Real-time 3D LiDAR is Sensor of Choice at Major International GIS and Mapping Conference
Morgan Hill, Calif. (October 20, 2014) – At InterGEO – Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management, held in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 7-9, Velodyne’s real-time HDL-32E 3D LiDAR sensors were out in force – a testament to the company’s expanded industry leadership. On display were deployments from Topcon, with its new IP-S3 mobile mapping system; Routescene’s LidarPOD, for UAVs; 3D Laser Mapping’s compact roof rack mapping system; and Leica GeoSystems’s backpack system for mapping of otherwise inaccessible areas.
The compact 360° HDL-32E real-time 3D LiDAR sensor is part of a growing family of solutions built around the company’s Light Detection and Ranging technology. “The international acceptance of our products in diverse and often challenging mapping environments continues to be a tribute to Velodyne CEO and founder David Hall and the entire Velodyne engineering team," said Wolfgang Juchmann, Director of Sales & Marketing for Velodyne LiDAR. “We’re delighted to partner with these best-in-class system integrators, all of whom are blazing new trails in various mapping applications.”
InterGEO is the world’s leading conference trade fair for geodesy, geoinformation and land management. With more than half a million event website users and some 16,000 visitors from 92 countries at the event itself, InterGEO is one of the world’s key platforms for industry dialogue. InterGEO covers a wide variety of fields, ranging from surveying, geoinformation, remote sensing and photogrammetry to complementary solutions and technologies. Among the HDL-32E-equpped implementations demonstrated in Berlin:
• Topcon Positioning Group displayed the IP-S3, its next generation 3D mobile mapping system. The fully integrated high-density digital imaging system is extremely compact, and designed to scan at a rate up to five times faster than previous models. Scanning at 700,000 points-per-second, the system offers data-rich results with its 30 MP panoramic imagery. Weighing 18 kg (39 lb), the IP-S3 is engineered to offer simplified installation — so lightweight that one person can mount it on a vehicle single-handedly.
• Routescene LidarPod, a compact, turnkey 3D laser scanning unit for easy installation. Weather-resistant, with a lightweight carbon fiber housing, Routescene’s LidarPod is ideal for UAV applications, supporting rapid deployment and expediting delivery of airborne 3D data. Compatible with a variety of different UAVs, the LidarPod combines the HDL-32E LiDAR scanner with GPS/IMU, data and power management, RTK correction and LidarViewer software.
• 3D Laser Mapping showed its highly compact roof-rack 3D scanner, capable of capturing accurate 3D point clouds from cars, boats or trains.
• Leica Geosystems displayed its portable backpack system, sporting Velodyne’s spinning HDL-32E sensor in a stylish backpack design. The system includes GPS/IMU navigation, capture software, post-processing and data storage, and thereby permits measuring the environment in 3D, where vehicle-based implementations can’t go.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder and inventor David Hall competed in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL64 high-resolution LiDAR sensor. More recently, Velodyne has released its compact, lightweight HDL 32E sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16-channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive than previous generation sensors. Since 2007, Velodyne’sLiDAR division has emerged as a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information, visit www.velodynelidar.com.