Forestry Mapping | Geosun GS-130X UAV LiDAR System

Application Case: Geosun GS-130X UAV LiDAR System

for Forestry Mapping in Hunan, China

Project Overview

This forestry survey project was conducted in the Arboretum Park of Hunan Province, China. The objective was to capture accurate 3D data of densely vegetated forest areas for environmental monitoring and forest resource analysis. The Geosun GS-130X UAV LiDAR system was selected due to its excellent penetration capability and high precision performance.

Flight operations were carried out at an altitude of 100 meters and a flight speed of 8 m/s, ensuring efficient coverage of the large arboretum area while maintaining data density and accuracy.

System Configuration

• LiDAR Sensor:
  Hesai XT32 laser scanner with 32 laser channels, ideal for vegetation-rich areas due to its strong canopy penetration.

• Measurement Range:
  0.3 m – 120 m (at 10% reflectivity), suitable for variable terrain and forest conditions.

• Point Cloud Density:
  Up to 64 pts/m² at 100 m altitude and 10 m/s speed, sufficient for detailed forest structure modeling.

• System Weight:
  1.26 kg, lightweight and adaptable to various drone platforms.

• Integrated RGB Camera:
  26 MP camera for high-resolution imagery, enabling colorized point clouds and vegetation classification.

• POS Unit:
  gSpin 210 with 200 Hz update rate, delivering high-precision orientation and position data for accurate point cloud registration.

Data Acquisition and Processing

Despite dense vegetation coverage, the GS-130X effectively penetrated the canopy to collect reliable ground return data. Ground Control Points (GCPs) were established for vertical accuracy validation. The final vertical RMSE reached 5.74 cm, well within forestry survey standards.

Raw LiDAR and image data were processed using Geosun’s proprietary gAirHawk software, generating a clean and classified 3D point cloud. The result supported tree height extraction, canopy analysis, and terrain modeling.

Project Outcomes

• 3D Forest Model:
  Generated a complete parametric model of the arboretum's vegetation, supporting measurements of tree height, crown width, and density.

• Terrain Surface Reconstruction:
  Extracted accurate ground points beneath dense foliage for topographic mapping.

• Excellent Penetration:
  High laser pulse strength enabled multiple returns, capturing ground features under tree cover.

• Efficient Data Workflow:
  Seamless integration between LiDAR, imagery, and software ensured fast processing and result delivery within 48 hours.

Client Feedback

“The GS-130X performed exceptionally in a challenging forest environment. The penetration through dense canopy and the precision of the point cloud greatly exceeded our expectations.”

Conclusion

The Geosun GS-130X UAV LiDAR system proves to be a robust and efficient solution for forestry mapping and ecological assessment. Its lightweight design, advanced penetration ability, and high-accuracy data collection make it an ideal tool for forestry departments, environmental researchers, and natural resource agencies aiming to digitize and preserve forest assets.

The performance is as following
Full View of Flight Area

Hight Density Vegetation

The echo point under the tree is obvious.

With the checking points (GCPS), the final accuray (RMSE) is 0.0574 m