The ALS measuring system
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is an airborne mapping technique that provides dense and accurate topographic data at high speed. This technology measures the time of travel (ToT) of a laser pulse from the airborne source to the surface and back to the emitter. Using onboard installed GPS (Global Positioning System) and IMU (Inertial Measuring Units), the pulses are converted into 3D coordinate of points corresponding to the measured positions hit.
Modern sensors are able to emit up to 250K pulses per second and provide multiple returns along with the intensity. It is also possible to obtain the full return waveform of the single pulses.
Applications for laser-scanning include:
- Power lines
- Urban applications
- Coastal erosion monitoring
- Floods
- Forest mapping
- Landslides
- Glacier and avalanche