Just in time for Christmas, the RedTail LiDAR Systems team flew the oldest operating Christmas Tree farm in the State of West Virginia!

Located at the Mt. Zion Nursery in Fairmont, the tree farm was flown with RedTail LiDAR System’s RTL-400 at a speed of 13 mph, an altitude of 100 ft, and completed in 4 minutes. See our high-resolution point clouds (right).

While we have been honoring the Christmas tree tradition since the 16th century, the utilization of drone LiDAR for precision agriculture is a new management approach and quickly becoming an essential tool supporting the industry’s efforts to streamline workflows and make more informed crop management decisions.

Designed specifically for use on small UAVs, the RedTail LiDAR System combines the agility and operability of a drone with a superior point cloud generation tool to create high resolution, highly accurate 3D maps of your land. Data collected with 3D LiDAR mapping can be used to detect crop damage, monitor irrigation and fertilizer needs, calculate grove maturity, estimate harvest yields, and so much more.

The RedTail LiDAR System (RTL-400) was developed with technology licensed from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and designed specifically for use on small drones. The RTL-400 incorporates an innovative microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirror-based laser scanner that rapidly and evenly distributes laser pulses to the ground, moving side-to-side 400 times per second. This rapid scan rate coupled with a laser pulse rate of up to 400,000 pulses per second yields point clouds that are unprecedented in resolution and density.

Easy-to-use and easy-to-operate, the RTL-400 also offers an optimized 30 degree scan angle and unmatched operational flexibility with its unique two scanning modes, a 3D laser line scan and a 2D raster scan mode for “stand and stare” missions.

The RedTail LiDAR System is the optimal solution for your agricultural mapping, monitoring and assessment needs, providing you with timely and accurate information to reduce cost and increase productivity.

Contact us today to learn more about the RedTail LiDAR System.

The Mt. Zion Nursery and Christmas Tree farm is located in Fairmont, W.V. The nursery is a 4th generation, family owned and operated business, and recently celebrated its 45th anniversary.

https://www.mtzionnursery.com/about