Image processing of airborne scanning laser altimetry for some environmental applications

David C. Mason; David M. Cobby; Ian J. Davenport

doi:10.1117/12.373243

14 December 1999 Image processing of airborne scanning laser altimetry for some environmental applications

David C. Mason, David M. Cobby, Ian J. Davenport

Proceedings Volume 3871, Image and Signal Processing for Remote Sensing V; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.373243
Event: Remote Sensing, 1999, Florence, Italy

Abstract

Airborne scanning laser altimetry (LiDAR) is an important new data source for environmental applications, being able to map heights to high vertical and horizontal accuracy over large areas. The paper describes a range image segmentation system for data from a LiDAR measuring time of last significant return only. Each spot height represents the height of incidence of the narrow laser pulse with the ground, the top of the vegetation canopy or some point in between. The segmenter is aimed at two specific environmental applications, both of which require the underlying ground heights and the vegetation canopy heights to be estimated from the LiDAR height image. A method of estimating vegetation height in regions of short vegetation such as crops is presented. An advantage of segmentation is that it allows different topographic and vegetation height extraction algorithms to be used in regions of different cover type. Thus the method attempts to maintain ground height accuracy in regions of tall vegetation cover (e.g. forest areas) by reducing spatial resolution in these regions.

Citation Download Citation

David C. Mason, David M. Cobby, and Ian J. Davenport "Image processing of airborne scanning laser altimetry for some environmental applications", Proc. SPIE 3871, Image and Signal Processing for Remote Sensing V, (14 December 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.373243

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