Fly higher for longer with the GRF-500 – the longer-range gimbal-integrated LRF for demanding missions

GRF-500 is LightWare’s new gimbal-integrated laser rangefinder (LRF), developed for increased depth perception and distance ranging onboard your UAV. 

Our designers know that first responders need – a gimbal-integrated LRFs that enable EO/IR sensor payload fusion that is optimized for weight, available onboard power and integration issues. The GRF-500’s mission is to enhance the success of UAV teams operating in the security, surveillance, rescue, law enforcement and conservation roles, supporting true sensor fusion in all conditions.

Search. Locate. Rescue.
First responder teams using UAVs in the search and rescue (SAR) mission set, need a sensor payload that works to cover the widest possible search area while allowing for the longest possible flight time. That’s where altitude is important, and GRF-500 becomes an enabler.

At higher flight altitudes, the UAV’s EO/IR camera payload has a greater field of view over the searched area and terrain. Accurate depth and distance measurements are crucial to create the sensor fusion required for the UAV’s EO/IR payload to remain effective in that search area.
With 500m/1640ft of distance and detection ability, GRF-500 allows SAR teams to fly at higher altitudes, increasing the viewable search area and the probability of discovery when searching for missing persons.

Beyond altitude, flight endurance is another crucial factor for UAVs operating in the SAR mission. Every minute of additional flight and hover time increases the search area’s reach. Excessive weight and power draw can deplete UAV battery power and shorten flight endurance. GRF-500 maximizes flight time by delivering all the capabilities of a longer-range high-performance gimbal-integrated LRF, at an incredibly low weight of 10.7g (0.377oz) and tremendously efficient power draw of only 120mA.

Grams and milliamps matter when your UAVs need to remain in flight longer to complete complex search patterns. GRF-500’s ultra-low weight and power-optimized design help keep your UAV assets in the air for longer during those demanding SAR missions, by drawing the least amount of battery power while delivering excellent LRF functionality.

Intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and stealth
Law enforcement agencies responsible for border monitoring and security value stealth. Any UAV operating in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission, needs to observe and identify without being seen. That makes stealth an indispensable feature for UAVs in the ISR role.

GRF-500 delivers capabilities that help ISR teams retain stealth advantage when operating their UAVs. The first of these is reducing sound signature. The GRF-500’s powerful and accurate ranging of up to 500m (1640ft), allows an ISR team to fly at higher altitudes while retaining sensing abilities with the terrain below. Higher altitudes reduce the rotor wash and motor buzz sound signature of a UAV, ensuring greater sound stealth during an ISR mission.

The other stealth element for any UAV operating in the ISR role at night is visual identifiability to night vision goggles. This issue becomes more pronounced when teams operate in dry and dusty conditions, where the LRF’s beam can become visible due to light scattering off dust particles. To counter this, the GRF-500 has a software function that allows operators to toggle its beam, making the laser invisible to anyone using night vision goggles to detect an ISR team’s UAV.

Crucial for conservation
Wildlife and conservation operations are some of the most rewarding but challenging for UAV teams, requiring all the benefits GRF-500 brings to a sensor payload.

Animals are excellently adapted to their habitat and predator threat avoidance, making them masters of camouflage and hyper-sensitive to noise. That makes them very difficult to track, identify and manage. Add poachers pursuing vulnerable species, and a ground response team urgently needs to know when and where to intercept a UAV’s sensor fusion makes the difference.

The higher hover altitudes create stealth advantages for UAV teams operating in the SAR and ISR roles, are also invaluable for wildlife and anti-poaching operations. Endangered species constantly hounded by poachers develop an excellent sense of hearing, and a UAV’s motor or rotor noise can easily trigger a flight and hide response. That same principle applies to poachers, who are hyper-aware of being tracked while illegally seeking endangered wildlife.

With its 500m/1640ft depth and distance detection, GRF-500’s range enables conservation teams to fly higher, masking their UAV’s sound signature to bother the animals they’re seeking to discover and protect and the poachers they need to intercept.

Truly seamless integration
LightWare is trusted by global UAV designers and gimbal builders to create ultra-compact, high-performing sensors. We understand the value of bringing the most performance onboard your UAV’s gimbal sensor payload, with seamless integration. GRF-500’s dimensions measure to 32mm x 34mm x 21mm (1.3in x 1.4in x 0.8in), packaging powerful longer-range performance into a terrifically compact package.

The performance-to-weight ratio of LightWare’s newest gimbal-integrated LRF is excellent. LightWare’s advanced design saves grams and milliamps, enabling all the GRF-500’s accurate ranging, from 0.2- to 500m (0.6- to 1640ft), without excessive power draw on your UAV’s battery.

Designed to optimize your UAV’s sensor fusion with seamless integration, LightWare has all the accessories required to configure GRF-500 to your needs, from USB and communication cables, to Pixhawk adaptors and breakout boards.

A gimbal-integrated LRF designed to seamlessly become a crucial part of your UAV’s sensor payload, the ultra-compact and high-performance GRF-500 excels at border monitoring, conservation, security, safety and SAR, in demanding conditions.