Simultaneous capture without drift or drops
LiDAR depth, camera frames and location have to be recorded together without frame drops, misalignment or data loss.
LiDAR & Point Cloud Software Development
LiDAR and Point Cloud Software Development
We build iPhone and iPad LiDAR capture apps, point-cloud processing pipelines and browser-based 3D and GIS dashboards that turn field scans into models, measurements and GIS-ready files.
- Covered in a single mobile LiDAR scan session
- Up to 100 m
- Covered in a single mobile LiDAR scan session
- 3D models from AliceVision and Apple photogrammetry
- USDZ · GLB
- 3D models from AliceVision and Apple photogrammetry
- Georeferenced outputs for QGIS and ArcGIS
- GeoTIFF
- Georeferenced outputs for QGIS and ArcGIS
- Capture on site, sync with retries when connected
- Offline-first
- Capture on site, sync with retries when connected
What Is This Service?
From a LiDAR-equipped phone to measurable site data
LiDAR on iPhone and iPad Pro has made dense 3D capture available to every field engineer, but turning that capability into a dependable product is hard. Capture must stay stable while the camera, depth sensor and GPS all record at once; large scan packages must survive weak site connectivity; and raw point clouds have to become models, measurements and files that engineering and GIS teams already use.
Torch Solutions built exactly this for WebGIS, a construction-site capture platform. The iOS app uses ARKit and Core Location to record LiDAR point clouds, geotagged photographs and GPS metadata in one session, with RealityKit and Metal keeping the live preview responsive. A Python and Django backend processes uploads asynchronously through AliceVision and Apple photogrammetry, and a web dashboard delivers point clouds, USDZ and GLB models, GeoTIFF overlays and distance, area, trench-depth and excavation-volume tools.
We bring that experience to construction, surveying, utilities, agriculture and any field operation that needs fast, measurable 3D documentation.
Business Challenges
Why mobile LiDAR products are harder than they look
Field connectivity
Scans can be hundreds of megabytes. Uploads need on-device storage, resumable sync and retry behavior for unreliable networks.
Processing at scale
Photogrammetry and point-cloud processing are compute-heavy and must run asynchronously, with progress and failure handling.
Outputs people can use
Engineers need measurements; GIS teams need georeferenced files; managers need a viewer in the browser. One platform has to serve all three.
Features & Capabilities
What we build
iOS LiDAR capture apps
ARKit depth and point-cloud capture, overlapping imagery, Core Location metadata (coordinates, altitude, heading) and a real-time RealityKit / Metal preview.
Point-cloud and photogrammetry pipelines
Asynchronous processing with AliceVision and Apple photogrammetry producing point clouds and USDZ / GLB models.
GIS outputs
Georeferenced rasters such as GeoTIFF overlays for QGIS, ArcGIS and related GIS tools.
Measurement and analysis tools
Distance, area, trench-depth and excavation-volume measurement inside a web dashboard.
Browser 3D viewers
Interactive point-cloud and model viewing in the browser, including PLY scans, so stakeholders can review sites without desktop software.
Offline capture and smart sync
Scans stay on the device and upload with retries when connectivity returns, so field work never waits on the network.
Business Benefits
Business value designed into the system
Faster site documentation
Replace slow, expensive and fragmented documentation with a mobile-first capture process field teams can run themselves.
Measurable, shareable data
Point clouds, images, GPS data, 3D models, GIS files and measurements are managed in one place.
Lower equipment cost for routine scans
Use LiDAR-equipped iPhones and iPads for documentation tasks where they are accurate enough, and reserve specialist scanners for survey-grade work.
Fits existing GIS and CAD workflows
Standard formats mean outputs drop into the tools your engineers and GIS analysts already use.
Our Process
From field requirement to production capture platform
Field workflow discovery
We learn what is scanned, by whom, in what conditions, and which outputs and accuracy each downstream team needs.
