RIEGL is using the upcoming INTERGEO 2020 DIGITAL event to showcase a line of new product innovations focused on the field of LiDAR surveying technology.

The company plans to present details of the RIEGL VUX-120 LiDAR sensor for UAV-based laser scanning (pictured). This sensor, which weighs only 2 kg and measures 225 x 120 x 125 mm, features up to 1.8 MHz PRR (Pulse Repetition Rate) and delivers up to 400 scan lines and effective 1.5 million measurements per second on the ground, according to the company.

With its special multi-target capability of up to 15 targets per pulse, the VUX-120 penetrates even dense vegetation, which results in a measurement performance of several million measurements per second. Interfaces for the integration of a high-quality IMU/GNSS system and several cameras are available, with the scanner presenting itself as “the ultimate solution for use on fixed-wing UAVs in corridor mapping”, RIEGL says.

The RIEGL VUX-120 uses an innovative scanning pattern for the optimal detection of even vertical targets, such as steep mountain slopes. In this so-called NFB (Nadir/Forward/Backward) scanning, the 100° wide field of view is scanned in alternating planes (strictly vertical down, +10° forward oblique, -10° backward oblique).

Additionally, the wide field of view enables users to fly parallel to the asset (ie side-looking scanning) as opposed to directly over the target, RIEGL says, significantly increasing safety in certain applications.

Also in the spotlight at RIEGL’s virtual exhibition booth at INTERGEO 2020 DIGITAL, from October 13-15, 2020, will be the miniVUX-3UAV, an extension of the already proven miniVUX series.

This compact and lightweight sensor now has a 300 kHz PRR measuring program in addition to the already existing 100 kHz and 200 kHz measuring programs. This allows up to 300,000 measurements/s at a field of view of 120° and, thus, a denser point cloud, which enables survey drones to reliably detect even the smallest objects. Like its sister models, miniVUX-1UAV and -2UAV, the miniVUX-3UAV can be combined with various IMU/GNSS systems and camera options to optimally match the requirements of the special application. It is also ready to be used with the proven RIEGL Integration Kit 600 – a hardware extension for easy integration with multi-rotor drones.

RIEGL will also be offering innovations in the field of airborne laser scanning.

The VPX-1 Helicopter Pod, a laser scanning system optimised for use on manned helicopters, is now available to offer the “ideal performance parameters for applications such as the precise surveying of power line routes or the mapping of urban areas”. The new optimised pod is equipped with a RIEGL VUX-240 laser scanner and up to three high-resolution digital cameras as well as an IMU/GNSS unit allows quick system installation and removal using standard hard points and typical camera mounts of helicopters. The effective PRR of 1.5 million measurements/s and the optimally adjusted alignment of the cameras (forward/nadir/backward) enables the provision of highly accurate measurement and image data.

With the new VQ-1560II-S, RIEGL presents another version of the successful dual channel waveform-processing airborne laser scanning systems for acquisition of extremely dense, highly accurate point clouds.

With increased laser power, operational altitudes of up to 1,600 m above ground level (AGL) at a pulse repetition rate of 4 MHz, or up to 4,000 m AGL at 540 kHz PRR, are possible, which results in a significant increase in efficiency when scanning large areas. By fine-tuning the PRR in 12 kHz steps, the acquisition parameters can be set exactly according to the most diverse project requirements, RIEGL says.

“The unique scan pattern of intersecting scan planes and the various possibilities of parameterisation make the device probably the most versatile airborne laser scanner available on the market today,” RIEGL said.

RIEGL will be presenting these, as well as innovations and further developments in the fields of terrestrial laser scanning and mobile laser scanning, it said.