Lidar applications in the modern world

What is Lidar and How Does It Work?

At its core, lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is an advanced laser scanner technology that uses light pulses — typically from near infrared lasers or water penetrating green light in the case of bathymetric surveys — to measure distances to surfaces.

A lidar instrument principally consists of a laser emitter and a sensitive detector that records the time between the emission of a laser pulse and the return of the reflected light.

The time delay is converted into distance, allowing the system to build up dense lidar generated products called point clouds. These millions or billions of points precisely represent surface characteristics of terrain, vegetation, buildings, and other features.

Various lidar systems exist: airborne lidar, such as fixed-wing or helicopter-mounted airborne laser platforms; mobile lidar mounted on vehicles; and static lidar scanners used for ground-based surveys. Used in land and ocean surveying, a 3D model from lidar data informs policy makers, coastal managers, terrestrial planners, marine planners and other interested stakeholders.

Marine lidar is also useful in coastal surveys, allowing you to map the seafloor. This application is most used in environmental monitoring, nautical charting, coastal zone management and coastal reef mapping. The various lidar systems allow us to capture high-resolution data to depths of three times the water clarity, which we utilised in Northern Ireland coastline mapping project.

More specialised types include differential absorption lidar used for atmospheric measurements and flash lidar that captures entire scenes in a single laser pulse.

The combination of lidar data with other ground truth data and other data sources — such as satellite imagery or geographic information system (GIS) layers — allows for robust environmental modelling, infrastructure planning, and object detection with unparalleled accuracy.

Applications of Lidar Data Across Fields

Lidar technology has become a vital tool across numerous industries. By acquiring highly accurate 3D data of both natural and manmade environments, lidar supports a wide range of applications—from archaeology to autonomous vehicles—transforming how we map, monitor, and manage our world.

Archaeology

Lidar has revolutionised archaeology by uncovering hidden landscapes and revealing ancient structures that are otherwise obscured by dense vegetation or difficult terrain. Using airborne lidar systems, researchers can emit millions of laser pulses per second to penetrate forest canopies and generate detailed 3D point cloud data of the ground surface below.

Whilst this isn’t an area Fugro work with directly, lidar aids in monitoring the condition of sites over time, detecting erosion or human impact. Archaeological sites benefit from this insight, but we apply the same data to supporting conservation efforts globally.

Construction

Lidar technology plays a transformative role in modern construction by providing precise, high-resolution 3D models of construction sites and existing structures. Using mobile lidar systems mounted on tripods, vehicles, or drones, surveyors can quickly capture detailed point cloud data that accurately represents the spatial relationships of all objects on and around the site.

Key Construction Applications:

Site Planning and Analysis: Before breaking ground, lidar data offers a comprehensive view of the terrain and existing conditions. This enables engineers and planners to assess slope stability, drainage patterns, and potential environmental impacts. The detailed 3D models help identify challenges early and optimise the design to reduce risks.

• Progress Monitoring: During construction, repeated lidar scans allow project managers to track progress by comparing current site conditions against design plans. This helps identify discrepancies, avoid costly rework, and ensure timelines are met.

• Resource Management: Accurate spatial data supports efficient allocation of materials, machinery, and workforce. By understanding the exact volume of earthworks or materials on site, construction teams can reduce waste and improve logistics.

• As-Built Documentation: Upon project completion, lidar-generated digital models serve as precise records of the finished construction. These models are invaluable for future maintenance, renovation, or expansion work.

• Risk and Safety Management: Lidar’s millimetre precision aids in detecting changes in terrain or structural integrity over time, providing early warnings for potential hazards. This proactive monitoring enhances safety on site and helps comply with regulatory requirements.

By integrating lidar data with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), consultants and construction professionals gain a powerful toolset for improving accuracy, efficiency, and decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.

Forestry

Lidar technology is revolutionising forestry management by providing detailed, accurate measurements of forest structure and health. Airborne lidar systems can penetrate dense forest canopies to capture data on tree height, canopy density, and undergrowth—information that is difficult or impossible to gather through traditional methods.

• Forest Inventory: Lidar enables precise estimation of tree volume, biomass, and species distribution, helping foresters manage timber resources sustainably.

• Health Assessment: By analysing vegetation structure and canopy gaps, lidar data assists conservationists in identifying areas affected by disease, pest infestations, or drought stress.

• Fire Risk Prediction: High-resolution terrain and vegetation data from lidar supports fire management agencies by identifying fuel loads and mapping firebreaks, improving wildfire prevention and response strategies.

• Habitat Mapping: Lidar-derived 3D models of forest environments help ecologists monitor biodiversity and design conservation strategies that protect wildlife habitats.

Mapping and Surveying

Lidar has become an essential tool in modern mapping and surveying, offering unparalleled accuracy and efficiency across numerous applications.

• High-Resolution Topographic Mapping: Lidar systems generate highly detailed 3D maps that capture the precise shape and features of the land surface, including subtle changes in elevation. This data is critical for creating accurate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), which serve as foundational layers for geographic analysis.

