Wingcopter Soars To New Heights With Groundbreaking Lidar Upgrade

German-based Wingcopter has successfully integrated high-end laser scanning and camera systems into its flagship drone, the Wingcopter 198. This technological leap marks a significant milestone in the company’s mission to transform the world of cargo drones, with the added benefit of enhanced LiDAR surveying capabilities.

The Wingcopter 198 is now equipped with an advanced sensor system that can carry a whopping 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of equipment, allowing it to collect ultra-detailed LiDAR data at unprecedented millimeter-level accuracy – a staggering 570 points per square meter. This upgrade enables surveyors to map vast areas up to 37 miles (60 km) in a single flight, setting a new standard for efficiency and precision.

One of the most exciting applications of this technology is its potential to transform infrastructure inspection. The drone’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) capability allows it to cover over 2,500 acres (10.3 square kilometers) in just 42 minutes, making it significantly faster and more cost-effective than traditional methods.

Wingcopter has spent years refining the Wingcopter 198, and its reliability is already evident, with over 1,000 flight hours under its belt. The drone’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) capabilities make it one of the most reliable long-range aircraft in its class.

The high-end LiDAR sensor integrated into the Wingcopter 198 boasts an impressive 100-degree field of view and a pulse repetition rate of up to 2.4 MHz, allowing for unparalleled completeness in data capture, especially in challenging environments with vertical surfaces or narrow canyons. This technology has far-reaching implications for industries such as power line inspection, pipeline monitoring, road maintenance, railway surveys, and forest plantations.

Synerjet, Wingcopter’s local partner in Brazil, is already planning to deploy fleets of Wingcopter 198 drones for infrastructure and environmental mapping. The company’s director of drone operations and development, Augustinho Simoes, stated that they’re developing custom applications with Wingcopter to add more functionality to the aircraft and meet requirements from other industries.

The Wingcopter 198 is poised to revolutionize the way we map and inspect our infrastructure with its cutting-edge technology and unparalleled efficiency. The drone industry continues to evolve at breakneck speed, and Wingcopter’s latest innovation is set to be a game-changer in the world of long-range surveying and infrastructure inspection.