Geosun GS 100V 120m UAV LiDAR Mapping System

Compact UAV LiDAR for professional 3D mapping

The Geosun GS-100V is an integrated airborne LiDAR system developed for surveyors, drone pilots, engineers, GIS professionals and mapping companies that need to collect detailed 3D information efficiently from a UAV. It combines a laser scanner, GNSS satellite positioning, an inertial navigation system and a high-resolution RGB camera in one compact payload, allowing accurately positioned point-cloud data and imagery to be captured during the same survey mission.

The GS-100V is designed for relatively low-altitude UAV mapping rather than extreme long-range scanning. Its combination of a 120 m measuring range, high point acquisition rate and lightweight construction makes it practical for routine topographic surveys, construction sites, utility corridors, mines, forestry and other projects where detailed surface information is more important than very high flight altitude.

120 metre LiDAR measuring range

The GS-100V provides a maximum measuring range of approximately 120 m. This gives UAV operators enough working distance for many low-altitude mapping projects while keeping the system compact enough for professional multi-rotor aircraft.

In practice, usable range depends on surface reflectivity, flight angle, atmospheric conditions and the objects being scanned. Dark vegetation, asphalt and other low-reflectivity surfaces can produce shorter effective ranges than bright or highly reflective targets, so mission height should be selected around the actual site rather than the maximum sensor distance alone.

16-channel LiDAR with up to 640,000 points per second

The GS-100V uses a 16-channel mechanical LiDAR scanner capable of recording up to 640,000 points per second in dual-echo operation. The high acquisition rate allows the system to build a dense three-dimensional representation of terrain, buildings, vegetation, cables and other objects while the aircraft moves through the survey area.

For practical fieldwork, point density is influenced by flying height, aircraft speed, flight-line spacing and overlap. Lower and slower flights generally produce denser data, while higher or faster flights increase coverage at the cost of point density.

Dual returns for vegetation and infrastructure

The GS-100V supports dual laser echoes. A laser pulse can therefore return more than one measurement when it interacts with different objects along its path. This is particularly useful around vegetation, where one return may come from leaves or branches while another can originate from a lower surface.

Multiple returns can also help when mapping utility infrastructure, power lines and other environments containing objects at different heights. The final ability to identify ground beneath vegetation will still depend on canopy density, scan angle and the number of openings available for the laser pulses.

360 degree scanning coverage

The LiDAR scanner provides a 360° horizontal field of view with approximately 30° vertical coverage. This broad scanning geometry allows the system to collect data around the sensor instead of looking only directly downward.

For UAV work this can improve the visibility of vertical objects such as building façades, poles, towers and vegetation. The same scanning concept also makes the GS-100V suitable for suitable vehicle-based mobile-mapping installations where objects beside the vehicle need to be recorded.

Integrated GNSS and INS positioning

The GS-100V combines the LiDAR sensor with Geosun’s gSpin 210 GNSS/INS positioning system. The positioning unit operates at 200 Hz and records the position and attitude of the sensor throughout the survey.

The GNSS unit supports GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo signals. The published specifications list horizontal positioning accuracy around 2 cm and vertical positioning accuracy around 3 cm for the current configuration, with pitch and roll accuracy of approximately 0.015° and heading accuracy of approximately 0.040°.

This trajectory information is essential for airborne LiDAR. During processing, the position and orientation of the sensor are combined with each laser measurement so the individual points can be placed in their correct geographic locations.

Survey accuracy at practical flight heights

Geosun specifies GS-100V system accuracy at approximately 5 cm at 50 m and 10 cm at 100 m under its stated operating conditions. The laser ranging accuracy itself is approximately ±0.5 cm in the current product specification.

Actual project accuracy depends on the complete workflow, including GNSS corrections, trajectory quality, aircraft movement, boresight calibration, flight height and survey control. Construction and engineering users should therefore select flight settings according to the tolerance required for the final deliverable.

