LiDAR/DEM
A cousin to radar, LIDAR technology is used to produce a digital elevation model of a project area in short fashion.
The LIDAR unit sends out many pulses of energy that travel to the ground, are reflected, and return to the aircraft. Distance is determined from the time it takes the pulse to travel to the ground and back, much like distance is determined in a total station. The three-dimensional position of the ground is determined from the distance, position and direction gained from LIDAR for each pulse. This process is repeated some 20,000 to 25,000 times each second of flight. But software written specifically for this kind of data is able to reduce it to meaningful ground elevation information, which can be put to use in many ways.
Click Here to Learn More about LiDAR: LiDAR MAPPING; THE MYTHS AND THE MAGIC
A Rendering of a LiDAR Image (Location Unknown)
