ASTRALiTe Demonstrates Scanning Topo–Bathy LiDAR System on DJI Matrice 600 Pro
November 19, 2018
Multiple Test Flights Verify Successful Integration onto Widely-used
UAV Platform and Capture Centimeter-level Bathymetric Data in Real-World
Settings
LOUISVILLE, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#UAV—ASTRALiTe,
Inc., successfully demonstrated its 2-in-1 Topo-Bathy LiDAR flying
on a DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAV during three separate missions over the
course of a month.
“This is a significant achievement in miniaturization! Bathymetry
from a medium-sized UAV platform is now just as easy to perform as
topographic LiDAR surveys,” said Gerald Thompson, VP of Operations
for ASTRALiTe.
“It’s a breakthrough to have a bathymetric scanning LiDAR system
capable of working on the widely available DJI Matrice UAV. It opens up
whole new business areas.”
The LiDAR runs on its own self-contained battery, saving the drone
batteries and enabling more air time. Even with medium-to-high winds,
the M600 was able to handle the 5 kg LiDAR payload, and was able to
collect centimeter-level bathymetric LiDAR data in each of 13 flights.
At a nearby Reservoir in Colorado, ASTRALiTe integrated its 2-in-1
Topo-Bathy LiDAR System onto the DJI Matrice 600 Pro, one of the most
widely used drones in the surveying market. Piloted by the drone
professionals at Juniper
Unmanned, the M600 was able to carry the 5 kg (11 lb.) payload with
ease, while maintaining stability during two 15 minute flights.
A second demonstration was conducted at high elevation in conjunction
with the US Geological Survey (USGS) in Kremmling, CO at the confluence
of the Colorado and Blue rivers. Four flights were conducted with flight
times ranging between 10 – 12 min. River transects were made to document
volume flow of the two rivers including depth profiles, vegetation
mapping, and underwater object detection.
A third set of demonstrations was conducted at the Applied Research Lab
(ARL) MANTAS II 2018 Tech Demo at the University of Hawaii’s Institute
of Marine Biology (HIMB) on Coconut Island. Over three days the LiDAR
was put to the test on the windward side of the island in conditions
that included salt spray and significant surf. The expert ARL staff
piloted the Matrice 600 Pro masterfully in these conditions collecting
near-shore bathymetry, dune, inlet and lagoon profiles, and mapping
underwater coral reef structures at centimeter-level resolution. A total
of seven flights were conducted, the longest being 17 min.
About ASTRALiTe
ASTRALiTe, Inc., develops and manufactures unique LiDAR systems
including the world’s first small-scale topo-bathy LiDAR for detecting
small underwater objects, measuring shallow water depth, and surveying
critical underwater infrastructure. www.astralite.net
Contacts
ASTRALiTe, Inc.
Bill Adams, 949-547-8554
badams@astraspace.net