INTRODUCTION TO LIDAR

TECHNOLOGY

Presented by-
Rahul Sarnagat
M.Tech
CONTENTS:

 Introduction
 History
 Components of LIDAR System
 Basic Working Principle
 LIDAR Platforms
 Types of LIDAR
 Applications
 Advantages / Disadvantages
 Conclusion / References
LIDAR:

 Acronym for Light Detection And Ranging (sometimes Light Imaging,

Detection, And Ranging).
 The LASER system, employed for monitoring the nature of environment is
called LIDAR.
 It is an active remote sensing technology that measures distance by
illuminating a target with a laser and analyzing the reflected light.
 Similar to RADAR, but uses laser light pulses instead of radio waves.
 LIDAR uses ultraviolet rays , visible rays and near infrared rays to image
object.
 By illuminating the target using laser beam ,a 3-D point cloud of the target
and it’s surrounding can be generated.
 Three types of information can be obtained:
a) Range to target (Topographic LIDAR, or Laser Altimetry)
b) Chemical properties of target (Differential Absorption LIDAR)
c) Velocity of target (Doppler LIDAR)
WHY LIDAR ?

 It is used for generating precise and directly geo-referenced spatial

information.

 Lasers produce a coherent light source.

 It is Active sensor , do not require sunlight, they can be used either

during the day or at night.

 LIDAR is popularly used as a technology used to make high

resolution maps.
HISTORY OF LIDAR:

 In the 1930s first attempts were made to measure air density profiles
in the upper atmosphere by determining the scattering intensity
from searchlight beams .
 LIDAR originated in the early 1960s, shortly after the invention of
the laser.
 combined laser-focused imaging with the ability to calculate
distances by measuring the time for a signal to return using
appropriate sensors and data acquisition electronics.
 Its first applications came in meteorology, where the National
Center for Atmospheric Research used it to measure clouds.
 The general public became aware of the accuracy and usefulness of
LIDAR systems in 1971 during the Apollo 15 mission, when
astronauts used a laser altimeter to map the surface of the moon.
 1995 - First commercial airborne LIDAR systems developed.
Components of LIDAR System:

 Component of lidar system-LASER :

Frequency: 50,000 (50k) to 200,000 (200k) pulses per second
(Hz) (slower for bathymetry)

Wavelength:
Infrared (1500 – 2000 nm) for meteorology
Near-infrared (1040 - 1060 nm) for terrestrial mapping
Blue-green (500 – 600 nm) for bathymetry

 LIDAR Transceiver- Generates laser beam and captures laser

energy scattered/reflected from target.

 Scanner- A laser scanner has three sub-components: the opto

mechanical scanner, the ranging unit, and the control processing
unit
Components of LIDAR System:

 POS(IMU & GPS)- Measures “sensor” position and orientation,

Inertial measurement systems also contain accelerometers to
measure the velocity.

 Operator- Permits operator interaction (control/monitor) with

system

 Data storage - Captures all AIRBORNE system data required for

generation of x , y , z “target” coordinates.

 Computer- Integrates/controls interaction of all of the above.

Components of LIDAR System:
Working Principle:

 Laser generates an optical pulse.

 Pulse is transmitted , reflected and returned to the receiver.

 This return beam/pulse is collected and processed to obtain property

of target.

 Receiver accurately measures the travel time.

 X,Y,Z coordinates can be computed from

1. Laser range
2. Laser scan angle
3. Absolute location of sensor
Working Principle:

 Calculate Distance :-
Distance=(Speed of Light * Time of flight) / 2
Working Principle:

Physical picture in LIDAR remote sensing:

LIDAR Platforms:

 AERIAL/AVIATION(Airborne)
- For highly detailed, local elevation data
- Small area where high density is needed

 SATELLITE(space borne)
- covers large areas with less detail

 TERRESTRIAL(ground spaced)
AERIAL/AVIATION platform:

 Used for topographic mapping and engineering application.

