DJI Releases the Zenmuse L2 High-precision LiDAR

On Tuesday, October 10th, DJI releases the Zenmuse L2 onboard high-precision LiDAR, starting at a price of 95,999 yuan. It is an upgraded version of DJI’s first LiDAR, the Zenmuse L1.

Airborne LiDAR technology revolutionizes data collection by utilizing aircraft flights and laser pulse scanning to rapidly capture precise three-dimensional spatial information over large areas. This advanced method significantly reduces the workload and time required for field measurements compared to traditional manual techniques, resulting in improved efficiency. Built upon this technology, Zenmuse L2 offers accurate integration of three-dimensional data, and finds applications in diverse industries such as surveying, mapping, power, forestry, and engineering construction.

The new Zenmuse L2 further adopts a design that integrates a lidar, high-precision inertial navigation system, and a 4/3 CMOS visible light mapping camera. It is equipped with a three-axis gimbal and can be used with the DJI M300 RTK and M350 RTK industrial drones to enable precise, efficient, and reliable aerial data collection tasks.

Compared to the previous generation, the new generation lidar has increased its range by 30%, with a typical operating altitude of up to 150 meters, further enhancing operational safety and efficiency. At the same time, the spot size is smaller and energy more concentrated. It can emit 240,000 laser points per second, enabling it to identify smaller targets and obtain finer models. The new Zenmuse L2 also supports up to 5 returns, which allows for penetration through denser vegetation and acquisition of more ground point cloud information.

The visible light surveying camera has 20 million effective pixels, providing richer details in point cloud coloring. It supports the use of a mechanical shutter with a lifespan of up to 200,000 times, further reducing operating costs. When there is no need to collect point clouds, the visible light camera can also capture images separately for visible light mapping. By integrating GNSS and self-developed high-precision inertial navigation system (INS), Zenmuse L2 can achieve an elevation accuracy of 4 centimeters and a planimetric accuracy of 5 centimeters at a typical operating height of 150 meters, meeting the requirements for high-precision topographic surveys at a scale of 1:500.

Zenmuse L2 enables a brand new leap in the quality and efficiency of 3D digital mapping, taking the operational experience even further. During operation, DJI Pilot 2 APP supports three types of real-time display and preview: visible light, point cloud, and split-screen display of point cloud and visible light. Users can directly obtain the operational effect intuitively through the remote controller. After enabling the laser ranging function, distance information between the radar module and the object at the center of the screen can be obtained to ensure safer flight. It also supports four real-time coloring modes for point clouds: reflectivity, height, distance, and true color. Moreover, operators can quickly preview the recorded point cloud 3D model to perceive real-time progress of operations.

Zhang Xiaonan, DJI’s Senior Director of Advanced Strategy, said, “Mounting LiDAR on drones has been a hot topic in the industry in recent years. To be more precise, the rapid development of sensors required for autonomous driving has catalyzed the democratization process of LiDAR for drones. Three years ago, DJI’s Zenmuse L1 provided reliable and cost-effective 3D digital solutions for industries such as geospatial information, power, and forestry. Now, the new Zenmuse L2 marks the arrival of a new generation of democratized aerial surveying tools.”