Aerial Survey – Altitude Posted in: Height Measurement – Tags:

Altitude Measurement with Laser Distance Sensors


Accurate Measurement to Landing Pads for Piloted Helicopters and UAV’s

Helicopter altitude measurement is an application that demands high performance for non-contact distance sensors. The AR3000 is well-suited as a laser altimeter, aiding pilots in gauging the distance to the landing pad. The AR3000 can measure distance up to 300 meters to natural surfaces and is perfectly capable of functioning outdoors. The high sampling rate means near-real-time updates to the pilot.

This sensor has also been adopted by developers of UAV’s (Un-manned Autonomous Vehicles) for automatically measuring the distance to the ground.

Customers who use the AR3000 for this purpose and similar altitude measurements include NASA and other developers of unmanned aerial vehicle technology for research, defense and homeland security organizations.

One particular aerospace company used a pair of AR3000 distance measurement sensors for measuring low and high altitudes. They selected the AR3000 with 10mRad divergence to measure 0-50 m and the AR3000 with 2mrad divergence to measure up to 50-300 m altitude.

Related Products

AS2100 Accurate Distance Sensor

The AS2100 is a highly accurate laser distance sensor that is designed to work well outdoors, in bright lights, and even on difficult targets such as hot or dark surfaces. With the ability to take accurate measurements (± 1 mm) from distances up to 500 meters away, and a measurement frequency of up to 250 Hz, it is the perfect laser for a wide range of applications.

AR2700 High-Speed Long Range Sensor

Acuity Laser’s ultra-compact rangefinder model. This eye-safe rangefinder has a measurement frequency of up to 40 kHz and can measure distances to natural targets up to 70 meters away or to retroreflective targets 270 meters away. This laser is best for applications that demand high sampling rates.

AR3000 Distance Measurement Sensor

AR3000 distance measurement sensors are Acuity’s longest-range models. Ideal for measuring positions of cranes and trolleys, the time-of-flight sensor can measure up to 300 meters to natural surfaces and up to 3,000 meters when using a retroreflective target.

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