utility poles, manholes, bollards and more.
MACH9 AUTOMATED FEATURE EXTRACTION WITH QUICK IMAGES - 02Manual extraction for detailed features
Mach9 offers manual alternatives for tasks not yet automated, allowing users to stay in one tool throughout the project. Hall’s team used the Manual Extraction Tool to convert complex structures into accurate 2D lines.
- 03Integrated QA/QC workflow
Some features (such as edges of pavement) required manual clean-up to ensure accurate delineation. The Cross-Section Tool provided reliable elevation points, offering high confidence in vertical measurements even when lines were broken or uneven.
MACH9 CROSS-SECTION TOOL
The combination of automated extraction and manual workflows allowed the Langan mobile mapping team to efficiently navigate the challenges of the sandy terrain while maintaining control over feature accuracy.
Exports designed to integrate into your existing project workflows.
The outcome.
Hall and his team completed the challenging project end-to-end with Mach9, delivering ahead of schedule, without sacrificing accuracy. Mach9 enabled rapid, automated feature extraction from mobile mapping systems delivering high-fidelity vector data in a fraction of the time. Manual QA/QC and cleanup workflows ensured a smooth transition for export to CAD, supporting seamless integration into existing engineering design environments.
We have encountered never before seen terrain difficulties, and yet, we managed to finish the project a week before the original deadline and 30% under budget.
Mach9 works with the data you already collect.
Hall and his team have been providing valuable feedback on functionality as they continue to expand their use of Mach9. Based on their feature requests, the Mach9 team developed new functionality such as global resampling, to more efficiently refine perception results, and global merging to streamline joining of broken line cases.
At Mach9, we are committed to continuous improvement and are actively incorporating feedback from users like Hall and his team to address the needs of the surveying and geospatial industry.
Langan Engineering provides an integrated mix of engineering and environmental consulting services in support of land development projects, corporate real estate portfolios, and the energy industry. Their clients include developers, property owners, public agencies, corporations, institutions, and energy companies around the world.
Mach9 is a geospatial technology company focused on automating feature extraction from mobile mapping data. Designed for engineering teams, Mach9’s AI-driven tools help convert LiDAR and imagery into accurate, actionable GIS and CAD-ready outputs, improving asset visibility, accelerating project timelines, and enhancing infrastructure management. Mach9 supports clients across transportation, utilities, and public works sectors seeking to scale asset intelligence and automate survey-grade data processing.
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Turn weeks of drafting into hours
Mach9 shaves weeks and weeks off extraction on our civil corridor projects. We can fly through vertices and line work in 3D — half our data is already done before we start verifying.”
A recurring theme in the civil engineering industry is how difficult it is to find trained technicians. Mach9 enables us to do 50% more work with the same experienced team. That's extremely important for us.”
Mach9 changed how our team works. The time we used to spend on manual feature extraction, we now spend on parts that require expert judgment, like resolving edge-case geometry.”
With Mach9, we now have a state-of-the-art feature extraction workflow. Instead of spending hours tracing objects in a point cloud, we directly review Mach9's AI-generated assets.”
One of the best things about Mach9 is that you get immediate value without any learning curve. The feature extraction is super accurate, and you go from point mapping to a design-grade deliverable seamlessly.”
The ability to perform full QA in a single interface, without jumping between systems, has transformed how we approach statewide inventories. Mach9 brought consistency and confidence to our data workflows.”
Director of Reality Capture, Feldman GeospatialRob Ashley
HDLS Technology Director, PennoniEddie Fossler
VP & Quality Management Leader, OlssonKaty Sprenger
GIS Specialist, TruenetDiana Wohlfarth
PennoniJeff Tornatore
Project Manager, Michael Baker International
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