Luzern, Switzerland, acquired with GSD=5 cm, 2008.

Leica - 3rd Generation Airborne Digital Sensors

Features / Benefits for Remote Sensing & Environmental Applications

Arthur Rohrbach, Sensor Sales Dir

Europe, Middle-East and Africa (EMEA)
Leica <> Airborne Digital Sensors – 3rd Generation

Overview

ADS80 - Airborne Digital Sensor

incl. PAV80 - New gyro-stabilized suspension mount

ALS60 - Airborne LIDAR Scanner

incl. RCD105 – Mid Format Digital Frame Camera ( for ALS60-CM )

Examples of Applications ( Forestry, Agriculture )

Outlook
Leica <> Airborne Digital Sensors – 3rd Generation

Overview

ADS80 - Airborne Digital Sensor

incl. PAV80 - New gyro-stabilized suspension mount

ALS60 - Airborne LIDAR Scanner

incl. RCD105 – Mid Format Digital Frame Camera ( for ALS60-CM )

Examples of Applications ( Forestry, Agriculture )

Outlook
ADS40 – 1st Generation, Cessna Caravan , in 2001 ( PASCO, Japan )
ADS40 - 2nd Generation in Beech 2006 ( APEI, France )
ADS40 2nd Generation in Learjet 25C ( BLOM - CGR, Italy )
Leica ADS – Airborne Digital Sensor <> History

2001 2006

ADS40 ADS40
SH51 & SH52
Key factors in Airborne Digital Mapping
and Remote Sensing?

Data Acquisition Efficiency?

Data Processing Efficiency?

Consistent Technical Performance?

Leica ADS80 - Pushbroom / CCD layout in focal plane

SH81 SH82
Leica ADS80 - System Design / Concept

 One optical path

 Tight integration
 Very few components

=> Highest Stability

Leica ADS80 - Optical Design / Performance

+ =

Telecentric Lens Equal Resolution

+ Tetrachroid =
Thermal and Pressure Co-registered in
Compensated
all bands

NO PAN-SHARPENING
Narrow Spectral band for Remote Sensing

Legend
1
1 Grass
2
2 Lime Stone

3 Sand, dry

4 Snow, old
3 5 Fir tree
4
6 Asphalt, wet
5 7 Water
6
7
Co-registered RGB and NIR for Remote Sensing,
optimized for vegetation analysis / classification

reflexion spectra
of maize
Leica ADS80 – Consistent Technical Performance
Control Unit CU80 and MM80
MM40

Embedded IPAS20 with GNSS

High data throughput of 130 MB/sec

Radiometric resolution of
compressed data 10-bit and 12-bit

Recording interval ≥ 1 ms

Data modes: ADS80 data format,
raw data, compressed

Highly reliable flash disk technology

364 GB / 768 GB capacity per MM80 /
per pair

Weight 2.5 kg
Leica ADS80 - Operational Specs / Performance

GSD 1.2“ / 3 cm => 90 kts

 384 GB for up to ~5.7 h recording at 2.5 ms
GSD 2“ / 5 cm => 140 kts
with 3 pan and 4 spectral bands
GSD 3“ / 7.5cm => 190 kts
 768 GB for up to ~11.4 h recording at 2.5 ms
with 3 GSD 4“ /410cm
pan and => 240 kts
spectral bands
GSD 6“ / 15cm => 300 kts
Leica ADS80 – Consistent Technical Performance
Mapping accuracies vs GSD
Simultaneous Imagery – Luzern, Switz ( „ Pixel Carpets „ )
Efficient Data Processing with Leica XPro
Processing at the Speed of Flight
Data post processing time – Leica XPro workflow
Total time User
Flight 1,200 km2, 15cm GSD
action
12 lines, each 80 km, 3 Pan and 8 MS WS with 6
time
Approximately 7 h flight at 130 knots server cluster

Download 400 GB ADS data format 4h 0.5 h

Geo- Trajectory calculation 0.5 h 0.5 h

referencing geo-referencing of L0 images 0.1 h 0.1 h

Aerial Automatic Point Measurement 0.1 h 0.1 h

triangulation Bundle Adjustment 0.3 h 0.3 h

Ortho photo RGB or FCIR 1,200 km2 1.7 h 0.1 h

6.7 h 1.6 h

Feature Due to image strips slightly faster

extraction than in traditional workflow

Fly-through Similar to traditional workflow

ADS80 Workflow

Flight Planning and Evaluation

ADS80 Workflow

Flight Planning and Evaluation

Data Collection Georeferencing
ADS80 Workflow

Data Collection
Ground Processing
and Georeferencing
ADS80 Workflow

GroundInterpretation
Image Processing
Leica ADS80
The Total Digital Airborne Imaging Solution

 Simple and Easy-to-use

 Best Image Quality

 Highest Flexibility

 Highest Productivity

 Highest Reliability

 Best Investment
Leica <> Airborne Digital Sensors – 3rd Generation

Overview

ADS80 - Airborne Digital Sensor

incl. PAV80 - New gyro-stabilized suspension mount

ALS60 - Airborne LIDAR Scanner

incl. RCD105 – Mid Format Digital Frame Camera ( for ALS60-CM )

Examples of Applications ( Forestry, Agriculture )

Outlook
ALS60 and MPiA - 3rd Generation LIDAR Scanner
Performance without compromise

More than ever, one system for all applications

No longer do customers have to choose between high pulse rate
and high accuracy
No longer do customers have to choose between small size and
high altitude capability
The point density you want, the accuracy you need
Fundamentals of MPiA technology
Single-pulse technology limits pulse rate

