Solution

LiDAR solution for UAV altitude hold and hover

Provide near-ground range input to the flight controller for low-altitude hold, hover, and descent.

UAV using downward LiDAR for altitude hold and hover

Scenario

Application scenario

Altitude-hold and hover tasks need direct distance to the current ground. LiDAR provides range and status; the flight stack owns fusion, filtering, mode control, and fallback.

Engineering problem

Barometric or GNSS height does not represent distance to the current ground.
Mounting offset, blind zone, and occlusion can create invalid returns.
Ground reflectivity and attitude require field validation.

Why LiDAR

A downward single-point ToF LiDAR provides direct ground distance inside its validated envelope as a near-ground flight input.

Workflow

Define the hold range, response rate, and fault handling.
Mount downward and record height, orientation, and occlusion.
Configure UART and parameters for the target flight-stack release.
Validate the healthy envelope on real ground, attitudes, and ambient light.

Technology comparison and selection

Dimension	Condition	LiDAR	Alternative	Alternative performance	Conclusion
Distance to current ground	The flight stack needs near-ground absolute range, not only relative height.	Direct ground distance inside the validated envelope.	Barometer / GNSS	Relative-height or position estimate without direct ground observation.	LiDAR supplies the near-ground input; the flight stack owns fusion and fallback. 公开来源Benewake customer application materials · Verified 2026-09-01

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Selection

Product selection guide

Current material supports 4 candidates. Review product facts, rationale and boundaries together.

Model	Key product facts	Best fit and rationale	Operating boundary	Product details
TFmini-S	Output data Single-point Distance Value Measuring range 0.1 ~ 12 m Interface UART, I/O, I²C Protection Not specified	For near-ground cruise-height input when payload and space are constrained; about 5 g with UART, I²C and I/O.	Range changes with reflectivity, attitude and ambient light; range input does not replace the flight controller position, velocity or attitude estimate.	View product
TFS20-L	Output data Single-point Distance Value Measuring range 0.2 ~ 20 m Interface UART, I²C Protection Without enclosure	For payload-critical light UAV cruise input needing a 20 m-class standard-target range.	The module has no enclosure; validate strong light, low-reflectivity ground, tilt, speed and control latency across the flight envelope.	View product
TFA170-L	Output data Single-point Distance Value Measuring range 0.1 ~ 170 m Interface RS-232 Protection Without enclosure	For cruise tasks needing longer altitude or terrain distance input while still controlling payload.	The unenclosed 12 V RS-232 module needs dedicated integration; verify delivered version, data rate and target conditions.	View product
TF03	Output data Single-point Distance Value Measuring range 0.1 ~ 180 m Interface UART, CAN, RS-232, RS-485 Protection IP67	For outdoor cruise tasks needing long range, an IP67 enclosure and multiple interfaces where the platform can carry about 86 g.	Include target reflectivity, attitude changes, vibration, mounting blind zones and control-loop latency in system flight validation.	View product

Continue with a relevant model-difference topic

Balancing range, weight and environment at long distance

Installation and integration

Mount downward with airframe and landing gear outside the field of view; verify UART, logic level, port, and parameters for the target flight-stack release.
TFmini-S / TFmini Plus / TF-Luna · Flight controller or UAV system · Target system release to be verified before deploymentBenewake customer application materials · Verified 2026-09-01

Operating limits

Altitude input is not full hover, position hold, or safe landing; validate range and accuracy on real ground, reflectivity, attitude, and ambient light.
TFmini-S / TFmini Plus / TF-LunaBenewake customer application materials · Verified 2026-09-01

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can LiDAR alone guarantee stable UAV hover?

No. LiDAR supplies near-ground range; fusion, control, horizontal positioning, and fallback belong to the flight stack and vehicle system.

Resources

Resources and references

DatasheetTFmini-S Datasheet

Confirm the selection with real mission conditions

Share the operating height, target surface, environment, mounting space, and flight-stack version. Our engineering team can help plan selection and validation.

Talk to an engineer