The new Leica Pegasus TRK Neo solution

Alessandro Nuzzo is Product Manager for Mobile Mapping Systems at Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon.

Alessandro Nuzzo, how does the Leica Pegasus TRK Neo solution utilise AI to transform mobile mapping?

The Pegasus TRK Neo leverages AI in various workflow areas: It blurs personal data of pedestrians, vehicles and other traffic participants in real time during acquisition for GDPR compliance. In post-processing, the point cloud is automatically classified into roads, sidewalks, buildings, vegetation and various other categories. The trained AI models are capable of much more. Our initial focus was preserving privacy, but customers will benefit from more AI features, making Pegasus TRK Neo efficient like no mobile mapping system before.

The Pegasus TRK Neo is so light that it can be operated by one person. Why is that important?

Making great technology accessible is one of the main goals we pursue at Hexagon. We put the user in the centre of the product development and analysed the main pain points while using mobile mapping systems. The goal was to develop a system that can be installed and operated by a single person. This reduces personnel costs and eliminates the entry barrier for those new to the technology. We decreased the system weight from 49 kilograms to 18 kilograms and developed a unique rotational-tilt mount that facilitates the installation. It reduces the system lifting height by 36cm, avoiding risky lifting operations.

Could you please give another example of the system’s user-friendliness?

We look at the entire user experience: Experiences are the sum of emotions a user will feel when adopting the Pegasus TRK. Small details matter in making things intuitive. This applies to the system installation, but also to the process of guiding the users from project setup to data collection to data processing. Wherever possible we implemented fully automatic workflows, reducing the complexity novices face when first using mobile mapping systems. It is about real-time feedback, eliminating the grey zones during usage, the ability to plan an acquisition route, get guided and routed while the system autonomously triggers the sensor to collect according to the project requirements.

Please describe how and when the Pegasus TRK Neo connects with Leica Pegasus FIELD software and Leica Cyclone Pegasus OFFICE.

Pegasus FIELD is the “operating system” running on the system. It manages the hardware, triggers data capture, performs various real-time operations and makes sure the job is performing according to the project settings. Cyclone Pegasus OFFICE is the suite running in the office. It processes the collected data and delivers georeferenced 3D point cloud and imagery. Various refinement tools enhance the trajectory quality, for example, SLAM (simultaneous location and mapping) calculation in GNSS denied areas or multi-pass adjustment in case of repeated passes over the same area.

Do you have some more info available on the sensor capabilities and specifications (such as accuracy) and could you explain what is meant with a single line point cloud pattern?

Pegasus TRK Neo was designed from scratch and took into consideration the single sensor characteristics to make them work at their best. The result is an unmatched accuracy level both in RTK (Real Time Kinematics) and PP (Post Processing). While the TRK500 is equipped with a single ToF (Time of Flight) scanner, the TRK700 has two embedded scanners. The TRK500 collects with a continuous rotating scan head at a frequency of 250Hz half a million points per second. The scan line is vertical to the driving direction. The TRK700, having a dual scanner, collects one million points per second in a crossed point cloud pattern (left, diagonal, right diagonal) offering a better coverage of the point cloud and higher point density.