1 3 5

2 4
Fundamentals of MPiA technology
MPiA allows doubling of pulse rate

1 2 3 4 5

2 3 4 5
ALS60 - Improvements in max Pulse Rate
making a great LIDAR even better

220000

Max Pulse Repetition Frequency

200000 2 pulses in air

(PRF, Hz @ 40 deg FOV)

180000 1 pulse in air
33% increase in maximum pulse rate 160000
140000
200 kHz at the ground for even higher 120000
point density 100000
80000
Smooth operating envelope without
60000
discontinuities
40000
20000
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
Flight Height (m)
ALS60 - Improvements in max Scan Rate
making a great LIDAR even better

110
100
90
10% increase in maximum scan rate

Max Scan Rate (Hz)

80
to 100 Hz 70
60
50
40
20% increase at most FOVs for optimal 30
point pattern at all FOVs 20
10
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
FOV (degrees)
ALS60
the point density you want, the accuracy you need
ALS60
the point density you want, the accuracy you need
ALS60
the point density you want, the accuracy you need
Large optical aperture
the heart of a flexible system
ALS60-CM Corridor Mapper
Performance for corridor applications
RCD105 - Digital Frame Camera ( 39 MPx )
Fast, flexible, plug-and-play with ALS60-CM

Purpose-designed airborne camera

RGB or CIR operation

35, 60 and 100 mm lenses

Fast 2.2 second frame interval

User-replaceable 1/3600-sec shutter

Up to 2 camera heads per controller

RCD105 - Medium format imagery (with ALS60-CM)
An ideal combination

Image / Orthophotomap DEM - Digital Elevation Model

RCD105 - Medium Format Digital Camera
Product configuration
CH39 Camera Head (39 MPx)

Lens (35, 60 or 100 mm)

CC105 Camera Controller (shown

mounted to SC50 System Controller)

Isolated Interface Plate Assembly

Leica <> Airborne Digital Sensors – 3rd Generation

Overview

ADS80 – Airborne Digital Sensor

ALS60 – Airborne LIDAR Sensor

incl. RCD105 – Mid Format Digital Frame Camera ( for ALS60-CM )

PAV80 – Gyro Suspension Mount

Application Examples (Forestry, Agriculture)

Outlook
New gyro-stabilized sensor mount – PAV80

• Fastest in stabilizing speed

• Larger tilt angles available
• Different payloads accepted

Stabilization - 7 ° to + 7 °
range in roll

Stabilization - 8 ° to + 6 °
range in pitch

Stabilization - 30 ° to + 30 °
range in drift
Leica PAV80 – Use with different Sensors
Key Benefits

Several control loops optimized for different sensor weights can be selected:

> Leica Geosystems Sensors:

 ADS40 and ADS80 Sensor Heads 51, 52, 81 and 82

 ALS50 and ALS60 Laser Scanners

> Other, 3rd party Sensors (Thermal, Hyperspectral, etc)

 Range 1: 5 kg to 30 kg

 Range 2: 25 kg to 50 kg

 Range 3: 45 kg to 75 kg

 Range 4: 70 kg to 100 kg
Leica <> Airborne Digital Sensors – 3rd Generation

Overview

ADS80 - Airborne Digital Sensor

incl. PAV80 - New gyro-stabilized suspension mount

ALS60 - Airborne LIDAR Scanner

incl. RCD105 – Mid Format Digital Frame Camera ( for ALS60-CM )

Examples of Applications ( Forestry, Agriculture )

Outlook
ADS80 - Airborne Digital Sensor - Application
Large Area Forestry Mapping

OMNR (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources)

Project Description / Purpose

• To update the forest inventory base map that is then

used as the foundation layer for the next 10 year
cycle.

• The plan is to repeat this process every 10 years with

smaller sample areas done from year to year.
Ontario Forestry Project - Data Acquisition
Project Size / Parameters

• 600’000 sq / km

• Forestry area of the entire Province of Ontario was

monitored over a 5 year period

• All imagery (Pan, R, G, B, N) acquired with GSD = 20cm

(Ground Sampling Distance)

Biggest project of its kind………..ever!

Project - Deliverables (1/2)

This project is using everything that can be created by

the ADS80 – Airborne Digital Sensor:
Total project: approximately 280TB of data delivered!

For remote sensing/interpretation:

 20cm 4 band L1 stereo imagery, 16 bit

 20cm 4 band ortho products, 16 bit

 20cm Panchromatic L1 stereo products, 16 bit

 20cm Panchromatic ortho products, 16 bit

Project - Deliverables (2/2)

For GIS:

 20cm 3 band RGB ortho, 8 bit, mosaiced and

radiometrically corrected

 20cm 3 band RGN ortho, 8 bit, mosaiced and

radiometrically corrected

Other:

 DSM generated at ~1m post spacing for rough

canopy surface modeling
OMNR - Example Data
OMNR - Three Pixel Carpets
OMNR - Example Data L2
Future Work planned / Expectations

• Stereo products will be used in PurView-SW to perform

detailed digitizing of the forest stands.

• Raw L2 ortho strips will be used for automated

processing to identify water and dead forest areas.

• Over the program, it is hoped that more automation can

be introduced to start to remove the stereo digitizing
of the forest stands and identification of tree species.
Leica <> Airborne Digital Sensors – 3rd Generation

Overview

ADS80 - Airborne Digital Sensor

incl. PAV80 - New gyro-stabilized suspension mount

ALS60 - Airborne LIDAR Scanner

incl. RCD105 – Mid Format Digital Frame Camera ( for ALS60-CM )

Examples of Applications ( Forestry, Agriculture )

Outlook
Dual Leica Sensor System “ ADS40 – ALS50 ”
( Estonian Land Board )
Thank you