Drone LIDAR

New Drone LiDAR system from Microdrones- the mdLiDAR1000HR aaS


READ about the New Drone Lidar Surveying Equipment from Microdrones

The April 2021 edition of Business Geomatics features an article on the next generation of drone surveying equipment, released in February of 2021 from Microdrones, the mdLiDAR1000HR. With the mdLiDAR1000HR aaS, Microdrones is building upon the momentum of the Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS) program launched in mid-2020 and offering customers the next generation of Industry Leading Drone LiDAR Survey Equipment. Click on the image below to read the article in German. 

Click the Business Geomatics logo to go to the German article.

Microdrones struck a chord when it presented the new drone sales model "Microdrones as a Service" (mdaaS) in mid-2020. Now, high-end drone surveying equipment was more affordable and available to a broader market. Instead of having to make a large one-time payment, as is customary in the market today, customers can use Microdrones surveying solutions for a monthly fee that starts at 950 euros.

“With our mdaaS service, we offer customers maximum flexibility - not only with regard to the cost model but also when it comes to using the technology,” emphasizes Vivien Heriard-Dubreuil, CEO of Microdrones. “The user still has the choice of buying the solutions as a lump sum or using the subscription model.”

Due to the positive response in the market to the mdaaS, Microdrones also decided in 2021 to introduce a new surveying solution for drone-based LiDAR in the mid-price segment. “For this reason, we have expanded our mdLiDAR1000 aaS system with the new mdLiDAR1000HR aaS. The suffix ‘HR’ stands for 'High Resolution,” explains Heriard-Dubreuil.

The mdLiDAR1000HR aaS

Complete LiDAR solution for creating point clouds

The mdLiDAR1000HR aaS is a complete LiDAR solution that combines a drone, a LiDAR payload, a fully integrated software workflow for processing LiDAR and photogrammetry, as well as comprehensive support services. This means that the new Microdrones solution is a fully integrated system for producing 3D point clouds optimized for land surveying, construction, oil & gas, and mining applications.

With a 90-degree field of view, the mdLiDAR1000HR aaS repeatedly delivers accuracies of 1.6 centimeters for scanned points, as well as for image material, at an altitude of 40 meters and a flight speed of eight meters per second. The accuracy of the mdLiDAR1000HR aaS was analyzed across flights at between 30 and 60 meters over a variety of surfaces (asphalt, gravel, roofs, natural soils) with different degrees of reflection. The results were also confirmed by a repeatability study.

The improved image acquisition, which is precisely tailored to the 90-degree field of view of the laser scanner, enables compatibility with the optimized modules for coloring point clouds and for FORMap data processing within Microdrones software platform mdInfinity. Also, the mdLiDAR1000HR aaS is equipped with a Puck Lite sensor from Velodyne.

“We worked with Velodyne to seamlessly integrate their Puck Lite sensor. It is lightweight, provides a higher point density and a larger field of view,” says Frank Darmayan, Chief Operations Officer at Microdrones. “When you combine this with our software package, workflow, service, and support, you get a turnkey LiDAR drone system that improves data acquisition in the field and productivity in data processing from day one.”

A high resolution point cloud created with data collected by the mdLiDAR1000HR aaS

The Workflow

The workflow of the mdLiDAR1000HR aaS follows the Microdrones typical four steps: plan, fly, process and visualize. When planning using the Microdrones mdCockpit application, users can enter the flight path, the desired point density, the flight altitude, and/or the drone speed. The flight mission is then executed and monitored fully automatically in real-time. The final point cloud can then be geo-referenced and automatically processed using Applanix APX-15 UAV DG and mdInfinity software, after which it can be forwarded to any CAD or GIS software solution in the ASPRS-LAS standard format for further processing.

Positive conclusions

“Overall, I was very impressed by the data that the new mdLiDAR1000HR aaS produced and by the improvement in resolution compared to the mdLiDAR1000 aaS", says Robert Chrismon, Microdrones Marketing Manager. “With the additional point density, the greater resolution, and the higher accuracy, we are starting to close the gap between the mdLiDAR3000 aaS and the next option down. This will give more of the surveying industry access to a high-quality UAV LiDAR solution.”

To learn more about the new Microdrones system CLICK HERE to speak with an informative representative. You can also click on the banner below to watch an informative webinar on how to create high resolution point clouds with the mdLiDAR1000HR aaS.