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Integration: Lidar point cloud data is often integrated with GIS platforms, allowing surveyors, planners, and engineers to analyse spatial relationships, overlay other data types (such as satellite imagery or cadastral maps), and make data-driven decisions about land use, infrastructure, and natural resource management.

• Urban and Regional Planning: Lidar mapping supports planners in designing cities and regions by providing precise measurements of existing structures, landforms, and transportation networks. This allows for smarter zoning, infrastructure placement, and growth management that consider natural and built environments.

• Infrastructure Development: Civil engineers rely on lidar surveys for detailed site analysis, helping to design roads, bridges, utilities, and drainage systems that align with terrain and environmental constraints. The data helps minimise costly errors by identifying potential construction challenges before breaking ground.

• Environmental and Habitat Monitoring: Mapping with lidar enables ongoing monitoring of forests, wetlands, rivers, and other ecosystems. Changes in land cover, vegetation health, and erosion patterns can be tracked over time, supporting conservation efforts and sustainable resource management.

• Disaster Management and Risk Assessment: Accurate terrain and floodplain mapping are vital for assessing risks from landslides, floods, and earthquakes. Emergency planners use lidar-based maps to model potential hazard zones, plan evacuation routes, and design resilient infrastructure.

• Archaeological and Cultural Resource Surveys: Lidar surveys help archaeologists map sites with high precision, revealing hidden structures and landscape features obscured by vegetation or soil. This non-invasive method protects sensitive sites while enabling detailed study.

• Time and Cost Efficiency: Compared to traditional survey methods, lidar enables rapid data acquisition over large or difficult-to-access areas, reducing field time and associated costs. The dense spatial resolution and automation potential improve data quality and processing speed.

Agriculture

In agriculture, lidar data enhances precision farming by providing detailed spatial information about the land’s surface and soil conditions. Whilst Fugro focus on land and ocean surveying, the benefits that lidar has in this field can’t go amiss. The high-resolution data allows farmers to optimise crop production, reduce resource usage, and improve sustainability with soil analysis, land use planning and efficient crop management.

Aviation

Lidar technology is transforming aviation by improving safety, operational efficiency, and environmental monitoring.

• Runway and Airport Mapping: High-resolution lidar surveys provide precise, up-to-date maps of airport runways and taxiways, helping to identify surface irregularities, foreign object debris (FOD), and potential hazards that could compromise aircraft safety.

• Obstacle Detection: Lidar sensors mounted on aircraft or drones can detect obstacles in and around airports, such as tall structures, trees, or terrain features, improving navigation safety for pilots during take-off, landing, and low-altitude flight operations.

• Atmospheric Studies: Lidar is invaluable for atmospheric research, providing data on cloud density, wind speed and direction, dust, and pollutant concentrations. This information enhances weather forecasting and informs safer flight planning.

• Flight Path Optimisation: By combining lidar-derived terrain data with flight control systems, pilots and air traffic controllers can optimise routes to avoid hazardous terrain or turbulent areas, improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.

• Wildlife Management: Airports use lidar surveys to monitor bird populations and habitats near flight paths, helping to mitigate wildlife strikes that pose risks to both animals and aircraft.

Bridge Inspection

Bridge inspection is a critical safety task that has been greatly enhanced by lidar technology. Traditional inspections can be labour-intensive, dangerous, and disruptive to traffic, but lidar drones and terrestrial scanners offer a safer, faster alternative.

• Structural Assessment: Lidar collects high-resolution 3D scans of bridge components, detecting cracks, corrosion, or deformation that might be invisible to the naked eye.

• Access to Difficult Areas: Using drones equipped with lidar, inspectors can survey hard-to-reach areas like undersides or tall piers without requiring scaffolding or closures.

• Predictive Maintenance: By regularly monitoring bridges with lidar surveys, engineers can track wear and tear over time, enabling preventative repairs before serious damage occurs.

• Documentation: The detailed point cloud data produces accurate as-built records that aid in future maintenance planning and structural analysis.

• Safety Improvements: Remote sensing reduces the need for inspectors to physically access hazardous zones, minimising risk to personnel and the public.

City Planning

Lidar data has become indispensable in modern urban planning, offering highly accurate and up-to-date 3D maps that support sustainable and efficient city development.

• Urban Mapping: High-resolution point clouds capture building heights, road networks, and vegetation, enabling planners to visualise and analyse the existing urban environment in detail.

• Infrastructure Development: Lidar models assist architects and engineers in designing new buildings, roads, and utilities by providing precise terrain and structural data, reducing construction risks and costs.

• Flood Risk Management: Digital elevation models derived from lidar data allow planners to identify flood-prone areas, design effective drainage systems, and develop resilient infrastructure.

• Transportation Planning: Lidar supports the design and management of transport networks, including roads, railways, and pedestrian pathways, by accurately mapping terrain and obstacles.

