RIEGL has officially moved into series production of the RiLOC-E, a fully integrated subsystem for localization and orientation, designed for their miniVUX-series UAV Lidar sensors. The first units, equipped with this innovative subsystem, were dispatched from their facility in Horn, Austria, at the end of June. This milestone follows an intensive development and testing phase.
The RiLOC-E was first introduced at Intergeo 2023, where it immediately attracted significant market interest. As a result, RIEGL intensified its efforts to bring the product to market, leading to this successful production launch.
“The business is off to a good start,” confirms Michael Mayer, managing director of RiCOPTER UAV GmbH, who oversees sales and support in this segment. “Many inquiries in the UAV-based laser scanning sector come from beginners who demand high data quality but lack extensive experience in drone-based data acquisition. With the RIEGL miniVUX-3UAV equipped with RiLOC-E, we now offer a survey-grade, yet easy-to-use solution that allows users to gain their first experience in UAV-based laser scanning – all at an excellent cost-benefit ratio.”
Small-scale Lidar surveying
RiLOC-E is a sophisticated localization and orientation subsystem integrated into the RIEGL miniVUX-series UAV Lidar sensors. This special version of the miniVUX-SYS features a Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a GNSS unit, and tailored software, all housed in a compact, lightweight casing directly attached to the miniVUX-1UAV or miniVUX-3UAV laser scanner.
“The combination of a miniVUX series Lidar sensor and RiLOC-E into a compact, complete Lidar system is the ideal solution for small-scale Lidar surveying with drones,” explains Philipp Amon, RIEGL ULS business division manager. “In such applications, using a nearby local base station ensures the shortest base length, thereby maximizing accuracy in the georeferencing of the high-precision Lidar data from the RIEGL miniVUX series Lidar sensor. A highly efficient and user-oriented data processing and visualization workflow is made possible with the corresponding RIEGL processing software, RiPROCESS, which implements innovative measurement and processing routines.”
Accurate flight path determination is crucial in airborne laser scanning for aligning flight strips. The RIEGL miniVUX-SYS with RiLOC-E calculates an initial trajectory using GNSS and base station data, refining it through Lidar surface comparisons. This process improves data quality and reduces time in the air.
Pre-configured parameters allow the operator to focus on safe flight, with no additional input needed. The system operates independently of the UAV platform, and its software automates processing, enabling quick on-site data review. At just 1.75kg, the miniVUX-SYS with RiLOC-E easily integrates with various drones, supporting flexible deployment.
