School of Forest Resources and Conservation		UF / IFAS
	GEOMATICS AREAS OF STUDY
Areas of Study Geomatics Faculty Research Fall Courses Spring Courses Facilities	LIDAR is the technology that uses laser pulses to map the surfaces of the earth. In particular, a LIDAR system combines a single narrow-beam laser with a receiver system. The laser produces an optical pulse that is transmitted, reflected off an object, and returned to the receiver. The receiver accurately measures the travel time of the pulse from its start to its return. LIDAR mapping can occur day or night, as long as clear flying conditions are present. On a functional level, LIDAR is typically defined as the fusion of three technologies into a single system capable of acquiring data to produce accurate digital elevation models (DEMs). These technologies are; Lasers, the Global Positioning System (GPS), and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS). Combined, they allow the measuring of the footprint of a laser beam as it hits an object, to a high degree of accuracy. Lasers themselves are very accurate in their ranging capabilities, and can provide distances accurate to a few centimeters. The accuracy limitations of LIDAR systems are due primarily to the GPS and INS. As advancements in commercially available GPS and INS occur, it is becoming possible to obtain a high degree of accuracy using LIDAR from moving platforms such as aircraft
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