Waveform Processing Airborne Laser Scanning SystemRIEGL VQ-480 II®

••high accuracy ranging based on
RIEGL Waveform-LiDAR technology••high laser pulse repetition rateup to 2 MHz••measurement rate up to1,250,000 measurements/sec••perfectly linear and parallelscan lines••compact, & lightweight design:
ready for integration in UAVs
with higher payload capacity••wide field of view of 75°••interfaces for up to 5 optional
cameras••mechanical and electrical interface
for IMU/GNSS integration••removeable storage card andintegrated Solid State Disk (SSD)
for data storage••compatible with stabilized
platforms and even small hatches

In further development of the RIEGL VQ-480 Airborne Laser Scanner
Series – the RIEGL VQ-480 II presents itself in a completly new designthat successfully takes up the already proven qualities and leads
them to a new standard of performance and user-friendliness.
Its sophisticated design allows to further reduce the overall weight
resulting in approx. 10 kg. Thus, the scanner is well suited for the use inmanned but also in unmanned aircrafts. The VQ-480 II can seamlessly
be integrated into stabilized platforms, e.g. standard gyromounts, andalso into even small hatches.
Based on RIEGL‘s proven Waveform-LiDAR technology, the scanner
provides highly accurate point clouds, excellent vertical target resolution, calibrated reflectance readings, and pulse shape deviation for
unsurpassed information content on each single measurement. With ameasurement rate of up to 1,250,000 measurements/second and an
extremely wide field of view of 75°, the VQ-480 II is the first choice forairborne surveying applications like corridor mapping, city modeling,and agriculture & forestry.
An easy to remove CFast® storage card and an integrated Solid State
Disk and/or the option for streaming the scan data via LAN TCP/IP
interface are provided for data transfer and storage.

••seamless integration andcompatibility with other RIEGL ALS
systems and software packages
Typical applications include••Airborne Mapping using Mannedor Unmanned Aircrafts••Corridor Mapping••City Modeling••Agriculture & Forestry

visit our website
www.riegl.com

Airborne Laser Scanning

Data SheetDimensional Drawings RIEGL VQ®-480 II

all dimensions in mm

RIEGL VQ®-480 II Installation Example

RIEGL VQ-480 II installed on GSM-4000 stabilized platform to be used in a helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft

2Copyright RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems GmbH © 2019– All rights reserved.

Data SheetMaximum Measurement Range & Point Density RIEGL VQ®-480 II

Example: VQ-480 II at 150,000 pulses/sec, laser power level 100%
Altitude = 2,800 ft AGL, Speed 60 kn

Results:

Point Density ~ 2.32 pts/m²

Example: VQ-480 II at 300,000 pulses/sec, laser power level 100%
Altitude = 2,100 ft AGL, Speed 60 kn

Results:

Point Density ~ 6.18 pts/m²

Example: VQ-480 II at 600,000 pulses/sec, laser power level 100%
Altitude = 1,500 ft AGL, Speed 120 knResults:

Point Density ~ 8.66 pts/m²

The following conditions are assumed for the Operating Flight Altitude AGL• ambiguity resolved by multiple-time-around (MTA) processing			• roll angle ±5°• target size ≥ laser footprint• operating flight altitude given at a FOV of +/- 37.5°

Data Sheet• average ambient brightness 		

Copyright RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems GmbH © 2019– All rights reserved.

3

Maximum Measurement Range & Point Density RIEGL VQ®-480 II

Example: VQ-480 II at 1,200,000 pulses/sec, laser power level 100%
Altitude = 1,700 ft AGL, Speed 120 kn

Results:

Point Density ~ 15.28 pts/m²

Example: VQ-480 II at 2,000,000 pulses/sec, laser power level 100%
Altitude = 700 ft AGL, Speed 60 kn

Results:

Point Density ~ 123.68 pts/m²

The following conditions are assumed for the Operating Flight Altitude AGL• ambiguity resolved by multiple-time-around (MTA) processing			• roll angle ±5°• target size ≥ laser footprint• operating flight altitude given at a FOV of +/- 37.5°

4• average ambient brightness 		

Copyright RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems GmbH © 2019– All rights reserved.

Data SheetTechnical Data RIEGL VQ®-480 IILaser Product Classification

Class 3R Laser Product according to IEC 60825-1:2014
The following clause applies for instruments delivered into the United States: Complies with 21 CFR 1040.10 and1040.11 except for conformance with IEC 60825-1 Ed.3., as described in Laser Notice No. 56, dated May 8, 2019.

