Yamaha Motor Uses LiDAR Drones to Help Survey Maya Ruins at Copán UNESCO Site
Yamaha Motor is deploying its forest digitalization technology with LiDAR-equipped drones to assist archaeologists in mapping hidden structures at the Maya ruins of Copán in Honduras.
50 cm
2.4 million
2,500 hectares
What Happened
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is supporting a research project at the Copán UNESCO World Heritage Site in Honduras, led by Komatsu University, Shizuoka University, and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras. The project uses Yamaha's forest digitalization service, which employs high-resolution LiDAR on unmanned helicopters to create 3D digital models of terrain and vegetation. An initial aerial laser scan in April 2026 already revealed subtle surface features as small as 50 centimeters, identifying possible human-made mounds.
Initial aerial laser scan conducted over part of the Copán archaeological site using Yamaha's unmanned helicopter with LiDAR.
Full-scale survey of the approximately 2,500-hectare Copán Valley to document undiscovered cultural and natural sites.
2.4 millionpulses per second
Yamaha's industrial unmanned helicopter can emit this many laser pulses per second, enabling high-density point cloud data from above the forest canopy.
Why this matters
This project shows how automotive-grade surveying technology can be repurposed for cultural heritage, enabling non-invasive discovery of archaeological remains while preserving the forest ecosystem.
Terms in This Story
- LiDAR
- A laser-based remote sensing technology that measures distances by illuminating a target with laser light and analyzing the reflected light.
- Point cloud
- A set of data points in 3D space representing the external surface of an object or environment, produced by 3D scanners like LiDAR.
- Digital twin
- A virtual replica of a physical object or environment that can be used for simulation, analysis, and preservation.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.