CHAPTER 24
Digital Elevation Models by Laserscanning
U. Lohr
ABSTRACT: The TopoSys laserscanner system is designed to produce digital elevation models (DEMs) at a maximum accuracy of 0.5m in x and y and 0.lm in z. The
regular scan pattern and the measurement frequency of 80,000 measurements per second (on average 4 measurements per
allow to generate high quality DEMs. The
onboard sensor package is completed by a SVHS video camera which records the survey area during the flight. The mainly automated data processing allows to generate
DEMs of large areas at a short production time. The produced DEMs come into common use as basic data for different applications, some of which are water resources
management, shoreline control, planning of utility lines and urban planning (simulation of noise and pollution distributions). The performance of the system is illustrated
with help of DEM sections produced with the TopoSys system.
Introduction
Lasers are well known for their ability to measure distances with high accuracy. Laserscanners in aircraft can be used to scan the Earth's surface in order to produce digital
elevation models. Due to their measurement principle, laserscanners support an entirely digital processing. Therefore, laserscanning is the appropriate choice for a
largely automatic DEM generation: Even without post-processing the calculated raster
DEMs can form a basic data set for a GIS used to perform monitoring and / or simulation tasks.
349
D.R. Green and S.D. King (eds.), Coastal and Marine Geo-lnformation Systems, 349–354.
© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
Digital Elevation Models by Laserscanning
U. Lohr
ABSTRACT: The TopoSys laserscanner system is designed to produce digital elevation models (DEMs) at a maximum accuracy of 0.5m in x and y and 0.lm in z. The
regular scan pattern and the measurement frequency of 80,000 measurements per second (on average 4 measurements per
allow to generate high quality DEMs. The
onboard sensor package is completed by a SVHS video camera which records the survey area during the flight. The mainly automated data processing allows to generate
DEMs of large areas at a short production time. The produced DEMs come into common use as basic data for different applications, some of which are water resources
management, shoreline control, planning of utility lines and urban planning (simulation of noise and pollution distributions). The performance of the system is illustrated
with help of DEM sections produced with the TopoSys system.
Introduction
Lasers are well known for their ability to measure distances with high accuracy. Laserscanners in aircraft can be used to scan the Earth's surface in order to produce digital
elevation models. Due to their measurement principle, laserscanners support an entirely digital processing. Therefore, laserscanning is the appropriate choice for a
largely automatic DEM generation: Even without post-processing the calculated raster
DEMs can form a basic data set for a GIS used to perform monitoring and / or simulation tasks.
349
D.R. Green and S.D. King (eds.), Coastal and Marine Geo-lnformation Systems, 349–354.
© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.