RIEGL miniVUX-4UAV LiDAR Sensor for UAV-Based Laser Scanning

1. Product Title

RIEGL miniVUX-4UAV LiDAR Sensor for UAV-Based Laser Scanning

2. Long Description

Product Overview

The RIEGL miniVUX-4UAV is an extremely lightweight airborne LiDAR sensor designed specifically for integration with UAS/UAV/RPAS platforms.

It offers selectable laser pulse repetition rates of 100 kHz, 200 kHz, 300 kHz, and 400 kHz, a measurement rate of up to 200,000 measurements/sec, and scan speeds up to 150 scans/sec.

With a field of view of up to 360°, improved laser beam divergence, 12 mm accuracy, and 8 mm precision, the sensor is designed to generate dense point patterns and detailed data for UAV-based surveying applications.

Key Features

• Selectable laser PRR:
  • 100 kHz
  • 200 kHz
  • 300 kHz
  • 400 kHz
• Measurement rate up to 200,000 measurements/sec
• Scan speed up to 150 scans/sec
• Field of view up to 360°
• 12 mm accuracy
• 8 mm precision
• Compact and lightweight design at 1.55 kg / 3.4 lbs
• Multiple-target capability
• Up to 5 target echoes per laser shot
• Echo signal digitization
• Online waveform processing
• Mechanical and electrical interface for IMU mounting
• RIEGL RiLOC IMU/GNSS solutions available
• Robust aluminum housing
• Suitable for multi-rotor, rotary-wing, and fixed-wing UAVs
• Designed for application- and installation-oriented system integration

UAV-Based LiDAR Performance

The RIEGL miniVUX-4UAV is designed for detailed airborne laser scanning from UAV platforms.

At 400 kHz PRR, the source states that the sensor provides up to 133,333 measurements/sec at 120° field of view, supporting a dense point pattern on the ground for applications requiring the detection of small objects.

The sensor’s improved laser beam divergence, combined with 12 mm accuracy and 8 mm precision, supports detailed point-cloud acquisition.

Field of View

The scanner supports a field of view of up to 360°.

The technical overview also identifies a specific 200 kHz reduced-power operating mode with 360° FOV.

Multiple-Target Capability

The miniVUX-4UAV uses RIEGL’s:

• Echo signal digitization
• Online waveform processing
• Multiple-target capability

The system can record up to 5 target echoes per laser shot.

IMU/GNSS Integration

The scanner includes mechanical and electrical interfaces for IMU mounting.

RIEGL also offers integrated system solutions using its proprietary RiLOC localization and orientation components.

RIEGL RiLOC-E25 and RiLOC-F

For integrated miniVUX-SYS configurations, the miniVUX-4UAV can be combined with a localization and orientation subsystem containing:

• MEMS IMU
• GNSS unit
• Appropriate software

The components are housed in a compact unit attached directly to the rear panel of the sensor.

Two RiLOC options are identified in the supplied source:

• RiLOC-E25 — cost-efficient version for small-scale applications
• RiLOC-F — high-precision version for maximum accuracy in georeferencing the LiDAR data

Airborne Platform Integration

The rugged aluminum housing is designed for mounting on:

• Multi-rotor UAVs
• Rotary-wing UAVs
• Fixed-wing UAVs

The sensor is available as a stand-alone unit as well as in integrated system configurations with camera and IMU/GNSS systems.

Technical Data Overview

Physical Specifications

Environmental and Terrain Use

The supplied manufacturer information specifically identifies the miniVUX-4UAV as being well suited for measurements in snowy and icy terrain.

Main Applications

The RIEGL miniVUX-4UAV is intended for:

• Agriculture & Forestry
• Archeology and Cultural Heritage Documentation
• Construction-Site Monitoring
• Topographic & Corridor Mapping
• Snow, Glacier and Environmental Mapping
• Slope, Landslide & Erosion Monitoring

Software

RIEGL provides the following software packages for the RIEGL miniVUX-4UAV:

• RiPROCESS
• RiACQUIRE
• RiUNITE

These are complemented by:

• RiVLib
• RDBLib
• RiMAP Plugin for ArcGIS