Drones Adopt LiDAR Sensor Altimeters
BLOG – Just like any sophisticated flying devices, UAS need to know at what altitude above ground they are, allowing for smooth take-off and landing, stable hovering, and for maintaining a safe distance from the ground during flights, especially when operating at lower altitudes.
Leading commercial drone vendors are starting to integrate specific distance sensors that perform as altimeters and complement the on-board navigational equipment. And the LeddarOne sensor in particular is attracting the industry’s attention.
The LeddarOne is an optical detection and ranging sensor which provides accurate and reliable distance measurements over a typical range of >10 m (and up to 40m on reflective surfaces). More specifically, it is a single-element, solid-state LiDAR which uses the time of flight of a light pulse emitted by its LED source to measure the distance between the drone and the ground or another object below. The small sensor is typically installed under the drone’s body pointing vertically towards the ground at a 90-degree angle.
One of the first UAV manufacturer that has leveraged the advanced capabilities of the LeddarOne is Draganfly Innovations Inc., which integrated the LeddarOne optical rangefinder as a standard feature of its new model, the Draganflyer Commander.