Safe for the naked eye (NOHD1))
Safe for the aided eye (ENOHD2))> 0.5 m>5m
<40 mWMAX. AVERAGE OUTPUT
3 ns
PULSE DURATION APPROX.
1550 nmWAVELENGTH
IEC60825-1:2014
STANDARD

INVISIBLE LASER RADIATIONAVOID DIRECT EYE EXPOSURE
CLASS 3R LASER PRODUCT

1) Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance, based upon MPE
according to IEC 60825-1:2014

Range Measurement Performance
Measuring Principle

2) Extended Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance, based upon MPE
according to IEC 60825-1:2014

echo signal digitization, online waveform processing,time-of-flight measurement, multiple target capability

150 kHz300 kHz600 kHz
Laser Pulse Repetition Rate PRR 3)				Max. Measuring Range 4) 5)
natural targets  ≥ 20 %		
1600 m1200 m850 mnatural targets  ≥ 60 %		
2500m
1900 m
1400 mMax. Operating Flight Altitude 4) 6 (AGL)
natural targets  ≥ 20 %		 1200 m
900 m
600 m
3950 ft
2950 ft1950 ft
1850 m
1400 m1050 mnatural targets  ≥ 60 %
6050 ft
4600 ft
3450 ft
Max. Number of Target per Pulse 7)1515

1200 kHz

2000 kHz

650 m
1050 m

500 m
800 m

500 m
1650 ft
800 m
2600 ft

350 m
1150 ft
600 m
1950 ft

95153) Rounded average PRR4) Typical values for average conditions and average ambient brightness. In bright sunlight, the max. range is shorter than under an overcast sky.
5) The maximum range is specified for flat targets with size in excess of the laser beam diameter, perpendicular angle of incidence, and for atmospheric visibility of 23 km.
Range ambiguities have to be resolved by multiple-time-around processing.
6) Typical values for max. effective FOV 75°, additional roll angle ± 5°7) If more than one target is hit, the total laser transmitter power is split and, accordingly, the achieveable range is reduced.

Minimum Range 8)
Accuracy 9) 11)
Precision 10) 11)
Laser Pulse Repetition Rate 12)
Max. Effective Measurement Rate
Echo Signal Intensity
Laser Wavelength
Laser Beam Divergence8) Limitation for range measurement capability, does notconsider laser safety issues!
9) Accuracy is the degree of conformity of a measured quantity
to its actual (true) value.
10) Precision, also called reproducibility or repeatability, is thedegree to which further measurements show the same result.

Scanner Performance

20 m20 mm
20 mmup to 2000 kHzup to 1 250 000 meas./sec. (@ 2000 kHz PRR & 75° scan angle)
provided for each echo signal
near infrared≤ 0.35 mrad 13)11) One sigma @ 150 m range under RIEGL test conditions.
12) User selectable.
13) Measured at 1/e2 points, 0.35 mrad corresponds to an increase of35 mm of beam diameter per 100 m distance.

Scanning Mechanism
Scan Pattern
Scan angle range
Total Scan Rate
Angular Step Width  Angle Measurement Resolution

rotating polygon mirror
parallel scan lines± 37.5° = 75°
30 – 300 lines/sec.
0.002° ≤   ≤ 0.24° 14) 15)
0.001°14) The angular step width depends on the selected laser PRR.

15) The maximum angular step width is limited by the maximum scan rate.

Data Interfaces

Configuration
Scan Data Output
Synchronization

LAN 10/100/1000 MBit/sec
LAN 10/100/1000 MBit/sec
Serial RS-232 interface, TTL input for 1 pps synchronization pulse,
accepts different data formats for GNSS-time information
1 connector with power, RS-232, pps, trigger, exposure
2 connectors with power, 2x trigger, 2x exposure

Camera Interface

Data Storage

Permanently Installed Data Storage
Removable Data Storage

Solid State Disc SSD, 1 TByte
Cardholder for CFAST® 16) storage cards (up to 256 GByte)

16) CFast is a registered trademark of CompactFlash Association.

Data Sheet

Copyright RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems GmbH © 2019– All rights reserved.

5Technical Data RIEGL VQ®-480 II
General Technical Data

Power Supply Input Voltage
Power Consumption
Main Dimensions (L x W x H)
Weightwithout integrated IMU/GNSSwith integrated IMU/GNSS
Humidity
Protection Class
Max. Flight Altitudeoperating & not operating
Temperature Range

18 - 34 V DC
typ. 150 W, max. 250 W 1)
378 mm x 193 mm x 252 mm (without mounted carrying handles)
10.1 kg
10.5 kg
non condensing
IP54, dust-proof and splash-proof
18500 ft (5600 m) above MSL (Mean Sea Level)-5°C up to +40°C (operation) / -10°C up to +50°C (storage)

Integrated IMU & GNSS (optional) 2)
IMU Accuracy
Roll, PitchHeading
IMU Sampling Rate
Position Accuracy (typ.)horizontal
vertical

0.015°
0.035°
200 Hz≤ 0.05 m≤ 0.1 m1) Max. scan rate, all heaters in operation.
2) Accuracy specifications for post-processed data.

RIEGL
Laser Measurement Systems GmbH
Riedenburgstraße 483580 Horn, Austria
Phone: +43 2982 4211
office@riegl.co.at | www.riegl.com

Copyright RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems GmbH © 2019 – All rights reserved.
Use of this data sheet other than for personal purposes requires RIEGL’s written consent.
This data sheet is compiled with care. However, errors cannot be fully excluded and alternations might be necessary.

RIEGL USA Inc. | info@rieglusa.com | www.rieglusa.com
RIEGL Japan Ltd. | info@riegl-japan.co.jp | www.riegl-japan.co.jp
RIEGL China Ltd. | info@riegl.cn | www.riegl.cn
RIEGL Australia Pty Ltd. | info@riegl.com.au | www.riegl.com

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Data Sheet, RIEGL VQ-480II, 2019-10-16