Learn What Infrared or RGB Camera Works Best with Geo-MMS Systems
The Geo-MMS product suite can now be equipped with a wide range of infrared or RGB cameras, as shown in Figure 1 below. The RGB camera can be used as a solo sensor with the Geo-Photomap product. Others can be used together with LiDAR for Point&Pixel applications.
Figure 1 – Geo-MMS LiDAR and RGB Camera Options
Choosing the Right Camera
When choosing the right infrared or RGB camera that is appropriate for your Geo-MMS product, several factors must be considered. These factors are summarized in the Table 1. Starting with the Ladybug, a RGB camera designed for vehicle-based mapping, which captures spherical 360° panoramic views of the environment. It also merges images from 6 internal cameras. Using the Geo-MMS Navigator, the images from all 6 Ladybug cameras are geo-tagged, allowing geo-location features to be registered in the images. The combination of LiDAR and the Ladybug provides a powerful tool for power line and transmission line inspection, bridge mapping/inspection, road mapping/inspection, etc. To facilitate this multi-sensor integration, Geodetics provides a vehicle-mounting system specifically for the Ladybug and LiDAR, as shown in Figure 2. This bracket has two degrees of freedom such that it can be mounted on any vehicle regardless of orientation and height.
Figure 2 – Geo-MMS Ladybug:LiDAR Car Mounting
Camera Applications
Table 1 – Geo-MMS Supporting Camera Specifications
The Sony a6000/a6300 RGB cameras, are typically used for colorizing LiDAR point clouds in UAV-based applications. Instrumenting these cameras with ultra-wide FOV lenses allows for the capture of a wide area consistent with the LiDAR FOV; which can minimize the flight duration. The Sony a7 (ii, iii) is typically used in Geo-Photomap applications. The images captured with this camera can be used in the photogrammetry process for a variety of applications including vertical and corridor mapping. With the Sony a6000, the change from RGB to multi-spectral band is a simple Plug &Play of the camera lens. Learn more about multi-spectral camera use with Geo-MMS products here.
We have recently introduced hyper-spectral and RF camera to the Geo-MMS family of products. These cameras allow for capturing images in different bandwidths where the application areas require remote-sensing, precise agriculture, power line inspection, etc.
Interested in learning more about Geodetics and our Geo-MMS products? Request more information. Already made up your mind and would like to find out more about what is required for your project request a quote today.
