Chapter 6 — Exam Question 8

What makes ALS especially suited for the mentioned applications?

Answer

Generally speaking we can say: ALS is a versatile tool that can be customized
to accommodate a given project, e.g. by selecting the appropriate platform and
scanner configuration, and adjusting flying height and speed. The system is not
dependent on surface texture and can also penetrate water (using a green laser).
Furthermore, as an active system it can be operated independent of daylight,
although clouds may pose a problem. Using first- and last-return information,
vegetated areas can be surveyed, whereby the actual ground surface, but also
vegetation height and structure can be mapped. Lastly, since no ground-control
(apart from a calibration site) is needed, inaccessible or hazardous areas can be
surveyed. For every application we find some of these features particularly re-
levant. For example, for city modeling the near vertical viewing, for forest sur-
veys the ability to penetrate the tree canopy, for coastal areas the independence
of texture, etc.

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