What is mobile LIDAR? How does the technology work?

1 Answer
Christopher Hawk
Christopher Hawk, retired Adjunct Professor at The School of Life
Answered 219w ago · Author has 4.5k answers and 17.7m answer views
LIDAR uses a specific wavelength of a laser to illuminate a target (the particular wavelength may change for the specific analysis being done).  The light that is reflected from the target back to the instrument is analyzed to provide a wide variety of information.  Depending on the instrument's capabilities, LIDAR can be used for cartography, analysis of weather formations, surveying farm fields for irrigation / fertilization needs, and even for determining the speed of a vehicle.

LIDAR works by sending out the laser beam (in micro pulses or high energy waves) from one lens in the unit and receiving the reflected beam in a second lens.  The instrument measures the difference between the transmit time and reception time to determine the distance of the target from the instrument.  Comparison of multiple readings reveals the speed of the target, while compiling the reflections from a stable instrument can reveal geographical features or objects in the target area.

"Mobile LIDAR" means that the instrument is either handheld (like some units used for LIDAR speed detection) or mounted on a vehicle (from SUVs to trailer-mounted instruments to airborne instruments).  LIDAR units can be installed permanently for long-term analysis of certain geographical features such as fault lines or sediment deposits in rivers.
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