Written By: European Association of Aerial Surveying Industries (EAASI)
Airborne LiDAR and imaging systems are only as good as the aircraft that carries them. Sensor payloads, IMU/GNSS units, mounts, power, and cooling all have to work together as a single system — and any mismatch between aircraft and sensor can mean lost flight time, added installation complexity, or compromised data quality in the field.
This is why platform integration has become a critical, if often overlooked, part of airborne mapping. Rather than adapting a general-purpose aircraft to fit a sensor after the fact, manufacturers increasingly work together from the outset to design aircraft and sensor systems as a matched pair — reducing the engineering burden on operators and shortening the path from acquisition to mission-ready operation.
The collaboration between RIEGL and Diamond Aircraft is a long-running example of this approach in practice.
The Case of the RIEGL–Diamond Aircraft Integration
For almost two decades, RIEGL and Diamond Aircraft have been cooperating closely in the field of airborne survey technology. This partnership has resulted in the deployment of the Diamond DA62 MPP SurveyStar — a next-generation special-mission aircraft designed to support the full range of RIEGL airborne laser scanning systems.
The integration of RIEGL’s advanced airborne LiDAR systems into the Diamond DA62 MPP marks a significant milestone in the evolution of high-performance aerial surveying and airborne sensing technology. Combining the precision and innovation of RIEGL laser scanning systems with the versatility and efficiency of Diamond Aircraft’s special mission platform creates a highly capable solution for demanding airborne mapping applications.
Since 2007, RIEGL itself has successfully operated the Diamond DA42 MPP GeoStar for airborne testing and calibration missions. As airborne LiDAR technology advanced and customer requirements expanded, the need for a larger, more flexible, and higher-capacity airborne platform became increasingly clear.
The transition to the DA62 MPP SurveyStar provides RIEGL with significantly enhanced payload capability, additional installation space, improved endurance, and greater operational flexibility. The aircraft serves as a dedicated platform for testing, calibration, demonstration flights, and the integration of RIEGL’s expanding portfolio of airborne sensors.
Engineering the Integration
The DA62 MPP was specifically selected for its modular design and exceptional adaptability for sensor integration. RIEGL worked closely with Diamond Aircraft to ensure seamless installation and operation of medium and large airborne LiDAR systems.
One of the key integration advantages is the aircraft’s multi-purpose nose pod, which accommodates medium-sized RIEGL airborne laser scanners with minimal installation effort. In addition, the aircraft’s 20-inch fuselage hatch enables the installation of larger mapping systems and gyro-stabilized mounting platforms.
The aircraft configuration also supports the integration of high-performance airborne laser scanners, large-format aerial camera systems, data recording equipment, camera mounts, and additional mission electronics, as well as multi-sensor payload combinations. Storage and installation space in both the forward and rear baggage compartments further enhance the aircraft’s mission versatility.
Storage and installation space in both the forward and rear baggage compartments further enhance the aircraft’s mission versatility.
From Components to a Complete System: How the Integration Comes Together
A key strength of the collaboration between RIEGL and Diamond Aircraft is the ability to deliver a fully integrated turnkey airborne LiDAR solution tailored to customer mission requirements. Rather than simply supplying individual components, both companies work closely together to ensure that the aircraft, sensor systems, mission equipment, and operational workflows function as one optimized platform intended for use in a wide variety of applications.
RIEGL provides the airborne laser scanning systems as well as the complete mission equipment required for professional LiDAR operations. Depending on the intended application, this may include laser scanners, IMU/GNSS systems, camera integrations, mission computers, storage solutions, and specialized mounting equipment. The systems can be configured for a wide variety of airborne missions ranging from corridor mapping and topographic surveys to forestry, infrastructure inspection, and coastal monitoring.
Close cooperation between the engineering teams is essential throughout the integration process. From initial project planning to final installation, both companies coordinate system requirements, aircraft interfaces, payload configurations, power distribution, cooling concepts, and certification considerations to ensure reliable and efficient airborne operation.
Diamond Aircraft provides the aircraft-side integration process, including structural modifications, installation of mission interfaces, sensor mounts, wiring, power systems, and certification of the integrated platform. The modular design of the DA62 MPP allows the aircraft to be configured for different sensor payloads while maintaining operational flexibility and ease of maintenance.
Once the aircraft integration is completed, RIEGL provides comprehensive training for the airborne LiDAR systems and mission operation. This includes system operation, mission planning, data acquisition workflows, and operator familiarization with the complete airborne mapping system. By combining aircraft integration expertise from Diamond Aircraft with RIEGL’s experience in airborne laser scanning technology, customers receive a ready-to-operate solution that minimizes deployment time and ensures high-performance mission capability from day one.
This close partnership between aircraft manufacturer and sensor provider enables operators to benefit from a streamlined acquisition process, reduced integration complexity, and a highly reliable airborne survey platform optimized for professional geospatial operations.
Supporting Advanced Airborne LiDAR Applications
RIEGL’s airborne laser scanning systems are used worldwide for a broad range of geospatial and remote sensing applications, including:
· Corridor mapping
· High-density urban mapping
· Forestry analysis
· Infrastructure inspection
· Environmental monitoring
· Coastal and bathymetric surveys
· Disaster management
· Wide-area topographic mapping
The company’s waveform-LiDAR technology enables multiple target detection, calibrated reflectance measurements, and highly accurate point cloud generation.
By integrating these systems into the DA62 MPP platform, RIEGL gains a highly adaptable airborne solution capable of supporting both current and future sensor technologies.
The platform has already demonstrated its operational flexibility in international deployments.
Conclusion
The RIEGL/Diamond Aircraft collaboration illustrates what platform integration actually looks like in practice: a sensor manufacturer and an aircraft manufacturer coordinating from the earliest design stages — on interfaces, power, cooling, and certification — rather than fitting one to the other after the fact. The result is a process, not just a product: one that moves from engineering coordination, through aircraft-side certification, to operator training, so the aircraft and sensor system function as a single mission-ready platform from day one.
As airborne surveying continues to demand more flexible, multi-sensor operations, this kind of upfront, coordinated integration is likely to become the standard approach — offering a useful reference point for how manufacturers and operators can work together to shorten the path from acquisition to operation.
