Technologies for the Future: A Lidar Overview

In Issue30 by FIEA

Point clouds can be captured by an ever-increasing number of means to understand the surrounding reality and detect critical developments. Diverse applications of 3D laser scanning or ‘Lidar’, which is a technology on a sky-rocketing path to be used for mapping and surveying, are changing the way we collect and refine topographic data. Which technologies and processes are building the capability for high-density 3D data? This article outlines the latest industry developments.

National topographic databases store data refined from field measurements, imagery and laser scanning data at certain specifications and purposes, but lack the ability to adapt to ever-changing needs and situational awareness. ‘Data on-demand’ is a recognized megatrend in the geospatial industry.

Point cloud data can be captured with an ever-increasing number of means – e.g. ground-based, airborne and spaceborne platforms – to understand the surrounding reality, from grain-scale to global overview. Different scales and viewpoints can provide comprehensive multimodal data for environmental analysis, assessment of natural resources, development of urban infrastructure, and critical services. Semantic point clouds, temporal coverage, multimodal data sources, and automated processing form the framework for future topographic data.

This article covers:

  • Lidar technologies
  • Airborne Lidar
  • Multi-platform mobile laser scanning
  • Drones and Lidar
  • SLAM/LOAM laser mapping
  • Multimodal mapping
  • Autonomous vehicles and crowdsourced mapping
  • Multispectral sensors – colour vision with lasers
  • Single-photon systems
  • Implications of high-resolution Lidar

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Source: GIM International

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