It's not a question of which technology, linear mode LiDAR or SPL, to use, but when to use them. Both have their benefits and limitations, and there is a place for each in the airborne mapping industry. Read full article in GIM International.
SPL collects massive data from the air, uses less power, and can see through semi-porous objects with green lasers which is a significant advancement in airborne solutions. Learn how this brilliant new way of collecting massive amounts of data differs from legacy linear and Geiger methods. Read more in the December 2016 issue of xyHt
NASA’s Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) will utilize the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument to measure the elevation of the entire earth. Sigma Space designed and delivered the high-precision Photon Counting Electronics (PCE) used in ATLAS. Prior to that, Sigma Space developed the timing electronics and multiple opto-mechanical systems of the high-altitude, airborne Multiple Altimeter Beam Experimental LiDAR (MABEL) instrument which served as a demonstrator for ATLAS.
Static aerosol LiDAR networks are deployed globally for weather monitoring. A groundbreaking hybrid network platform features fixed LiDAR instruments augmented by mobile units. Read more here.
Pacific Environment Limited has begun using Sigma Space’s to MiniMPL LiDAR, or micro-pulse LiDAR, “to provide additional information on real-time dust source activity on large sites where filling in the large gaps between standard monitoring sensors can bring about significant improvements in environmental imagery.” Read more at SPAR 3D.
Single-photon LiDAR has the potential to totally upend the business of airborne LiDAR collection. It promises this disruption by collecting much faster (numbers reach as high as 30x the speed of traditional LiDAR) and in much greater density. This could make airborne LiDAR collection fast and affordable, so much so that we may be able to map very large areas on a frequency that approaches continuous capture. The implications for commercial work and even carbon-measurement are huge. Read more at SPAR 3D.
Single photon laser has opened an exciting opportunity for lidar topographic mapping. It can simultaneously transmit hundreds of beams and record single photon returns. This allows data collection to be carried out in a much higher altitude and a much higher rate than the conventional linear lidar. Read more at PE&RS
Single photon lidar (SPL) is an innovative technology for rapid forest structure and terrain characterization over large areas. Here, we evaluate data from an SPL instrument - the High Resolution Quantum Lidar System (HRQLS) that was used to map the entirety of Garrett County in Maryland, USA (1700 km2). Read more of this scientific report at Nature.com