Leica Geosystems releases hybrid imaging and lidar sensor for airborne mapping

Image: Leica Geosystems

Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, has released the Leica CountryMapper for large-area imaging and lidar mapping. Combining a large-format photogrammetric camera with a high-performance lidar unit into a single system, the CountryMapper collects foundational geospatial data simultaneously to support a wide variety of user applications.

The CountryMapper combines imaging and lidar sensor modules into a highly efficient hybrid airborne system. The sensor features CMOS-based Leica MFC150 camera modules that leverage true mechanical forward-motion-compensation to deliver high image quality.

The sensor’s new Hyperion3 lidar unit features 60° field of view, improving the performance and flexibility of the system compared to previous lidar modules, while reduced laser divergence provides greater planimetric accuracy and better foliage penetration. The CountryMapper fully integrates with Leica HxMap multi-sensor end-to-end processing workflow, enabling distributed processing of images and point clouds to optimize productivity for very large data sets.

The CountryMapper supports applications such as orthophoto generation, terrain mapping, hydrography, forestry monitoring and infrastructure management. Users of previous-generation sensors can leverage their initial investment and upgrade their systems to the CountryMapper configuration.