Lec 14 - LiDAR Flashcards
It is a remote sensing method used to examine the surface of the Earth. It uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)
LiDAR Components
(1) a laser
(2) a scanner
(3) a specialized GPS receiver
These are the most commonly used platforms for acquiring LiDAR data over broad areas.
Airplanes and helicopters
Types of LiDAR (2)
(1) Topographic LiDAR
(2) Bathymetric LiDAR
This type of LiDAR typically uses a near- infrared laser to map the land
Topographic LiDAR
This type of LiDAR uses water-penetrating green light to also measure seafloor and riverbed elevations.
Bathymetric LiDAR
It measures distances (through laser pulses) that strike and reflect from the earth’s surface features.
LiDAR system
LiDAR system distance formula
Distance = (speed of light * round-trip time) * 1⁄2
LiDAR technologies
(1) Positioning
(2) Inertial technology
(3) Laser scanning
(4) Digital imagery
It converts scanning angle and distance-from-sensor information into geo-referenced data points:
LiDAR system
Airborne LiDAR System Components
(1) a laser scanner unit
(2) a GPS
(3) an IMU
It is composed of a laser range finder unit, which is based on time-of- flight distance measurement techniques, and a beam deflection device that creates the desired scanning pattern.
Laser scanner
It provides the absolute position of the sensor platform (plat),
GPS
It records the angular attitude of the platform (including roll, pitch, and yaw/heading).
IMU
These enable the system to generate the aircraft’s absolute position (X, Y, Z) at any given time.
Airborne LiDAR System Components
Advantages of LiDAR
(1) High Accuracy of elevation model collection for 0.3m - 0.6m contours
(2) Can be used any time of the day
(3) Shadows in mountains that are usually problematic is not an issue on LiDAR
(4) Cloud shadows is not an issue
(5) Cost effective in large projects
Advantages of LiDAR over conventional survey and photogrammetry
(1) LiDAR performs better than photogrammetry in vegetative areas
(2) Fast data collection
(3) Fast data processing
(4) Less weather dependent
(5) Robust data sets which have variety of data sets
(6) Cost-saving
Disadvantages of LiDAR
(1) Indiscriminate - shows elevation points of everything
(2) Only places mass points - doesn’t pick up breaklines, or lines of change of ground elevation
(3) Not imagery - can be shaded to offer a relief image
(4) Incapable of penetrating thick vegetation
(5) Not applicable in all weather
Features LiDAR cannot identify
(1) Boundary information
(2) Underground utilities
(3) Water or depth of water
It is a laser beam emitted from the LiDAR sensor.
Pulse
These are used in order to map out vegetation.
Near Infrared (NIR) and green light
These are the portions of the pulse that is reflected by the objects on the ground back to the sensors.
Returns
It is a set of points gathered through a 3D laser scanner that is plotted in order to form a 3D object.
Point Cloud
LiDAR Data Characteristics
(1) Data resolution (full point cloud)
(2) LiDAR intensity
(3) Precision and accuracy
(4) Consistency