Bharat Lohani, PhD

Precision Remote Sensing

† Laser scanning
„ Airborne
„ Terrestrial
„ Mobile
† Photogrammetry
„ Digital photogrammetry

Course weightages
† Quiz 15% Surprise
† MS 25%
† ES 25%
† Term paper 5%
† Home assignment 10%
† Lab Assignment 10%
† Lab Exam 10% (one surprise one ES)

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Material
† Notes to be downloaded now
† Book on laser scanning
„ Topographic laser ranging and scanning by Jie Shan
and Charles K Toth
„ Airborne and terrestrial laser scanning by Prof.
Vosselman and Prof. Mass
† Book on photogrammetry
„ Digital Photogrammetry: A practical course by Linder
„ Introduction to modern photogrammetry by Mikhail,
Bethel and McGlone

Course outline
† Exam and course more based on the
work-assignment that you do
† Good number of Home assignment
„ Need preperation
„ Need programming and computer skills
† Exam method can be also some form
of work using data

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Revision
† Laser scanning
† Photogrammetry

A new technique: Airborne

altimetric LiDAR

† Topographic data with the speed of light.

† Complimentary technique eliminating several
limitations of conventional methods.

† Technology known by different

names:
ƒ Airborne altimetric LiDAR
ƒ Laser altimetry
ƒ Laser range finder
ƒ Laser radar
ƒ Laser mapper

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

What is laser ?
† Laser (Light Amplification by the Stimulated
Emission of Radiation)

„ highly monochromatic,
„ coherent,
„ directional, and
„ can be sharply focused

How is laser generated ?

stimulated emission

† A photon interacts with an atomic system in its upper state

† System is driven down to its lower state (hν = E2 -E1) and two
photons exit
† Emitted photon identical with the triggering or stimulating photon
† Same energy, direction, phase, and state of polarisation.
† Further chain reaction

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Laser pulse
† Diode pumped solid state
lasers 100%

Amplitude
† Nd-Yag laser 90%
† Pulse width of order of 50%
10 ns
† Rise time of order 1 ns 10%
† Ranging accuracy 2-7 cm
tp

trise

Principle of LiDAR
† Known since 1960s

t
T/R R
d

d = c*t/2
c = velocity of light
t = time of travel of laser pulse

All EDMIs work on this principle

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Principle of LiDAR
Laser scanner

d
(x,y,z, ω,φ,κ)
?
X,Y,Z

Major problem in seventies and eighties was that

how to find (x,y,z, ω,φ,κ)?

Principle of LiDAR

GPS Laser transmitter

(x,y,z, ω,φ,κ)

X,Y,Z

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Principle of scanning LiDAR

INS 60m

Up to 100,000 pulses fired

already scanned area

area still to scan

600m

Principle of LiDAR

Speed:
36 – 90+
km/h

Altitude:
60 – 6000
m

Swath:
= 2d Laser footprint
20 – 5000
diameter:
m
d = 0.25 – 4.00 m 0.1 – 3.8 m

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Bathymetric LiDAR

X,Y,Z Water surface

Bottom
X,Y,Z

Time

LiDAR in multiple return mode

First Pulse

Last Pulse

† Instrument is timed to pickup signals at certain

intervals.
† First pulse is used to survey the top of objects
while the last pulse is used to survey the ground
below.

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Operational steps

Flight planning
x
θ
y
H

B n

♦ Choice of platform: ♦ Scan angle ‘θ’

fixed-wing or helicopter ♦ Single and multiple data
♦ Flying height ‘H’ returns
♦ Flying speed ‘v’ Data density in 3D
♦ Scan and laser-firing space is a function of
frequencies ‘f & p’ the above
parameters.

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Ground control points (GCPs)

• Differential GPS is used to locate the
airborne laser scanner.
♦ One or more GCPs needed to place the
reference receiver on.
♦ GPS 1Hz or 2Hz using dual frequency
carrier phase signal.
♦ The roving receiver if within 20 km the
vertical accuracy of onboard GPS 2cm.

Raw data processing

† Post processing of reference and onboard
GPS data.
† Integrated processing of INS (200Hz),
GPS (1-2Hz), and laser range data.
† Generating data with Easting, Northing,
and altitude values in WGS-84 system.

