Manned Aircraft Mounted Lidar and Camera Instrumentation Retender

Defra intend to run an open tender to procure two (2) Airborne Lidar and Camera Systems and are asking for Expressions of Interest. The systems will be used for mapping the terrestrial and coastal environment to fulfil our statutory requirements principally for flood and coastal risk management and incident response.

The Environment Agency (EA) currently operates an airborne remote sensing programme, utilising lidar alongside RGBN cameras and from a light aircraft platform. EA have run the programme for many years and are looking to renew their current lidar and camera capabilities.

The EA is looking for the Contractor to supply a fully integrated airborne lidar and aerial imaging system designed to deliver high-accuracy digital elevation data and 4 band NIR-RGB imagery. The camera must produce 4-band metric imagery suitable for orthophoto production and complementing the lidar data to support a wide range of geospatial outputs.

The system must include a comprehensive software suite to support mission planning and execution, data acquisition, processing, and quality assurance. It must enable efficient workflow management, including compatibility with industry-standard formats and UK-specific coordinate systems.

Mission planning tools must allow for the import of ArcGIS shapefiles. All contractors must demonstrate the robust performance of their systems through evidence of operation in real world environments.

This should include performance data collected within the UK or in equivalent high-humidity conditions, demonstrating that the system can operate effectively and reliably under representative environmental conditions. Overall, the system must be delivered as a cohesive, end-to-end solution that ensures consistency, reliability, and efficiency from mission planning through to point cloud outputs and RGBNIR imagery.

The system must represent a clear advancement over the Environment Agency’s current dual-sensor configuration, improving operational efficiency, reducing processing complexity, and enhancing overall data quality. The lidar component must be capable of operating across a broad range of flying heights whilst maintaining consistent point density and accuracy.

It must deliver reliable surface representation through evenly distributed point spacing and high-quality reflected laser pulse intensity data. The system must incorporate a class IV laser that is capable of detecting returns off low reflective surfaces from higher survey altitudes.

The system must utilise a tightly coupled GNSS/IMU solution, supporting multiple satellite constellations to ensure robust positional accuracy in a wide range of operational environments. The integration between the positioning system, lidar sensor, and camera must be seamless, ensuring precise synchronisation and alignment of datasets. The aerial imaging component must be fully integrated with the lidar system, enabling simultaneous data capture without the need for separate hardware or software systems.