Measuring Complete LiDAR Waveforms

MEASURING COMPLETE LIDAR WAVEFORMS

Additional to NZ Aerial Mapping's ALTM LiDAR system is the integrated Waveform Digitiser which records the complete energy return detected by the ALTM sensor. Digitised waveform data supplements the time-of-flight and intensity data that the ALTM already provides. It has the potential to enable derivation of additional information about the nature of a target by reconstructing the full LiDAR waveforms and the use of software algorithms to analyse the data and provide:

Discrimination of targets in very close proximity
Additional information such as the roughness of the target or the slope of the terrain

This may be beneficial when ranging to extended targets or through complex structures such as vegetation.

Because the full waveform is digitised, the minimum pulse separation limitation for multiple return pulses is eliminated. Without the digitiser the return pulses from two targets separated by a small distance such as 2 metres are merged, and the ALTM cannot always register two ranges.
The ALTM digitiser is able to provide continuous digitisation covering targets over a range of 66 metres, or segmented digitisation of targets separated by large distances as shown in the adjacent image.

For more information you can download the Optech ALTM Waveform Digitiser PDF.

print this page

email this page