Geomatics Data Solutions owns and operates a Leica Chiroptera II topographic and bathymetric lidar system, and a Leica HawkEye III.  We can also acquire and process data from Optech's and Riegl's topo-bathy lidar systems.  

The Chiroptera II simultaneously captures full waveform 35 kHz bathymetric data and up to 500 kHz topographic data. It also incorporates the industry-leading 80-megapixel four-band Leica RCD30 medium-format camera, NovAtel SPAN GNSS-IMU subsystem, Leica MissionPro mission planning software and Leica FlightPro flight navigation software. The scanner package is installed in the Leica PAV100 stabilized mount to reduce the number of flight lines needed, especially in turbulent weather.

The Chiroptera II is part of Leica's modular sensor design.  The addition of a deep 10 kHz bathymetric channel creates a HawkEye II system.  Alternatively, a second red laser can replace the shallow green channel to allow the sensor to be operated as a 1 MHz topographic lidar.  GDS has the ability to operate all of these configurations.

Chiroptera II Installation

Chiroptera II Installation

Other benefits of the Chiroptera II include:

  • topo and bathy systems are separate units - each is optimized for its specific task
  • Elliptical scan pattern - provides multiple look angles in a single pass and eliminates shadowing effects
  • Automatic land/water discrimination for the bathymetric data - allows auto-refraction of underwater data; simplifies processing of narrower streams and drainage channels.
  • Accurate water surface calculation - sloping water surfaces are handled correctly.
  • Seamless land-water coverage - accurate reliable depths in the traditionally difficult area of 0-2m depth range.

Our highly technical personnel can process data from all sensors within these systems, providing a one-stop-shop for your project needs.

GDS has a great deal of experience merging bathymetric and topographic datasets on to a single vertical datum (tidal, orthometric or ellipsoid) to provide a seamless dataset which can then be used for coastal modeling.

We are always reviewing the latest technology and software, to ensure we are using the most efficient process possible.