Global LiDAR Drone Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Installation (Airborne, Topographic, Bathymetric, Terrestrial, Mobile, Static), By System Type (Pulse-based/Linear-mode System, Phase-based System, Geiger-mode/photon-counting System), By Application (Agriculture And Precision Forestry, Civil Engineering And Surveying, Defense And Emergency Services, Environmental And Coastal Monitoring, Highway And Road Networks, Mining, Quarries And Aggregates, Others), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2024 To 2029

The LiDAR drone market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.55% over the analyzed period, reaching a market size of US$6.309 billion in 2029 from US$2.593 billion in 2022. 

Surging government expenditures for strengthening defense and the military are the prime drivers of the market's growth. LiDAR technology helps monitor and control the targeted area. General LiDAR instruments consist of a laser, a scanner, and a unique GPS receiver. These tools help map the targeted area, whether natural or man-made, with accuracy, flexibility, and precision. 

This technology is widely used by scientists and mapping professionals for security purposes to produce accurate shorelines and construct digital elevation models of geography for information systems and insights. This system also assists in emergency response operations to better assess the situation. For security forces, it facilitates a clear and better picture of the ground and facilitates the location of terrorists/ offenders or unwanted objects. Surging terrorism has resulted in huge investments in the LiDAR system for better security and defense. Airplanes and helicopters are the most common platforms where these systems are used. 

LiDAR Drone Market Drivers:

• Rising terrorism is anticipated to increase the expenditure on LiDAR drone technology in the forecasted period.

One of the prime reasons boosting the market growth during the forecasted period is surging terrorism and spiking terrorist activities. In the past decade, terrorism has increased exponentially, disturbing peace and habitation. With the increase in terrorism, there’s a need for effective surveillance drones to provide high-resolution real-time images and mapping data of areas that help the security forces monitor and analyze the potential risks and emerging threats. Technology can also be utilized in critical areas that are the main targets for terrorist attacks, such as airports and government buildings.

According to the Vision of Humanity report on the Global Terrorism Index, The Middle East's terrorism epicenter has moved to the Central Sahel region, accounting for over half of all terrorism deaths. Burkina Faso experienced the worst impact, with 68% of deaths increasing despite a 17% decrease in attacks. Conflict zones accounted for 90% of terrorist attacks and 98% of terrorism deaths in 2023. The lethality of attacks has increased by 26%, with Islamic State and its affiliates remaining the deadliest terrorist group for the eighth consecutive year. Unknown Jihadist attacks represent 32% of all terrorism deaths, with 18 times higher rates in the Sahel.

• Increasing utilization in various sectors is expected to boost the market of LiDAR drones.

Defense and emergency services, environmental and coastal monitoring, civil engineering, and surveying sectors are anticipated to contribute significantly to the robust market demand. Increasing the adoption of LiDAR technology for better and more effective operations facilitates greater results. LiDAR drone technology is widely adopted in autonomous vehicles for better traffic management and lower accidental risk. Furthermore, the growth of self-driving cars has huge market potential for the technology. This technology is widely used in airplanes and helicopters to better assess the region.

LiDAR Drone Market Restraints:

• The huge cost of the LiDAR system may constrain market growth.

The high cost of purchase and installation may constrain the market growth of LiDAR technology. LiDAR systems and sensors cost thousands of dollars and are quite expensive for mainstream cars or other devices. The installation cost of a single LiDAR system in a car is $10,000, increasing the end cost of the car significantly. The leading global self-driving car manufacturer, Tesla, stated that the reason the company is not using LiDAR technology is the high cost. Tesla aims to manufacture affordable modern cars, and the LiDAR technology increases the price of their cars. Hence, the market faces tough competition from radar technology, which is hindered by the huge cost.  

LiDAR Drone Market Geographical Outlook

• The North American region is expected to dominate market growth during the forecasted period. 

North America is anticipated to have a dominating share during the forecasted period owing to huge government and private corporation expenditure on the technology. For instance, in June 2022, Draganfly Inc. introduced its Long-Range LiDAR system, a North American technology offering precise distance measurements and improved resolution over traditional photogrammetry methods. It can be employed as a mobile scanning solution and offers high-resolution data at two million points per second with a scanning range of 750 meters. 

Technology is primarily utilized in the security and service industries. Rising cases of terrorism have further increased government expenditure. In the U.S., more than half of the population is worried about being a victim of terrorism. In contrast, a third of the population refrains from activities such as traveling abroad, attending mass events, flying on airplanes, and others as they are afraid of terrorism. Anxiety and fear of terrorism spiked among people after the 9/11 attack, the London bombing, the Boston Marathon bombings, and the attack on Paris. The governments are increasing their expenditures for better protection. The government will invest a significant share of LiDAR technology in the coming years.

LiDAR Drone Market Key Developments:

• September 2023- Aerial Precision, a leading innovator in LiDAR technology, sold its unmatched AP-LiDAR-One sensor to SABCA, a Belgian company with a strong reputation in aerospace and defense.
• June 2023- Leica Geosystems introduced the Leica CountryMapper, the world's first hybrid imaging and LiDAR sensor for large-area airborne mapping. This system combines a large-format photogrammetric camera with a high-performance LiDAR unit, collecting foundational geospatial data simultaneously, enabling the generation of highly accurate data products for various customer applications.
• August 2022- Aeva and SICK AG partnered to introduce Aeva's 4D LiDAR technology to various industrial sensing applications, including long-range sensing, starting with Aeries II, a strategic multi-year collaboration in next-generation sensing and perception systems.

LiDAR Drone Market Players and Products:

• Leica TerrainMapper-3 linear-mode LiDAR Sensor – The Leica TerrainMapper-3 is a new linear-mode airborne LiDAR sensor offering enhanced flexibility and capabilities. It addresses wide-area data acquisition and high-density corridor mapping projects with a 60-degree adjustable field of view and configurable scan technology. The sensor is integrated into the end-to-end processing workflow with Leica HxMap.

• Alpha Prime – Velodyne Lidar's Alpha Prime is a high-performance, long-range sensor for autonomous mobility. It offers reliable and precise detection of roadway objects. Its advanced sensor-to-sensor interference mitigation, power efficiency, and thermal performance make it ideal for various light conditions and high resolution.

Market Segmentation:

The global LiDAR drone market is segmented and analyzed as below:

• By Installation 
  • Airborne
  • Topographic
  • Bathymetric
  • Terrestrial
  • Mobile
  • Static
• By System Type
  • Pulse-based/ Linear-mode system
  • Phased-based system
  • Geiger-mode/ photon-counting system 
• By Application 
  • Agriculture and Precision Forestry
  • Civil Engineering and Surveying
  • Defense and Emergency Services
  • Environmental and Coastal Monitoring
  • Highway and Road Networks
  • Mining, Quarries, and Aggregates
  • Others
• By Geography
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • France
    • Spain
    • United Kingdom
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • South Africa
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Others