Leica Geosystems has introduced its next generation of airborne Lidar solutions, the Leica ALS80. The company states that incorporation of advanced laser technology, new high-speed point cloud generation and viewing software has facilitated faster data capture and shorter processing time along with related cost savings.
Users benefit from the new Leica ALS80-CM and ALS80-HP systems’ expanded Multiple Pulse in Air (MPiA) capabilities and a new scanning geometry that offers industry-leading pulse rates of up to 1.0MHz. This technology expands pulse rate capability throughout the entire range of flying heights, allowing faster collection rates and shorter flight times. For users operating in mountainous terrain, the Leica ALS80-HA offers significantly increased pulse rates during high-altitude operation.
Users have responded positively to the simplicity of the “one laser, one scanner” pioneering approach introduced by the Leica ALS70, said Ron Roth, vice president of Airborne Lidar at Leica Geosystems’ Geospatial Solutions Division. The Leica ALS80 continues to develop this approach and builds on the successes of the Leica ALS70 by greatly expanding the operating envelope while, at the same time, improving numerous other areas such as point spacing uniformity, range resolution, minimum pulse separation and packaging. The companion software Leica CloudPro and Leica AHAB LSS Viewer give users a processing workflow that keeps up with the increased hardware productivity, Roth continued.
Laser and scanning optics
The Leica ALS80 incorporates an advanced laser design enabling ultra-high pulse rates, and also allows increased range resolution, offering higher peak power in each pulse and lowers random noise, all of which improve the quality of delivered data. In addition, a refined scan geometry improves consistency in along-track point spacing and reduces flight times on jobs where variation in along-track point spacing is limited.
Accurate positioning
In order to ensure the best signal in all geographic regions, the Leica ALS80 is equipped with the NovAtel OEM638 GNSS/IMU subassembly, which provides users with a future-proof precision receiver solution that tracks signals of all available constellations – GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou as well as L-band, SBAS and QZSS. The OEM638 also continues to support the popular CUS-6 IMU, aimed to provide the best possible orientation solution that maximises data accuracy.
Packaging
The Leica ALS80 eliminates any fixed cabling between system electronics and the scanner, and makes installation in external pods easier with the entire laser assembly now inside the scanner head. By using an advanced laser design, the ALS80 is able to reduce the size of the system’s electronics and eliminate 13 kg of electronic weight, without changing the size or weight of the scanner. The result is easier installation in all airborne platforms. In addition, the Leica ALS80 incorporates OC60 and PD60 operator and pilot displays, standardising the user interface across the entire Leica Geosystems airborne product array.
Processing software
The Leica ALS80 will ship with two new software products to complete the new mapping solution, both of which improve processing throughput and reduce data delivery lead times. Leica CloudPro is the new multi-threaded point cloud generation software for the Leica ALS80, as well as earlier models. This software package features a multi-threaded design for processing speed that is up to six times faster and also provides a flexible projection engine that eliminates the need of third party software for projection changes. In addition, users can further streamline their processing by creating custom workflows using the built-in command-line interface, or call CloudPro directly from GeoCue job management software. All CloudPro customers will also receive free of charge the Leica AHAB LSS Viewer, convenient point cloud viewing software that is easily deployed for field or in-house viewing of point cloud data without any additional software.
All variants of the Leica ALS80 will be available in selected regions from September 2014 and worldwide in 2015.. For owners of existing Leica ALS60 and Leica ALS70 systems, upgrades to the new Leica ALS80 configuration will be available from October 2014.
The Leica ALS80 will be on display at Intergeo 2014 in Berlin.
For more airborne laser scanners go to Geo-matching.
Source: GIM International
