Most often, commercial UAVs will carry a camera to capture data, but that is not always the case. A few examples include LiDAR scanners, gas detectors and magnetometers. For this reason (and the fact that sensors exist at the core of any standard camera), the term “sensors” is often used as a catch-all term to describe a drone’s payload.
The following table outlines a sample of sensors available on today’s market. Many commercial drones are manufactured with a sensor included, while others allow you to install your own. Since sensors capture the data necessary for clients, they are a critical part to any UAV setup and should be central to the decision-making process. Almost any point-and-shoot camera on the market could be included on the list below, so I have tried to focus on cameras that were designed specifically to be mounted on UAVs.
| Company | Sensor model | Type of sensor | Weight | Spec summary | Website link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BaySpec | OCI-UAV-1000 | Hyperspectral | 0.18 kg | Push broom scan | Link |
DJI | Zenmuse X3 | RGB (visible) | Not listed | 12.4 MP | Link |
| DJI | Zenmuse X5 | RGB (visible) | Not listed | 16 MP, Micro Four Thirds. | Link |
| DJI | Zenmuse X5R | RGB (visible) | Not listed | 16 MP, lossless video, 512 GB onboard storage. | Link |
| DJI | Zenmuse X5S | RGB (visible) | 0.46 kg | 5.2K@30FPS, 4K@60 FPS. | Link |
| FLIR | Duo | Thermal and RGB | 0.084 kg | Thermal sensor is 160x120, RGB camera is 1920x1080. Takes video and stills. | Link |
| FLIR | Vue | Thermal | 0.113 kg | Analog output. Resolution of 640x512 or 336x256, various lens size options (9, 13 or 19 mm). | Link |
| FLIR | Vue Pro | Thermal | 0.113 kg | Full digital output. Resolution of 640x512 or 336x256, various lens size options (9, 13 or 19 mm). | Link |
| FLIR | Vue Pro R | Thermal | 0.113 kg | Calibrated temp readings in each pixel. Digital output. Resolution of 640x512 or 336x256, various lens size options (9, 13 or 19 mm). | Link |
| Headwall Photonics | Nano-Hyperspec | Hyperspectral | 0.52 kg | 270 spectral bands, 480 GB onboard storage. | Link |
| Headwall Photonics | Micro-Hyperspec | Hyperspectral | 0.45 kg | Not listed | Link |
| MicaSense | RedEdge | Multispectral | 0.18 kg | 3.6 MP, 5-band multispectral, for plant health analysis. | Link |
Parrot | Sequoia | Multispectral | 0.072 kg | 4 band multispectral with 16 MP RGB camera. | Link |
Phase One Industrial | iXU / iXU-RS 1000 | RGB (visible) | 1.43 kg | 100 MP, medium format camera. | Link |
Riegl | miniVUX-1UAV | LiDAR | 1.55 kg | 360 degree FoV, 100K points/sec, up to 5 target echoes per laser shot. | Link |
| Riegl | VQ-480-U | LiDAR | 7.5 kg | Unlimited number of targets, 25mm accuracy. | Link |
| Riegl | VUX-1UAV | LiDAR | 3.5 kg | Operating altitude > 1000 ft, up to 500K points/sec, 10 mm accuracy. | Link |
| Sentera | Double 4K | Multispectral | 0.08 kg | 12 MP, 4K video, Live NDVI feed. | Link |
| Sentera | NDVI Single Sensor | Multispectral | 0.03 kg | 1-10 MP options, RGB and NIR output. | Link |
| Sentera | Quad | Multispectral | 0.126 kg | 10.5 MP RGB, also narrowband Red, Red Edge, NIR and video. | Link |
| Sentera | Sentera Q | RGB | Not listed | 18 MP RGB | Link |
| Slantrange | 3P | Multispectral | 0.350 kg | 4 channel sensor, 410 to 950 nm spectral range. | Link |
| Velodyne | HDL-32E | LiDAR | 1.3 kg | 32 channels, 80-100m range, 700K points/sec. | Link |
| Velodyne | Puck Hi-Res | LiDAR | 0.830 kg | Dual returns, 100 metre range, 20° vertical FoV. | Link |
| Velodyne | Puck Lite | LiDAR | 0.590 kg | Dual returns, 100 metre range, 300K points/sec. | Link |
| Velodyne | Puck (VLP-16) | LiDAR | 0.83 kg | Dual returns, 100 metre range, 300K points/sec. | Link |