LiDAR competition: Watch the DJI M600 Pro and M210 go head-to-head

In this LiDAR competition, two heavy-weight DJI drones, the M600 Pro and the M210 go head-to-head and map out a large area. The results will be judged on four different criteria. Which drone and LiDAR system will win? Find out in this video from Indiana Drones!

DJI M600 and M210 go head-to-head in a LiDAR competition

At the beginning of the video, Indiana Drones explains:

Today we take 2 LiDAR drones and have them compete on accuracy, density, and usability. LiDAR drones give a unique ability to make 3D maps and measure the ground underneath dense forest. But there are large differences from one system to the next. Prices can vary by over $200,000 dollars! We fly these two units the GreenValley LiAirV with the LiVOX mid-40 on the DJI M210 and the LiDARSwiss nanoVUX with the Riegl miniVUX on the DJI Matrice M600. Watch to see the results!

Both drones will fly the exact same flight plan during this test. Terrain tracking will be used to keep the unmanned aircraft at an elevation of 90 meters above the ground at all times. The two LiDAR systems will create 3D point maps of the area.

The results come out as follows.

1. Which LiDAR system has the most points per square meter on an unobstructed surface such as a road? The DJI LiVOX system wins with almost double the ground points on a hard surface.
2. Which LiDAR system provides the most ground points per square meter penetrating a heavily vegetated area? Tie between the two LiDAR systems.
3. The overall accuracy of each system. Riegl wins.
4. The overall operability and flight performance of each system. No winner. It depends on your use case. The M210 only needed two flights and four batteries to complete the mission. The M600, however, needed four flights and 24 batteries to scan the same area. The M210 is easier to travel with but does not allow you to hot-swap the batteries on the drone as it will shut down the LiVOX system. The Riegl LiDAR has its own power source so you can easily swap the batteries on the drone and keep flying. The M600 is much more capable of carrying heavier payloads and flies more stable. The M210 is a bit nose-heavy with the LiVOX system installed.

Watch Indiana Drones' video below

LiDAR allows you to scan the ground underneath dense vegetation and has been used in recent years to make a number of important archaeological discoveries.

If drone mapping with or without LiDAR is something you're interested in, I would recommend checking these Drone Mapping courses from The Drone U. You do not need an expensive M600 or M210 to map a building or area. If you do not need to be able to scan through vegetation or get the super detailed accuracy from a LiDAR system, you can use a DJI Phantom 4 Pro.

Let us know what you think about drone mapping in the comments below.