Aerial Mapping

Targeting the ground

Due to the rapid technical progress, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are becoming more and more attractive for the civil sector. Measurement systems carried by UAVs capture large areas and complex structures fast and efficiently. Laws now provide a reliable framework for the safe  commercial use of UAVs.

In data acquisition, it is no longer sufficient to capture just a single parameter, such as the geometry of a terrain or infrastructure, or to generate terabyte-by-terabyte videos. What is required is the combination of several parameters such as 3D geometry, surface texture or multispectral information. Just as important today is the automated evaluation of the generated data in order to be able to use it optimally in terms of »big data«.

Fraunhofer IPM develops modular, lightweight high-end measurement systems that meet exactly these requirements: simultaneously capture multiple parameters, convert them into a consistent data stream and automatically evaluate them.

 

Infrastructure

 

Flying infrastructure inspectors: Identifying maintenance needs or construction progress fast and efficiently

 

Terrain

 

Laser scanners capture up to 35,000 measurement points per second – even under trees and shrubs.

 

Vegetation

 

From trunk diameter to biomass: The point cloud can be used to derive a wide variety of parameters.

 

Bathymetry

 

Measuring underwater structures from the air: efficient acquisition of high-resolution bathymetry data

Further information

 

Systems

 

In this section, you will get an overview about all our operational systems.

 

»Cognitive Agriculture«

 

Since November 2018, eight Fraunhofer Institutes have jointly been conducting research on technologies for the digitalization, automation, and electrification of agricultural processes. Fraunhofer IPM's task within this project is to develop robust 3D sensors, sensors for N2O based on laser spectroscopy, multispectral laser scanning methods and specific tools for data processing.