4 interesting hidden uses of LiDAR
LiDAR scanning is being used worldwide in all kinds of innovative, interesting, and unexpected applications. There are many ways LiDAR is helping not only engineers but also archeologists, cities, and even courtrooms! Here are some interesting uses and successes this technology is achieving day by day.
1. It can be utilized to recreate crime scenes
LiDAR is revolutionizing the courtroom. With LiDAR scanners, the process of documenting a crime scene can now be carried out in minutes with incredible detail and accuracy. Jurors are now able to consider clean, complex crime scene recreations that show every last piece of evidence clearly since with a LiDAR scanner the exact positioning of every incidental item can be captured. So instead of relying on static photos, this point cloud data is being used to create full 3D reconstructions of crime scenes that are used in the courtroom itself.
2. It helps in natural disasters
A natural disaster can completely transform a landscape, leaving maps less than useless and making already hazardous response missions even more terrifying. Luckily, LiDAR technology can take super quick scans of dramatically different landscapes, thus helping emergency responders deliver aid among other things. These scans can be used to understand the altered terrain, create new maps, and identify where response efforts should focus.
3. It can help rediscover lost history
LiDAR is also helping to rediscover lost history as it makes scanning at scale simple, which means vast areas can be covered easily. Mapping such expansive areas reveals patterns that would be missed without being able to see smaller sections as a whole. This is great news for archaeologists who are excited about the ways that LiDAR could open up forgotten or undiscovered worlds.
4. It helps preserve the wonders of our world
LiDAR scanning is proving to be an invaluable tool in the field of historical preservation. This is because LiDAR scanning creates highly detailed data sets that can later be used to create 3D models of at-risk historical sites. This technology was actually used on the Notre Dame cathedral, which began its restoration after a devastating fire in 2019.
Each day LiDAR appears to spread in more areas, as it is a powerful and useful tool. With all these possibilities this technology keeps allowing users to create data and scans and keep discovering more uses outside just the engineering world.