Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing method that measures distance to targets by emitting rapid laser pulses and recording the time-of-flight of the backscattered signal to reconstruct three-dimensional spatial information. Operating typically in the near-infrared or ultraviolet-visible spectrum, lidar systems integrate a laser transmitter, scanning optics, timing electronics, and sensitive detectors (e.g., APDs, SPADs) to achieve centimeter- to meter-scale ranging precision. Methodological variants include airborne and terrestrial lidar for topographic mapping, bathymetric lidar using water-penetrating wavelengths, and Doppler lidar for wind profiling, with data processed into point clouds, digital elevation models, and other quantitative geospatial products.
NASA announced Tuesday the selection of three new science investigations that will strengthen humanity's understanding and exploration of the moon. As part of the agency's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative ...
Space Exploration
Jan 21, 2026
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Existing algorithms can partially reconstruct the shape of a single tree from a clean point-cloud dataset acquired by laser-scanning technologies. Doing the same with forest data has proven far more difficult. But now a team ...
Ecology
Jan 21, 2026
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In a recent study, researchers from China have developed a chip-scale LiDAR system that mimics the human eye's foveation by dynamically concentrating high-resolution sensing on regions of interest (ROIs) while maintaining ...
Monitoring forest health typically relies on remote sensing tools such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR), radar, and multispectral photography. While radar and LiDAR penetrate canopies to reveal structure, they struggle ...
Environment
Jan 5, 2026
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30
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have developed a new type of lidar—a laser-based remote-sensing instrument—that can observe cloud structures at the scale ...
Earth Sciences
Dec 23, 2025
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Forests have been benefiting humanity since long before the health benefits of forest bathing were discovered. They are major carbon sinks that provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including timber and non-timber forest ...
Ecology
Oct 29, 2025
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A few years ago, researchers in Michal Lipson's lab noticed something remarkable. They were working on a project to improve LiDAR, a technology that uses lightwaves to measure distance. The lab was designing high-power chips ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 7, 2025
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654
Scanning forests with lasers can provide three-dimensional models of forests, creating a unique way to look at these ecosystems. Researchers at the University of Helsinki are pioneers in applying this technical solution to ...
Ecology
Oct 6, 2025
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Optical frequency combs, as a time and frequency "ruler," have important applications in precision ranging. Conventional dual-comb ranging schemes utilize the optical Vernier effect to achieve long-distance measurements, ...
Optics & Photonics
Aug 20, 2025
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88
Canada is facing another dangerous wildfire season, with burning forests sending smoke plumes across the provinces and into the U.S. again. The pace of the 2025 fires is reminiscent of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season, ...
Environment
Jul 28, 2025
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