• Smart Cities: Integrating lidar with IoT and GIS technologies, city planners can enhance services such as traffic management, environmental monitoring, and emergency response.

• Historic Preservation: Detailed 3D scans from lidar help document heritage buildings and landmarks, aiding conservation efforts while allowing for careful urban expansion.

Energy

Lidar technology plays a pivotal role in the energy sector by providing detailed spatial data that supports the planning, construction, and maintenance of energy infrastructure. Accurate 3D models generated from lidar data help optimise project design and improve safety.

• Renewable Energy Siting: Lidar is used to assess terrain and vegetation for wind farm placement, ensuring turbines are located in optimal positions with minimal environmental impact. It also supports solar farm planning by mapping land slope and shading patterns.

• Infrastructure Monitoring: For power lines, pipelines, and substations, lidar surveys detect structural changes, vegetation encroachment, and potential hazards that could lead to outages or safety risks.

• Environmental Compliance: Energy projects often require rigorous environmental assessments. Lidar data helps monitor sensitive habitats, assess land disturbance, and support mitigation planning.

• Offshore Energy: In offshore wind and oil and gas sectors, bathymetric lidar surveys map seabed topography, supporting safe installation and maintenance of underwater infrastructure.

• Emergency Response: In case of energy infrastructure failures, lidar-derived maps provide real-time situational awareness to coordinate repairs and minimise downtime.

Environmental Monitoring

Lidar technology is a cornerstone of environmental monitoring efforts aimed at understanding and preserving ecosystems.

• Land Monitoring: Lidar detects pollutants, maps soil contamination, and quantifies biodiversity by differentiating vegetation types and density. This detailed spatial data helps conservationists assess habitat health, monitor land degradation, and plan restoration projects with precision.

• Coastal Monitoring: Shoreline mapping through lidar tracks coastal erosion and sediment movement over time, providing critical data for climate adaptation strategies. Bathymetric lidar, which uses water-penetrating green laser light, generates 3D maps of seabeds and underwater habitats. This aids in monitoring sea level rise, coral reef health, and marine biodiversity, supporting marine conservation and sustainable fisheries management.

• Atmospheric Monitoring: Lidar also contributes to air quality assessments by measuring aerosols, pollutants, and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, helping scientists track environmental changes and human impact.

Together, these capabilities make lidar indispensable for protecting natural resources and addressing environmental challenges worldwide.

Emergency Management

In emergency management, lidar data is invaluable for rapid situational awareness and disaster response. High-resolution digital elevation models derived from lidar enable accurate flood modelling by revealing vulnerable floodplains and drainage patterns.

Lidar maps help emergency responders assess wildfire spread by analysing vegetation density and terrain slopes. After events like earthquakes or hurricanes, lidar surveys quickly identify damaged infrastructure, landslides, or blocked routes, assisting in planning rescue operations and allocating resources effectively.

The millimetre precision and near real-time processing capabilities make lidar an essential tool for minimising risk and enhancing resilience in emergency scenarios.

Geology

Lidar plays a critical role in modern geological studies by providing high-resolution maps of land surface topography. Geologists use lidar data to analyse soil spatial relationships, identify fault lines, landslides, and erosion patterns, and map subtle landform changes that may indicate geological hazards.

This precise terrain information supports natural resource exploration, groundwater studies, and hazard mitigation planning. By detecting minute changes in elevation over time, lidar helps forecast geological events such as volcanic activity or ground subsidence, enabling early warnings and improved public safety.

The Future of Lidar Technology

Lidar continues to evolve with improvements in sensor miniaturisation, data processing algorithms, and integration with other technologies.

Emerging developments include enhanced flash lidar systems capable of rapid scene acquisition, improved differential absorption lidar for precise atmospheric gas measurements, and expanded use in autonomous vehicles to aid adaptive cruise control and self-driving cars.

Advancements in lidar mapping methods, including higher-resolution digital terrain models and accurate shoreline maps, benefit sectors from storm surge modelling to the renewable energy sector by providing crucial insights into environmental and infrastructure challenges.

The ongoing integration of lidar with geographic information systems and radio detection technologies promises to broaden its utility in emergency response operations and hydrodynamic modelling.

As lidar instruments become more affordable and accessible, mapping professionals will increasingly rely on this lidar device to navigate safely and manage resources across diverse manmade environments and natural landscapes

Conclusion

The applications of lidar have expanded dramatically, fuelled by its ability to acquire precise spatial data through light detection and ranging techniques. From topographic lidar surveys creating detailed digital elevation models to advanced lidar sensors enabling autonomous vehicles to detect objects and navigate safely, lidar technology supports critical activities across science, industry, and public safety.

Whether used in airborne lidar for shoreline mapping or as a mobile lidar system for infrastructure inspections, the rich lidar data collected empowers informed decisions that enhance sustainability, efficiency, and resilience. As lidar applications continue to grow, this versatile remote sensing method will play an increasingly vital role in mapping the future of our world