Geosun GS 100C Plus Compact UAV LiDAR Mapping System

Lightweight UAV LiDAR for professional mapping

The Geosun GS-100C+ is a compact airborne LiDAR mapping system developed for surveyors, engineers, drone operators, GIS professionals and construction teams that need accurate 3D data without moving to a large or heavy sensor payload. The system combines a Livox Avia laser scanner, GNSS positioning, an inertial navigation system and a high-resolution RGB camera in one integrated unit that can be mounted on professional multi-rotor drones and VTOL platforms.

At around 1 kg, the GS-100C+ is particularly attractive for UAV operators who want to keep aircraft weight low while still collecting dense georeferenced point clouds. This makes it useful for routine topographic work, construction surveys, forestry, utility corridors, mining and land-management projects.

Livox Avia LiDAR with flexible measuring range

The GS-100C+ uses the Livox Avia laser scanner. Its usable measuring distance depends on the reflectivity of the surface being scanned. The published specifications give approximately 190 m at 10% reflectivity, with longer ranges available from more reflective targets and a maximum detection range of up to 450 m under suitable conditions.

In practical fieldwork, this means dark vegetation, asphalt or other low-reflectivity surfaces may be detected at shorter distances than bright buildings, rock or other reflective surfaces. Survey flight height should therefore be chosen according to the actual terrain, required point density and expected surface reflectivity rather than the maximum stated range alone.

Up to 720,000 points per second

The scanner can record up to 720,000 points per second in triple-echo operation. A high point rate helps produce dense 3D datasets while the drone moves across the project area, allowing terrain, structures, vegetation and infrastructure to be represented in detail.

The Livox Avia also supports different scanning behaviour that can be useful for different mapping tasks. Its non-repetitive scanning pattern progressively fills the field of view as the sensor remains over an area, while repetitive scanning can provide a more regular pattern for applications where consistent coverage is preferred.

Triple returns for vegetation and complex environments

The GS-100C+ supports triple laser echoes. Multiple returns are useful when a laser pulse interacts with several objects along its path, such as the upper canopy, branches and the ground below vegetation.

For forestry and terrain mapping, this can provide more information for distinguishing vegetation from ground surfaces. Multiple returns are also useful around power lines, poles and other infrastructure where several objects can appear within the same vertical space.

Integrated GNSS and INS positioning

Airborne LiDAR requires accurate information about the position and orientation of the scanner at the moment each laser point is measured. The GS-100C+ therefore integrates GNSS positioning with an inertial measurement system operating at 200 Hz.

The current positioning configuration supports multiple satellite constellations including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo. During processing, the calculated aircraft trajectory is combined with the LiDAR measurements to position each point correctly in three-dimensional space.

Accuracy for UAV surveying

The GS-100C+ is specified at approximately 10 cm absolute system accuracy around a 100 m flight height under the manufacturer’s stated conditions. Individual laser ranging accuracy is approximately ±2 cm.

Final project accuracy depends on more than the scanner itself. GNSS conditions, base-station or correction data, flight height, aircraft movement, trajectory processing, boresight calibration, ground control and the geometry of the survey all affect the final point cloud. For engineering or construction projects with strict tolerances, the complete workflow should therefore be planned around the required deliverable.

26 MP RGB camera for colourised point clouds

An integrated 26 MP RGB camera records imagery alongside the LiDAR measurements. These photographs can be used to add colour to the point cloud and provide visual context for objects that may be difficult to identify from geometry alone.

For surveyors, construction teams and GIS users, colourised point clouds are useful when identifying roads, buildings, vegetation, utility structures and other site features. Collecting imagery and LiDAR during the same flight also avoids the need for a completely separate visual documentation mission in many projects.

Compact payload for multi-rotor and VTOL drones

The GS-100C+ weighs approximately 1 kg and is designed for professional multi-rotor and VTOL aircraft. Its compact size allows it to be integrated with smaller mapping platforms than many traditional airborne LiDAR sensors.

A multi-rotor UAV is useful for construction sites, smaller survey areas and locations where precise vertical take-off and landing are required. VTOL platforms can be more efficient for longer corridors and larger sites where flight endurance and area coverage are important.

Topographic surveying and construction

For topographic and construction surveys, the GS-100C+ can rapidly collect terrain and surface data across a project area. The resulting point cloud can support digital terrain models, site surveys, earthwork analysis, design preparation, progress documentation and other engineering workflows.

Compared with collecting large numbers of individual ground points, airborne LiDAR can provide a much more complete representation of the site. Ground surveying and control points can still be used where required to verify or strengthen the final dataset.

Forestry and vegetation mapping

The combination of dense point-cloud acquisition and triple returns makes the GS-100C+ suitable for forestry and vegetation-related surveys. Laser pulses can record information from different canopy levels and, under suitable conditions, reach gaps through to the ground below.

This information can support terrain modelling, vegetation clearance studies, forest structure analysis and other GIS or forestry workflows where both the vegetation and underlying ground surface are important.

Power-line and corridor surveys

Airborne LiDAR is particularly useful for long or difficult-to-access infrastructure corridors. The GS-100C+ can capture power lines, poles, surrounding vegetation and terrain from the air, allowing operators to create a three-dimensional representation of the corridor without measuring every object individually from the ground.

Similar workflows can be used for roads, railways, pipelines, waterways and other linear infrastructure where efficient data collection over distance is important.

Mining and earthworks

Mining, quarrying and large earthworks projects can use UAV LiDAR to document changing terrain, excavation areas, slopes and stockpiles. Repeated surveys provide comparable 3D datasets that can be used in compatible software for surface analysis, volume calculations and progress monitoring.

The lightweight payload makes the GS-100C+ practical for projects where frequent UAV flights are preferred over occasional surveys with much heavier airborne equipment.

Point-cloud processing workflow

The GS-100C+ works with Geosun’s Shuttle software for GNSS and trajectory processing and gAirHawk for LiDAR point-cloud processing. The trajectory information is combined with the laser measurements to generate georeferenced point-cloud data, including standard LAS output for use in further processing.

After processing, the point cloud can be brought into compatible surveying, CAD, GIS, forestry, mining or engineering software depending on the project requirements. This allows the GS-100C+ to fit into existing professional geospatial workflows rather than locking users into a single final-data environment.

Who is the GS-100C+ designed for?

The GS-100C+ is especially suitable for survey companies, construction professionals, UAV service providers, civil engineers, GIS teams, forestry specialists, utility companies and mining operators that want to introduce airborne LiDAR without using a large long-range payload. Its combination of low weight, high point rate, triple returns and integrated imaging makes it a practical system for low- to medium-altitude professional mapping.

Buying the Geosun GS-100C+ from Global GPS Systems

The right LiDAR configuration depends on the UAV, survey altitude, required point density, terrain, vegetation, accuracy requirements and final deliverables. Global GPS Systems can help determine whether the Geosun GS-100C+ matches your aircraft and workflow and advise on the supporting GNSS, flight-planning and point-cloud processing setup required for professional LiDAR surveying.