LIDAR

by:-

Arun Kumar Yadav

ECE-A

Roll No-1402931032
 WHAT IS LIDAR ? ?

LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging also

LADAR) is an optical remote sensing
technology that can measure the distance to,
or other properties of a target by illuminating
the target with light, often using pulses from a
laser..
 General Description
The term "laser radar" is sometimes used, even though,
LIDAR does not employ microwaves or radio waves and
therefore is not radar in the strict sense of the word.
LIDAR uses ultraviolet, visible, or infrared light to
image objects and can be used with a wide range of
targets, including non-metallic objects, rocks, rain,
chemical compounds.

A narrow laser beam can be used to map physical features

with very high resolution.
 Basic Principle

Distance to clouds

Telescope Laser
This animation shows a LIDAR
with a single beam scanned in
one axis.

The top image shows the

scanning
Mechanism.

The middle image shows the

laser's path through a basic
scene.

The bottom image shows the

sensor's output, after
conversion from polar to
Cartesian coordinates.
 What can we measure with lidar?

Clouds
Aerosol
Water Vapour
Minor constituents e. g. ozone, hydrocarbons
Temperature

Lidars can be used from the ground, aircraft or from

space
 Components used in lidar...

1) Laser

2) Scanner and optics

3)Photo detector and receiver electronics

4)Position and navigation systems

 Laser

600-1000 nm lasers are most common for

non-scientific applications.

Better target resolution is achieved with

shorter pulses, provided the LIDAR receiver detectors
and electronics have sufficient bandwidth.
 Scanners and optics

How fast images can be developed is also affected

by the speed at which they are scanned.

Optic choices affect the angular resolution and

range that can be detected. A hole mirror or
a beam splitter are options to collect a return signal
 Photodetector and Receiver
electronics

Two main photo detector technologies are used in

Lidars: solid state photo detectors, such as silicon
avalanche photodiodes, or photomultipliers.

The sensitivity of the receiver is another parameter

that has to be balanced in a LIDAR design.
 Position and navigation systems

LIDAR sensors that are mounted on mobile

platforms such as airplanes or satellites
require instrumentation to determine the
absolute position and orientation of the
sensor.

Such devices generally include a Global

Positioning System receiver and an Inertial
Measurement Unit (IMU).
 Applications..

Agriculture - LIDAR also can be used to help farmers

determine which areas of their fields to apply costly fertilizer
to achieve highest crop yield. LIDAR can create a
topographical map of the fields and reveals the slopes and
sun exposure of the farm land.

Biology and conservation- LIDAR has also found many

applications in forestry, Canopy heights, biomass
measurements, and leaf area can all be studied using LIDAR
systems. Similarly, LIDAR is also used by many industries,
Including Energy and Railroad, and the Department of
Transportation as a faster way of surveying. Topographic
maps can also be generated readily from LIDAR.
Continued..

Wind farm Optimization-Lidar can be used to

increase the energy output from wind farms by accurately
measuring wind speeds and wind turbulence.
An experimental lidar is mounted on a wind turbine rotor
to measure oncoming horizontal winds, and proactively adjust
blades to protect components and increase power.

Law enforcement- LIDAR speed guns are used by the

police to measure the speed of vehicles for speed limit
enforcement purposes
 Advantages of LIDAR technology
The other methods of topographic data collection are land:
surveying, GPS, inteferrometry, and photogrammetry.LIDAR
technology has some advantages in comparison to these
methods,which are being listed below:

1) Higher accuracy
2) Fast acquisition and processing
3) Minimum human depe11dence- As most of the processes are
automatic unlike photogrammetry, GPS or land surveying.
4) Weather/Light independence- Data collection independent
of sun inclination and at night and slightly bad weather.
5) Canopy penetration-LIDAR pulses can reach beneath the
canopy thus generating measurements of points there unlike
photogrammetry.
 Continued..

6) Higher data density - Up to 167,000 pulses per second

More than 24 points per m2 can be measured.
and Multiple returns to collect data in 3D.

7) Cost - Is has been found by comparative studies

that LIDAR data is cheaper in many applications. This is
particularly considering the speed, accuracy and density of
data.
 Disadvantages

High operating costs (> 10k / hour)

Ineffective during heavy rain and/or low cloud/mist
Degraded at high Sun angles and reflections
Latency data not processed locally
Unreliable for water depth (< 2m) and
breaking/turbulent Waves.
Lack of foliage/vegetation penetration
Precise alignment must be maintained
 Future scope
The lidar technology is now planned for a wide range of applications
that can enable NASAs achievement of its scientic and space
exploration goals. These applications fall into four general categories:

a) Earth Science: long-duration orbiting instruments providing global

monitoring of the atmosphere and land

b) Planetary Science: orbiting or land-based scientic instruments

providing geological and atmospheric data of solar system bodies

c) Landing Aid: sensors providing hazard avoidance, guidance and

navigation data

d) Rendezvous and Docking Aid : sensors providing spacecraft bearing,

distance, and approach velocity.
 Summary

Lidar technique allows continuous

monitoring of profiles with good height
resolution.

Different scattering mechanisms permit

different kinds of measurement.

New technology offers more compact

sources and development of transportable
and mobile systems.