Capture prototype
We prototype capture on target devices to validate stability, coverage and data quality in realistic site conditions.
Processing pipeline
We design upload, storage and asynchronous processing for point clouds, photogrammetry and GIS outputs.
Dashboard and tools
We build the browser viewer, measurement tools, project organization and exports.
Field testing
We test on real sites, measure reliability and processing times, and fix the edge cases only fieldwork reveals.
Launch and support
We release to the App Store and cloud, monitor uploads and processing, and keep improving.
Technologies We Use
A production stack selected for your requirements
The stack we used to ship WebGIS, extended to fit your devices, formats and GIS systems.
- Swift
- ARKit
- RealityKit
- Metal
- Core Location
- Python
- Django REST Framework
- AliceVision
- Apple Photogrammetry
- PLY
- USDZ
- GLB
- GeoTIFF
- QGIS
- ArcGIS
- AWS
Who It's For
Built for teams like yours
Construction and civil engineering
Trenches, foundations, excavation volumes and progress documentation.
Surveying and inspection
Fast as-built capture and site context for surveyors and inspectors.
Utilities and infrastructure
Documenting assets, trenches and right-of-way work in the field.
Agriculture and land management
Field mapping and site documentation for teams working across physical locations.
Why Torch Solutions
A team that has shipped mobile LiDAR to production
Proven capture engineering
We engineered stable simultaneous LiDAR and image capture on iPhone, which is where most LiDAR apps struggle.
End-to-end platform
Mobile app, processing backend, GIS outputs and web dashboard built by one team.
Built for the field
Offline capture, resumable sync and simple workflows for non-specialist field staff.
AI where it helps
We add machine learning for classification, detection or document workflows only where it improves the result.
Related Case Studies
LiDAR and GIS work
WebGIS 3D Construction Site Scanning Platform
iPhone LiDAR, GPS and photogrammetry capture turned into point clouds, USDZ/GLB models, GeoTIFF overlays and site measurements in a web dashboard.
Read Case Study →Engagement & Timelines
How a LiDAR project runs
We de-risk capture first, then build processing and the dashboard around proven data.
Capture prototype
About 2–4 weeks
Prove capture quality and stability on your target devices and sites.
- Prototype capture app
- Sample scans and quality review
- Architecture and estimate
MVP platform
Typically 4–8 weeks after prototype
Capture, upload, processing and a first dashboard for a pilot team.
- iOS app with offline sync
- Processing pipeline
- Viewer and core measurements
Production
Phased
GIS exports, more measurement tools, roles, scale and App Store release.
- GIS-ready exports
- Admin and project management
- Monitoring and support
Related Services
Combine this capability with the application, cloud, data, integration, and product engineering required to operate it reliably.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about LiDAR & Point Cloud Development
Is iPhone LiDAR accurate enough for construction?
For documentation tasks such as progress records, trenches, foundations, volumes and site context, iPhone and iPad LiDAR combined with photogrammetry is often sufficient. For survey-grade deliverables, use a dedicated scanner. We test accuracy against your requirements during the prototype.
How large an area can one scan cover?
In our WebGIS platform a single mobile session can cover up to about 100 meters of features such as trenches and foundations. Larger sites are captured in multiple sessions.
Which file formats can you produce?
We have delivered point clouds (including PLY), USDZ and GLB 3D models, and georeferenced GeoTIFF overlays for QGIS and ArcGIS. Other formats can be added depending on your GIS and CAD tools.
Does the app work without internet on site?
Yes. Scans are stored on the device and uploaded automatically with retry behavior when connectivity is available.
Can you add AI to point-cloud data?
Yes, where it adds value, for example classifying or segmenting scan data or detecting features. We assess this against your data during discovery.
Do you support Android?
Our LiDAR work to date is on iOS, where ARKit gives direct LiDAR access on supported iPhones and iPads. Android options depend on device sensors and are assessed case by case.
Have a field-capture or 3D documentation problem? Contact Torch Solutions.
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