Focus: Lidar

Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth. These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system— generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics (NOAA, 2016).

Lidar technology

Must Read

9 Revolutionary Lidar Survey Projects

The history of Lidar goes back to the early 1960s. In 1969, a laser rangefinder and a target mounted on the Apollo-11 spacecraft was used to measure the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Now, more than four decades later, Lidar has become a fundamental technology in the geospatial sector. GIM International has compiled a list of nine inspiring and spectacular Lidar projects that show the almost unlimited possibilities... (read more)

Producing High-quality 3D Maps from Lidar

DIPPER, a spin-off company from the University of Twente, provides a breakthrough solution for processing massive amounts of Lidar data accurately and efficiently. It offers comprehensive services related to Lidar data processing and 3D scene modelling. Since the self-developed software is highly automated, one operator working with DIPPER on one laptop can create high-quality 3D maps for 10,000 buildings within just one... (read more)

About the Focus Stories

Every month we will focus on a specific theme, featuring a selection of articles which have previously been published in GIM International magazine, to present a complete recap of the subject. If you don't want to miss these themed recaps, sign up for the newsletter (sign up here).

Latest Lidar Articles

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Integrating UAV-based Lidar and Photogrammetry

Simultaneous Capturing of Lidar and Imagery

Using Lidar North of the Arctic Circle

Downtown Dublin as a Lidar Point Cloud

When Photogrammetry Meets Lidar: Towards the Airborne Hybrid Era

Sensor Fusion for Precision Agriculture

Recent Developments in Airborne Lidar

UAS Lidar for Ecological Restoration of Wetlands

The Multispectral Journey of Lidar

Lidar News

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Practise Your Lidar Skills Online!

Woolpert Expands Geospatial Bandwidth with New TerrainMapper Lidar Sensor

Apple Unveils New iPad Pro with Lidar Scanner

Bluesky to Use Lidar to Capture Wales from the Air

French Aerial Survey Firm Purchases First Leica CityMapper-2

Revealing Chernobyl Radiation Hotspots with Lidar Technology

Focus: Articles

Pathfinding through Identified Empty Space in Point Clouds

Indoor point clouds are useful for many applications, such as for pathfinding through empty, collision-free space. Fast-performing methods are require... (read more)

Airborne Lidar in Rainforest

At the experimental forest site Paracou in French Guiana, a range of data is being collected to enable the short-term dynamics within the tropical rai... (read more)

Interpolation of Lidar Point Clouds

For representing terrain heights INSPIRE, which is aimed at creating an EU spatial data infrastructure, has developed specifications for digital terra... (read more)

Mobile Lidar for Urban Streetscapes

Surveying And Mapping, Inc. (SAM, Inc.) performed a mobile Lidar survey of the historic Sixth Street district in Austin, Texas, USA, for an urban plan... (read more)

Future-proof Data Storage

Point cloud datasets have proven to be useful for many applications, ranging from engineering design to asset management. While point clouds are becom... (read more)

Lidar Flight Planning

Airborne Lidar has become a regular technology for acquiring accurate, consistent and dense point clouds. However, the constraints on specifications,... (read more)

Lidar Quality Assurance

Basic tools for processing Lidar point clouds, which can be extended depending on needs, provide a flexible platform for service providers and users a... (read more)

Reconstructing a Church in 3D

Reconstruction and maintenance work in historical buildings such as churches requires detailed and accurate information about them, but it can be diff... (read more)

Lidar Scanning by Helicopter in the USA

In recent years, use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) has soared as a means for capturing geodata by images and Lidar. However, this does not mean th... (read more)

About Lidar

Lidar map of Britain

LIDAR

Lidar, or Light Detection and Ranging surveying, is a measuring system that uses light. It is widely used in archaeology, forestry, geography, geology, seismology, remote sensing and contour mapping and is spreading to many more geomatics applications. The market for laser scanning is growing strongly as more efficient and cost-effective ways of processing Lidar data create new possibilities in a range of different fields, including construction and engineering, industrial facilities, topographical applications and cultural heritage. GIM International is closely monitoring these developments and will continually keep you updated on the innovations in this ever-changing market through this dedicated Lidar page. Whether you are interested in latest articles and news on Lidar in general or in specific topics like Lidar Survey and Mobile Lidar, you will find it here!

Airborne Lidar

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