Select Page
(Check out the Zenmuse L1)

Lidar Technology

Determining the earth’s surface has always been impossible within dense canopy cover by aerial photogrammetry until now. DJI’s Zenmuse L1 brings your projects to life with high-accuracy 3D point cloud mapping through the integration of Lidar technology. Operators may utilize 3D point cloud maps to obtain Digital Surface Models (DSM) that can classify different objects within a point cloud. They may also generate Digital Elevation Maps (DEM) to show topographical maps filtering out canopy cover or other objects.

What is Lidar?

Lidar is a method of measuring the reflection of light. Sometimes the use of lasers to obtain a variable distance is also called 3D laser scanning.

Autonomous LIDAR sensors

Lidar Sensors For Collision Avoidance?

Lidar has been incorporated into several drones to maintain positioning and for obstacle avoidance. Lidar technology has even made its way into the autonomous vehicle industry, where it’s currently being used to maintain distance from other vehicles or obstacles that may occur on the roadway. Today, researchers are currently working on developing algorithms such as the Linear Quadratic Estimation, or what is referred to as the Kalman Filter for more advanced object tracking and to differentiate vehicles from other objects. Experts speculate that vehicles could be fully autonomous in the near future.

Lidar Optical Imagine Applications

  • Surveying
  • Forestry
  • Geography
  • Geomorphology
  • Agriculture
  • Archaeology

Internal Measurement Unit (IMU)

The Zenmuse L1 is equipped with a high accuracy Internal Measurement Unit (IMU) for real-time measurement of its 3-axis acceleration and angular velocity. The IMU is a crucial feature to calculate drone speed, position, and altitude angle; ultimately, it is necessary for quality lidar data. The Zenmuse L1 has a 3-axis stabilization gimbal that helps alleviate data gaps during a flight mission. It also features a surveying map accuracy of 5 cm – 10 cm while flying at an altitude up to 50 meters.

LIDAR mapping

Sensors and Mapping

The Zenmuse L1 comes with the same 20mp 1-inch CMOS sensor as the Phantom 4 RTK. The mechanical shutter will eliminate rolling shutter distortion. The maximum flight altitude with the CMOS sensor is 100 meters for best Ground Sampling Distance (GSP) to record higher resolution maps. The Zenmuse L1 has the capability of displaying high-resolution video as well as lidar optical data in real-time. Another valuable tool for maintaining lidar map accuracy is the Global Map Mode, allowing pilots to witness the 3D orthophoto map being created in real-time to ensure all relative data is captured.