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

LiDAR data
X Y Z R X Y Z R
512548.36 5403119.37 314.29 10 512548.20 5403120.90 303.43 28
512548.39 5403120.61 313.73 20 512548.24 5403122.08 303.45 44
512548.36 5403122.39 308.73 48 512548.28 5403123.17 303.35 66
512548.40 5403123.05 310.07 26 512548.31 5403124.02 303.45 172
512548.40 5403123.92 308.46 0 512548.33 5403124.67 303.40 203
512548.34 5403125.09 303.43 290 512548.34 5403125.09 303.43 290
512548.35 5403125.41 303.47 319 512548.35 5403125.41 303.47 319
512548.35 5403125.74 303.47 319 512548.35 5403125.74 303.41 319
512548.36 5403125.95 303.46 290 512548.35 5403125.96 303.43 290

Data may also include records for :

Point number, time stamp, scan angle, laser range
etc.

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Specifications of LiDAR instruments

Parameters of TopoSys II
sensor type: pulsed fiber scanner
range: < 1600 m
wave length: 1.55 µm
pulse length: 5 nsec
scan frequency: 650 Hz
pulse repetition rate: 83 000 Hz
resolution of distance measurements: 0.02 m
FOV: 14° (± 7°)
swath (at maximum range): 390 m
av. measurement density (at max. range): 3 meas./m²

new with TopoSys II:

9 simultaneous first-
first- and last-
last-pulse registration
9 intensity recording

Specifications of LiDAR instruments

ALTM
Specs

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Advantages of LiDAR
† Higher accuracy
„ Vertical accuracy 10-15 cm (1σ)
„ Horizontal accuracy 30-50 cm
† Fast acquisition and processing
„ Acquisition of 1000 km2 in 12 hours.
„ DEM generation of 1000 km2 in 24 hours.
† Minimum human dependence
† Weather/Light independence
„ Data collection at night and slightly bad
weather.

Advantages of LiDAR
† Canopy
penetration
„ Can see beneath
/through the
canopy.

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Advantages of LiDAR
† Higher data density
„ Up to 100,000 pulses per second. More than 24
points per m2 can be measured.
„ Multiple returns to collect data in 3D.
† GCP independence
„ Only one or two GCPs needed for DGPS.
„ Ideal for mapping inaccessible areas.

Advantages of LiDAR
† Digital compatibility
„ Data (ASCII files with X, Y, and Z) can
be directly imported in GIS.
„ Can be combined with other data types.

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Applications of LiDAR

Floods
† Improving flood
forecast models and
flood hazard zoning
operations.
† Determination of the
friction coefficient on
flood plains.
† Topographic data
input to GIS based
relief, rescue, and
flood simulation
operations.
† Simulation EXAMPLE

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Coastal
applications

† Coastal
engineering
† Flood
management
† Erosion
monitoring
† Excellent in
inaccessible and
featureless terrain

Bathymetric applications
† For mapping river
and coastal
navigation
channels
† River and coastal
bed topography

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Glacier and Avalanche

† Mapping glacial topography

† Measuring ice velocities

† Risk assessment for avalanche

Landslides
† Monitoring landslide
prone zones.
† Continuous
monitoring will lead
to prediction of
possible slope
failures.

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Forest
mapping
† Generation of bare
earth DEM
† Estimation of
biomass volumes
† Data for forest fire
hazard zoning and
disaster
management

Urban
applications
† Generation of 3D
city models
† Change detection
to
„ assess structural
damage to structures
after a disaster,
particularly after
an Earthquake

„ Ground
Zero

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Urban applications
† Drainage and
other utility
network
planning
† Emergency
route planning
† Other GIS
applications

Cellular
Networks
† Details of building
outlines, ground
cover and other
obstructions.
† Line of sight, and
view shed
analysis.

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Mining
† To estimate
ore
volumes
† Subsidence
monitoring
† Planning
mining
operations

Corridor mapping

† Mapping for planning and maintenance purposes of

„ roadways, railways, gas and oil
pipelines

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Bharat Lohani, PhD

Transmission line
trans section cross section

0,5 m raster DSM

† Tree location
† Tower location
† Catenary models
† Vegetative critical distance analysis
† For carrying out repair and planning work.

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