2.3 Hardware Overview
Three current devices, two output types, one ecosystem. Specifications, capabilities, and honest differences.
Device Specifications
All three current devices use Multi-SLAM (LiDAR + Visual + IMU). The differences are LiDAR configuration, scan speed, output type, and environment scale.
Lixel L2 Pro
Campus and Multi-Building ScaleThree configurations: 16/120, 32/120, and 32/300. First number = channels, second = max range in meters. See model comparison below. The only device that mounts to a backpack, a vehicle, or a drone.
Lixel K2
Lightweight, Indoor and Small-to-Medium OutdoorOutput formats: point cloud .las, .rcp, .e57, .ply, .ilas; mesh .osgb, .obj; 3DGS .lcc2, .lcc, .ply; plus 3D Tiles and .usd. In LCC Studio the K2 runs all three reconstruction modes: Single Scene (90 min maximum per scene), Map Fusion (up to 10 sub-scenes per run), and Aerial-Ground Map Fusion. Handheld only.
PortalCam
High-Fidelity Visual CaptureCannot produce point clouds and does not output absolute georeferenced coordinates. Processes through LCC Studio only. Control points are used to connect segments during Map Fusion. XGRIDS lists a GPS module for this device but does not document what it does; do not plan georeferenced work around it until that is confirmed.
What the PortalCam accuracy figures mean. The relative and repeat figures above describe internal geometric consistency within a reconstruction. They are not a measurement tolerance, and the PortalCam has no absolute accuracy figure because it produces no georeferenced output. Do not quote them in a proposal or a scope of work. If a client needs a number they can hold you to, the job needs an L2 Pro or a K2.
Reading the output rows. The L2 Pro and K2 both feed LixelStudio and LCC Studio, so both reach the same export set including mesh. The K2 row lists formats in more detail because its published specification sheet does; this is a difference between the two source documents, not a capability difference between the devices.
Coordinate system constraint. The RTK module on both the L2 Pro and the K2 obtains WGS84, CGCS2000, and ITRF2008 with geodetic height. The narrower constraint is on direct output: the L2 Pro writes absolute coordinates natively only in WGS84 UTM 3-degree zone and CGCS2000 Gauss-Kruger 3-degree zone. If your project requires NAD83, NAD27, or another regional datum, plan for a transformation in LixelStudio on either device rather than expecting it at the point of capture.
L2 Pro Models: 16-120, 32-120, and 32-300
Map Fusion requires matching L2 Pro models. A 16-channel scan cannot be fused with a 32-channel scan. LixelStudio treats them as different device types. Confirm model configuration before combining sessions.
Use Cases by Device
Campus and Large-Scale Projects
Multi-building sites, mixed indoor/outdoor environments, and projects where geometry exists at significant distances from the scanner. Covers hundreds of thousands of square feet per battery.
- Multi-building campus documentation
- Large commercial interiors and warehouses
- Mixed indoor/outdoor on a single scan route
- RTK or PPK georeferencing projects
- Sites where RTK drops partway through: Measure Point carries absolute coordinates into the denied area at 5 cm or better within 50 m (164 ft) of the disconnection point
- Drone-mounted scanning (DJI M350 RTK and M300 RTK), plus backpack and vehicle mounting
- Tunnels and degraded environments (32-300 model)
Lightweight Indoor and Small-to-Medium Outdoor
Single-building and dense interior scanning, surveying and topographic mapping, BIM data capture and verification. The K2's built-in RTK and real-time colorized point cloud reduce on-site verification time and remove the need for an external RTK module. Covers most commercial spaces and small-to-medium outdoor sites within the 100 m (328 ft) maximum LiDAR range.
- Land surveying and topographic mapping
- As-built measurement and quantity surveying
- Interior measurement and floor plan generation
- Stockpile and volumetric measurement
- BIM data capture and verification (under 10 m (33 ft) measurement envelope)
- Single-building documentation with direct geo-referenced output
- Multi-segment 3DGS projects through LCC Studio Map Fusion
Budget for twice the control density of an L2 Pro job on the same site: the K2 maximum control point interval is 50 m (164 ft) against the L2 Pro's 100 m (328 ft).
Visual Documentation
Used when the primary deliverable is a photorealistic 3DGS model, not a measured point cloud. 96-channel LiDAR with 180° azimuth by 180° elevation coverage, paired with a four-camera array whose combined fisheye field exceeds a full sphere. Weighs 1.9 lbs without tripod. 60-minute battery (vs. 90 minutes for L2 Pro and K2).
- Client walkthroughs and virtual tours
- Visual progress documentation
- Spaces where visual quality matters and measurement is not required
The PortalCam cannot produce point clouds. Do not plan a measured-deliverable project with a PortalCam as the only capture device. Use an L2 Pro or K2 for point cloud output.
Despite the name, the PortalCam is a 96-channel LiDAR scanner with full Multi-SLAM. The LiDAR provides spatial structure for 3DGS reconstruction. "Camera" refers to its emphasis on visual fidelity, not its sensor architecture.
Full Comparison
Accuracy conditions matter. Absolute accuracy of ≤3 cm (1.2 in) RMSE requires RTK or GCP coverage with no continuous unfixed gap exceeding 100 m (328 ft) on the L2 Pro or 50 m (164 ft) on the K2. Relative accuracy of ≤1 cm (0.4 in) applies between points within 100 m (328 ft) for the L2 Pro and within 10 m (33 ft) for the K2. Repeat accuracy assumes two RTK-enabled scans with no disconnection. Full accuracy guidance is in 10.8 Accuracy Reference.
No current device can resume a scan from a breakpoint. If a recording stops for any reason, that segment is closed and the next scan is a new one. The recovery path is Map Fusion, which needs overlap you must already have captured. Plan segment boundaries before you start.
RTK
The K2 has the UM980 RTK module built in. No external attachment is required. The K2 outputs absolute coordinates directly with no post-processing.
The L2 Pro supports RTK via an attachable module. RTK is not built into the base scanner. The module must be attached and configured in LixelGO before the session starts, and the RTK type selected in the app must match the module physically fitted.
XGRIDS offers no RTK option for the PortalCam, and the device does not output absolute georeferenced coordinates. A GPS module is listed in the PortalCam specifications, but XGRIDS does not document its function, so do not plan georeferenced work around it. Control points on the PortalCam serve a different purpose: they connect scan segments during Map Fusion. See 7.4 PortalCam Map Fusion.
L2 Pro RTK Module Variants
Two handheld variants are available: Standard and Survey Grade. Both publish 0.8 cm + 1 ppm horizontal and 1.5 cm + 1 ppm vertical accuracy. The ppm term scales with baseline length to the correction source, so a long baseline widens the figure. Both track GPS L1/L2/L5, GLONASS L1/L2, BDS B1/B2/B3, and Galileo E1/E5a/E5b/E6b. The Survey Grade module adds a higher-gain antenna (5.5 dBi against 2.8 dBi) and a tighter antenna axis ratio for better performance under partial canopy, near structures, and in urban environments.
Full setup: 4.2 RTK Positioning. Introduction to when RTK is needed: 4.1 Accuracy Fundamentals. Field thresholds and fault diagnosis: 4.0 Field Guide.
Aerial RTK module. The L2 Pro also supports a drone-specific RTK module for use with DJI M350 RTK and M300 RTK aircraft. It is not used for handheld scanning. K2 does not support drone mounting.
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