LiDAR drones market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 12.3% during the forecast period (2023-2030). LiDAR is useful in a range of environments and spaces as it can capture data that may be difficult for other methods of scanning, such as areas with dense vegetation. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors use light energy, emitted from a laser, to scan the ground and measure variable distances. The growing adoption of LiDAR drones bathymetric equipment with the improving high-precision Lidar equipment is the key factor supporting the growth of the market globally. The key advantage of the new LiDAR drones bathymetric equipment is to capture a riverbed with centimeters level accuracy with high speed in fully automatic mode and without using any boat. It allows us to work in hard to access and shallow water areas. Hence, the market players are also focusing on introducing LiDAR drones-based solutions that further bolster the market growth. For instance, in October 2022, TOPODRONE, launched AQUAMAPPER, a UAV-based solution for bathymetric surveying and marine construction. The new multitasking data collecting device and TOPODRONE LiDAR ULTRA equipment have been successfully used together for airborne surveying at a highway construction project in Romania, EU to deliver a full digital twin of a studied area.

Drone Ownership in the US by Age, 2023 (%)

Source: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2023, the age group with the highest percentage of drone ownership is 35-44 years old, followed by 45-54 years old. The age groups with the lowest percentage of drone ownership are 18-24 years old and 65+ years old.

Segmental Outlook 

The global LiDAR drones market is segmented on the drone type, range, and application. Based on the drone type, the market is sub-segmented into fixed wing and rotary wing. Based on the range, the market is sub-segmented into Short, Medium and Long. Further, on the basis of application, the market is sub-segmented into corridor mapping, archaeology, construction, entertainment, defense, precision agriculture and others (environment). Among the application, the defense sub-segment is anticipated to hold a considerable share of the market owing to the rise in development of LiDAR for militaries and armed forces for a broad range of defense applications, such as battlefield mapping, determining line of sight, aiding in mine countermeasures and the autonomous navigation of military vehicles.

The Range Sub-Segment is Anticipated to Hold a Considerable Share of the Global LiDAR drones Market

Among the range, the short sub-segment is expected to hold a considerable share of the global LiDAR drone market. The segmental growth is attributed to the growing influence of the LiDAR drone system that operates in a raster scan mode for surveillance missions and a side-to-side line scan mode for area mapping. The intuitive command and control, and high-brightness display integrated into the ground control station (GCS) allow operators to monitor and optimize data collection missions, an offering that that is unique in the global of small UAV LiDAR systems. For instance, in August 2021, RedTail LiDAR Systems, in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) mirror-based LiDAR technology, launched an RTL-450 LiDAR sensor. The RTL-450 incorporates a lightweight MEMS mirror and a precision navigation system to generate accurate data for the most demanding aerial surveying missions. The high-resolution, three-dimensional point clouds created by the RTL-450 provide operators an unsurpassed ability to conduct advanced analytics of geographic and manmade features on the earth’s surface.

Regional Outlook

The global LiDAR drones market is further segmented based on geography including North America (the US, and Canada), Europe (UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and the Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (India, China, Japan, South Korea, and Rest of Asia), and the Rest of the World (the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America). Among these, the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to hold a prominent share of the market across the globe, owing to the adoption LiDAR drones for precision agriculture, that involves using technology to optimize farming practices and increase crop yield. The key market players include DJI., RIEGL, GeoCue Group, Hesai Technology, Topodrone and others.

Global LiDAR drones Market Growth by Region 2023-2030

The North America Region is Expected to Grow at a Significant CAGR in the Global LiDAR Drones Market

Among all regions, the North America regions is anticipated to grow at a considerable CAGR over the forecast period. Regional growth is attributed to growing demands in varying industries, from mining to agriculture and construction to forestry. Prevalence of high military budgets coupled with rising investment in the technological innovations in the defense sector are the major factors attributable to the growth of LIDAR drones market in this region. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2023, drones by the numbers, 863,728 drones registered, 352,222, commercial drones registered, 506,635 recreational drones registered in the US.

Development of LiDAR systems with multispectral and hyperspectral camera options drive the growth of LiDAR drone market in the region. For instance, in June 2022, Phoenix LiDAR Systems launched airborne topo-bathymetric (ATB) system called HydroRANGER. This system provides dual purpose topographic and bathymetric measurements for full scene mapping of shoreline systems. Utilizing a visible green spectrum laser with an elliptical scan pattern and measurements rates up to 200 kHz.

Furthermore, LiDAR sensor technology has been advancing, with improved accuracy, range, and point cloud density, enabling more precise mapping and data collection. This has significantly contributed to the adoption of LiDAR drone technology and its applications such as drones.

Market Players Outlook

The major companies serving the global LiDAR drones market include Cepton Technologies, Ouster, Inc., Quanergy Solutions, Inc., Teledyne Optech, Velodyne Lidar, Inc., and others. The market players are considerably contributing to the market growth by the adoption of various strategies including mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, collaborations, funding, and new product launches, to stay competitive in the market. For instance, in July 2023, GeoCue, in LiDAR mapping hardware & software solutions, announced its expansion into East Asia through a strategic partnership with Argosdyne, a prominent drone manufacturer and supplier. This collaboration strengthens GeoCue's global distribution network and enables Argosdyne to offer TrueView 3D Imaging Sensors and LP360 LiDAR Processing Software to customers in South Korea and throughout East Asia.

The Report Covers

• Market value data analysis of 2022 and forecast to 2030.
• Annualized market revenues ($ million) for each market segment.
• Country-wise analysis of major geographical regions.
• Key companies operating in the global LiDAR drones market. Based on the availability of data, information related to new product launches, and relevant news is also available in the report.
• Analysis of business strategies by identifying the key market segments positioned for strong growth in the future.
• Analysis of market-entry and market expansion strategies.
• Competitive strategies by identifying ‘who-stands-where’ in the market.