4D-IT GmbH wanted to create a solution for high-resolution, high-accuracy, colour 3D data acquisition. To do this, they partnered with Applanix’ team of engineers to take advantage of their Direct Georeferencing (DG) capabilities and expert knowledge of airborne mapping and sensor integrations. Using the APX-15 UAV and POSPac UAV for post-processing with a 32-channel profiling scanning system and RGB-sensors, the 4DU-Scanner was developed for many documentation and mapping tasks.
The combination of the LiDAR and RGB sensors with Applanix’ industry-leading sensor technology offers a cost and time-efficient solution for various applications such as terrain modeling, vegetation mapping, geological mapping, documentation of pit-mining activities, land slide monitoring, and for high-quality 3D documentation of building facilities, industrial sites, or archaeology.
In the case of many applications, especially in topography-related environments with vegetation, LiDAR-based sensors are superior to camera-based systems because they are able to capture objects below the canopy. The weight of these sensors, as well as the typically higher demand on georeferencing, has been prohibitive for UAV-based applications of LiDAR in many cases, until now. The 4DU-Scanner overcomes these drawbacks with its low-weight construction, capturing of 32 simultaneous pro‑ les with different incidence angles, and supported by the capabilities of the lightweight APX- 15 UAV solution.
1 Dependent upon desired ground accuracy and sensor geometry