Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Drone Market Report 2026

The light detection and ranging (lidar) drone market size has grown exponentially in recent years. It will grow from $0.33 billion in 2025 to $0.42 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rising adoption of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in surveying and mapping, increasing demand for high-precision geospatial data in construction and infrastructure projects, advancements in lidar sensor technology improving accuracy and efficiency, government initiatives promoting smart city and infrastructure development, growing use of drones in forestry, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.

The light detection and ranging (lidar) drone market size is expected to see exponential growth in the next few years. It will grow to $1 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to expanding applications of lidar drones in autonomous vehicle mapping and navigation, integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning for enhanced data processing, increasing investment in renewable energy and utility infrastructure monitoring, rising demand for rapid disaster assessment and emergency response solutions, growth in commercial drone services and lidar sensor miniaturization for cost-effective deployment. Major trends in the forecast period include integration of high-resolution lidar sensors in drones, expansion of lidar drone applications in precision agriculture, growth of hybrid and multi-rotor drone designs for diverse terrains, adoption of lidar drones for mapping, surveying, and environmental monitoring, enhanced data processing and analytics software for lidar point cloud data.

Major companies operating in the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone market are focusing on developing innovative solutions such as real-time and post-mission direct georeferencing to enhance mapping accuracy, data efficiency, and workflow automation in aerial surveying applications. Real-time and post-mission direct georeferencing involve techniques that accurately determine the geographic position and orientation of LiDAR data during or after flight, removing the need for ground control points and improving mapping efficiency. For example, in September 2024, Trimble Inc., a US-based software company, launched the APX RTX portfolio, specifically designed for UAV mapping sensors. This portfolio delivers centimeter-level mapping accuracy across diverse environments without requiring base stations, making it ideal for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and UAV payload integrators.

Major companies operating in the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone market are focusing on developing innovative solutions such as real-time and post-mission direct georeferencing to enhance mapping accuracy, data efficiency, and workflow automation in aerial surveying applications. Real-time and post-mission direct georeferencing involve techniques that accurately determine the geographic position and orientation of LiDAR data during or after flight, removing the need for ground control points and improving mapping efficiency. For example, in September 2024, Trimble Inc., a US-based software company, launched the APX RTX portfolio, specifically designed for UAV mapping sensors. This portfolio delivers centimeter-level mapping accuracy across diverse environments without requiring base stations, making it ideal for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and UAV payload integrators.

In May 2025, YellowScan, a France-based manufacturing company, partnered with Argosdyne to enhance LiDAR drone solutions and strengthen their presence in global surveying and mapping markets. The partnership aims to establish new industry standards by integrating YellowScan’s advanced LiDAR technology with Argosdyne’s C2 Class-certified EasyMapper drones, providing highly accurate, safe, and efficient aerial LiDAR data collection for urban planning, infrastructure inspection, and environmental monitoring, while expanding global access to compliant and user-friendly UAV LiDAR solutions. Argosdyne is a South Korea-based manufacturing company that provides light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drones.

Major companies operating in the light detection and ranging (lidar) drone market are Trimble Navigation Ltd., Sick AG, Topcon Positioning Systems Inc., Leica Geosystems AG, FARO Technologies Inc, MicroDrones GmbH, UMS Skeldar, Teledyne Optech, Velodyne LiDAR Inc., 3D Robotics Inc., Routescene Ltd., Benewake Co. Ltd., Delair SAS, GreenValley International, YellowScan Inc., Geodetics Inc., Phoenix LiDAR Systems, LiDARUSA, SABRE Advanced 3D Surveying Systems, Cepton Technologies Inc, Hoverfly Technologies Inc., Riegl Measurement System, SZ DJI Technology company Ltd., Beijing SureStar Technology Co. Ltd.

North America was the largest region in the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the light detection and ranging (lidar) drone market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs are impacting the LiDAR drone market by increasing the costs of critical components such as high-precision LiDAR sensors, mounts, and calibration tools, leading to higher production expenses and delays in delivery. Fixed wing and rotary wing drones, particularly those incorporating advanced LiDAR technologies, are most affected, with North America and Asia-Pacific regions facing significant tariff-related challenges. On the positive side, tariffs are encouraging domestic manufacturing and fostering innovation in locally developed LiDAR drone systems, reducing dependency on imports and potentially improving supply chain resilience.

The light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone research report is one of a series of new reports that provides light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone market statistics, including the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone industry's global market size, regional shares, competitors with an light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone market share, detailed light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone industry. This light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

A Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with LiDAR sensors that use laser light to measure distances with high precision. This technology enables the drone to create detailed 3D maps of the terrain below. LiDAR drones are versatile tools commonly used for inspection and surveying tasks, offering several advantages over traditional data collection methods. These advantages include the ability to quickly and accurately capture data for large areas, covering expansive regions efficiently, and building more precise and detailed terrain representations.

The main types of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) drones are fixed-wing drones and rotary-wing drones. Fixed-wing drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with a fixed-wing configuration and are equipped with LiDAR technology. These drones are primarily used for aerial mapping and the inspection of pipelines and power lines. They can employ various LiDAR types, including topographic and bathymetric LiDAR, with ranges categorized as short, medium, and long. Fixed-wing LiDAR drones find applications in mapping and cartography, surveillance, environmental monitoring, exploration and detection, precision agriculture, and other related fields.

The countries covered in the light detection and ranging (lidar) drone market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The light detection and ranging (LiDAR) drone market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing a range of services such as LiDAR scanning, data processing, analysis, and consulting. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The light detection and ranging (Lidar) drone market also includes sales of LiDAR sensors, LiDAR scanners, and related accessories such as LiDAR mounts and LiDAR calibration tools. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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