I found an os1 at my college and was wondering if it could be used to map the top of the ground under overgrown vegetation, and how accurate that would look?
The ability of the OS1 to penetrate vegetation is mostly a function of how dense the vegetation is. As an example, dense leafy canopies (like a maple tree) will block most, if not all, of the ground data versus the same leafless tree in winter. As a general rule, the percentage of the ground directly illuminated by noon sunlight will be the percentage of the ground the lidar will get data from if mapped above from a drone.
The OS1 sensor version also matters: If the sensor is a REV6 or REV7 then it supports dual return modes that allow the lidar to better penetrate vegetation and receive secondary return data from the ground.
Your hardware version is the X in the product part number, ###-######-X. You can find this part number in two places.
- The part number is located on the sticker on the sensor
- Visit the sensor homepage with a web browser
Bottom line: you’ll have to test in your specific application. If you can provide images of the vegetation you would like to map through, that might help determine feasibility.
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