LidarSwiss deploys Cepton lidar, Applanix IMU/GNSS for high-fidelity mapping

Cepton Inc. is working with LidarSwiss Solutions GmbH to deploy its lidar technology in a drone-based mapping and analytics solution for infrastructure management and engineering design applications.

Cepton is a Silicon Valley innovator of high-performance lidar solutions. LidarSwiss is a Switzerland-based provider of high-performance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) lidar solutions.

Utilizing Cepton’s Sora lidar sensor, the LidarSwiss Nano P60 system provides high-fidelity mapping and real-time processing on the fly to serve engineers, forestry managers and urban planners across the globe. To date, Nano P60 has been used to map and analyze powerlines, areas for site development, flood plains and highways in more than 20 cities in Asia, Europe and Australia.

Nano P60 packages Cepton’s Sora lidar, a 42-mp camera, an Applanix IMU/GNSS and a LidarSwiss controller. (Photo: LidarSwiss)

Nano P60 integrates Cepton’s Sora sensor with a high-precision IMU/GNSS unit from Applanix and high-resolution camera system. Its intelligent controller with LidarSwiss proprietary software automatically combines all raw data to generate high-density, high-precision RGB attributed 3D laser point clouds during flight.

With a total weight of 2.1 kg, this compact system can be mounted on small UAVs to produce mapping products such as digital orthophotos, digital elevation models and 3D models, or to interface with a third-party software to enable easy, seamless solutions for all kinds of industry applications, such as digital twins, smart cities and building information modeling (BIM).

“The prominent features of the Nano P60 are its high stability, point density and intelligence,” said Robert Kletzli, LidarSwiss founder and CTO. “This lidar-enabled system addresses the critical gap of 3D accuracy with traditional camera and stereo imaging technologies. Now, instead of needing two images to see a single point and detect its elevation, Nano P60 utilizes lidar’s intrinsic 3D imaging capabilities to achieve maximized efficiency, making real-time processing and analytics possible. Cepton’s Sora lidar is among the most compact, lightweight lidar sensors that we have tested and offers an unparalleled combination of high resolution, longer range in the same category and cost efficiency. Its unique lidar architecture allows seamless integration, making Nano P60 a true plug-and-play system with solid-state reliability.”

Nano P60 combines lidar point clouds with RGB imagery to generate high-density, high-precision 3D imaging with color by elevation features. (Image: LidarSwiss)

“We are proud to be supporting LidarSwiss and its customers with our lidar technology to unlock applications such as 3D modeling for BIM, historical site mapping, terrain modeling for heavy vegetation areas, volumetric calculations for mining, power line inspection and forestry mapping,” said Klaus Wagner, director of Product Management and Marketing at Cepton. “Our Sora lidar is a one-of-a-kind line scanner that combines high frame rate and long range. Powered by Cepton’s proprietary lidar technologies, it is compact, lightweight and rotation-free, making it ideal for small UAV applications.”