Performance Evaluation of Drone LiDAR Sensors for Field Operations in Mountainous Areas

This study evaluated the performance of LiDAR sensors by mounting the DJI Zenmuse L1 and L2 on a DJI Matrice 350 RTK drone to capture ground point cloud data over flat terrain and forested areas.Scans were conducted at altitudes of 50 m and 80 m, with 70 cm 70 cm aerial targets placed on open ground and under forest vegetation to measure point density.We assessed the multiple reflections in the captured LiDAR data and reviewed absolute accuracy using ground control points.Results showed that the L2 sensor achieved higher point density than the L1 sensor in open areas and performed well at low altitudes (50 m).For simple terrain like flat ground, adequate data was obtained with only the first or second reflections.In forested areas, the L2 sensor effectively captured ground data beneath dense vegetation, whereas the L1 sensor struggled to accurately detect ground under these conditions.In terms of absolute accuracy, the L2 sensor showed less noise and higher precision on flat, stable terrain than the L1.On more complex terrain, the L2 enabled accurate 3D modeling at higher point density.Overall, the flexible use of both L1 and L2 sensors is expected to improve disaster site analysis and response across varied landscapes.