26 MP RGB camera for colourised point clouds

An integrated 26 MP camera with an approximately 83° field of view records imagery alongside the LiDAR measurements. The photographs can be used to add colour information to the point cloud and provide useful visual context for interpreting measured objects.

For surveyors and GIS users, colourised point clouds make it easier to recognise roads, structures, vegetation and utility features. Collecting imagery and LiDAR together also reduces the need for a completely separate photographic documentation flight in many projects.

Topographic and construction surveys

The GS-100V can be used to collect large numbers of terrain and surface points across construction and engineering sites in a relatively short flight. The resulting point clouds can support terrain modelling, existing-condition surveys, earthwork calculations, site planning and progress documentation.

Compared with measuring only individual points from the ground, LiDAR provides a much more complete three-dimensional record of the site. Conventional GNSS or total-station control can still be used where required to verify the survey or establish project control.

Power-line and utility corridor mapping

Power-line inspection is one of the stated GS-100V applications. A UAV carrying the sensor can record conductors, poles, surrounding terrain and vegetation in three dimensions, helping operators document corridor geometry without manually measuring every feature from the ground.

Geosun has demonstrated the GS-100V on a 10 kV power-line project at a flight altitude of approximately 35 m. Similar workflows can be applied to other linear infrastructure such as roads, railways, pipelines and waterways.

Mining forestry and land surveys

The GS-100V can also be used for mine surveying, forestry, agriculture and land-planning projects. In mining and earthworks, repeat UAV scans can document changing terrain, excavation areas and stockpiles. In forestry, the combination of airborne LiDAR and dual returns can provide information about vegetation structure and underlying terrain where canopy conditions allow.

For general land surveys, the system provides a practical way to collect a dense spatial dataset across areas that would require significantly more time to cover point by point from the ground.

UAV and mobile mapping capability

Although primarily used as an airborne sensor, the GS-100V can also be integrated into suitable vehicle-based mobile-mapping workflows. Geosun lists both multi-rotor UAV and vehicle mounting for the current configuration.

This flexibility is useful for survey companies that want to use the same LiDAR technology for both aerial projects and road-based data collection. The required mounting, calibration and processing setup will depend on the selected platform.

Compact design for professional drones

The GS-100V weighs approximately 1.3 to 1.4 kg depending on configuration or revision. Its relatively low payload weight makes it suitable for professional multi-rotor platforms without moving into the much larger aircraft required by heavy long-range airborne scanners.

The current specification gives a system power consumption of approximately 20 W, a 12–24 V operating range and an operating temperature range from approximately -20°C to +55°C. Internal storage is 64 GB with support for a larger TF card.

LiDAR processing workflow

The GS-100V uses Geosun’s Shuttle software for trajectory processing and gAirHawk for point-cloud preprocessing. The GNSS and INS trajectory is combined with the LiDAR observations to create the georeferenced point cloud required for further survey and mapping work.

Once processed, the point-cloud data can be used in compatible survey, CAD, GIS, engineering, forestry or specialist LiDAR applications depending on the final deliverables required by the project.

Who is the Geosun GS-100V for?

The GS-100V is particularly suitable for survey companies, construction professionals, UAV service providers, civil engineers, utilities, GIS teams, forestry specialists and mine operators looking for a compact LiDAR payload for low-altitude professional mapping. Its 120 m range, 360° scanning geometry and dual UAV and vehicle compatibility make it useful for both conventional aerial surveys and more specialised infrastructure work.

Buying the Geosun GS-100V from Global GPS Systems

The right LiDAR configuration depends on more than sensor range alone. Required accuracy, point density, aircraft payload capacity, vegetation, terrain, flight altitude, correction workflow and final deliverables should all be considered when planning a system. Global GPS Systems can help determine whether the Geosun GS-100V fits your UAV and survey workflow and advise on the supporting GNSS, mounting and point-cloud processing setup needed for professional mapping.