It has 3 sub parts:
 Laser scanning
 Fixed wing platform
 Rotary wing platform
 SATELLITE(space borne):
 Mapping of remote areas for scientific purpose.
It has 3 sub parts:
 Geostationary
 Polar
 Sun synchronous
TERRESTRIAL(ground spaced):
 Produce detailed 3D models of buildings, bridges, streetscapes,
factories and other man-made infrastructure.
It has 3 sub types
 Short range
 Medium range
 Long range
Bathymetric Mapping System:

 Bathymetry is the study of underwater depth of lake or ocean

floors. In other words, bathymetry is the underwater equivalent to
hypsometry or topography.

 It uses blue-green laser that can penetrate water and provide returns
of underwater objects or bottom.

 Effective collection of near shore bathymetry.

Types of LIDAR:

 ELASTIC LIDAR
Elastic backscatter LIDAR
- Mie scattering
-Rayleigh scattering

 INELASTIC LIDAR
-Raman LIDAR
-Differential absorption LIDAR(DIAL)
-Doppler LIDAR
Applications:

 Agriculture : Create a Topographical map of the fields and reveals

the slopes and sun exposure of the farm land.

 Autonomous vehicles: Autonomous vehicles use LIDAR for

obstacle detection and avoidance to navigate safely through
environments.

 Geology and soil science: ICE Sat (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation
Satellite).

 Law enforcement: LIDAR speed guns

 Surveying, Transport , wind farm optimization and many more.

 Atmospheric Remote Sensing and Meteorology.

Present Technical Advancement in LIDAR:

 LIDAR speed gun-

A LIDAR speed gun is a device used by the police for speed limit
enforcement which uses LIDAR to detect the speed of a vehicle.
Unlike Radar speed guns, which rely on Doppler shifts to measure
the speed of a vehicle, these devices allow a police officer to
measure the speed of an individual vehicle within a stream of
traffic.
 Google driverless car-
Google's robotic cars have about $150,000 in equipment including
a $70,000 LIDAR (light radar) system. The range finder mounted
on the top is a Velodyne 64-beam laser. This laser allows the vehicle
to generate a detailed 3D map of its environment. The car then takes
these generated maps and combines them with high resolution maps
of the world, producing different types of data models that allow it
to drive itself.
Google driverless car-
Advantages / Disadvantages of LIDAR

 Higher accuracy
 Fast acquisition and processing
Acquisition of 1000 km2 in 12 hours.
DEM generation of 1000 km2 in 24 hours.
 Minimum human dependence
As most of the processes are automatic unlike photogrammetric,
GPS or land surveying.
 Weather/Light independence
Data collection independent of sun inclination and at night and
slightly bad weather.
 Higher data density
Up to 167,000 pulses per second. More than 24 points per Square
meter can be measured.
Multiple returns to collect data in 3D.
DISADVANTAGE:

 Inability to penetrate very dense canopy leads to elevation model

error.

 Ineffective during heavy rain.

 High operational cost.

Conclusion:

 LIDAR mapping is a maturing technology in our country, and

applications are still being identified and developed as end-users
begin to work with the data. There are on-going initiatives to
identify areas where the technology allows value-added products to
be generated or where it offers significant cost reductions over
traditional survey methods.

 LIDAR is unobtrusive and environmentally friendly, Unlike ground

survey techniques. Airborne LIDAR can be flown over areas where
access is limited, impossible, or undesirable.
References:

[1]K. Thyagarajan and A.K. Ghatak, ‘Laser Theory and Application’

Macmillan Publication.

[2] Dr. M.N. Avadhanulu & Dr. P.S. Hemne, ‘An Introduction to Laser
Theory and Application’, S.CHAND Publication.

[3] IEEE paper, ‘Design concept for a global wind sensing lidar’
DOI: 10.1109/JQE.1979.1070185

[4]Slide-share, ‘Introduction to LIDAR Technology’

https://www.slideshare.net/search/slideshow?searchfrom=header&q
=lidar.
[5]Wikipedia-Introduction to lidar - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lidar