Application of Light Detection and Ranging Technology to Highway Safety

2003 ◽  
Vol 1836 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aemal J. Khattak ◽  
Shauna Hallmark ◽  
Reginald Souleyrette
Keyword(s):  
Data Acquisition ◽  
Surface Profile ◽  
Return Time ◽  
Highway Safety ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Light Detection And Ranging ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Light Detection ◽  
Crash Frequency ◽  
Elevation Data

An application of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology to highway intersection safety is presented. LIDAR can be used to collect information about a surface by reflecting thousands of light beams per second off the surface and measuring the return time of the beams. The surface profile is collected as a digital signature that can be used in a variety of applications. Collection of information on the surface profile of the earth in the form of elevation data is one of several LIDAR applications that have been used for mapping and contouring. The focus of the described application is use of LIDAR elevation data to obtain information on intersection geometry that can lead to the discovery of potential obstructions in driver sight lines. After appropriate transformations, LIDAR elevation data were used in line-of-sight analysis to obtain information on sight-line obstructions at six intersections on the IA-1 corridor in Iowa. Intersection crash frequency and data availability were considerations in the selection of the six intersections. Results from the line-of-sight analysis were validated by visits to the intersections in the field and verification of the existence of obstructions detected during the analysis. Sixty-six lines of sight were blocked during the line-of-sight analysis, of which 62 (89.8%) were confirmed during the validation process. Four (5.8%) sight-line obstructions were not confirmed during the validation. At least three (4.4%) potential sight-line obstructions discovered during validation were not detected during the line-of-sight analysis. The intersection with the highest crash frequency was correctly found to have obstructions located within the intersection sight triangles. It can be concluded that LIDAR elevation data can be used successfully for identifying potential sight-distance problems at intersections. Identified potential problems can be verified and rectified in the field. LIDAR is a relatively costly data source, and a single application, such as this one, cannot justify the high cost of LIDAR data acquisition. Other potential highway safety enhancing applications of LIDAR must be investigated to offset the high data-acquisition cost. Suggestions for other highway safety applications are provided.

Progress in operational flood mapping using satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle M. Brown ◽  
Crispin H. Hambidge ◽  
Jonathan M. Brownett
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Aperture Radar ◽  
Light Detection And Ranging ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Synthetic Aperture ◽  
Lidar Data ◽  
Light Detection ◽  
Elevation Data ◽  
Sar Data ◽  
Automated Methods ◽  
Aperture Radar

During flooding, operational tools for mapping flood extent and depth of water in flood-prone areas are required by those planning emergency response, including UK statutory agencies such as the Environment Agency. Satellite data have become a source of information to map and monitor floods, but many of the methods developed to process the data are unsuitable for accurate, near real-time production of flood information products. This paper describes a new semi-automated methodology developed to provide operational mapping of flood extent and flood depth using satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data combined with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) elevation data. In this method, an analyst uses the flood boundary derived from 8 m spatial resolution satellite SAR data to estimate the flood surface elevation at points around a flooded area using a digital terrain model derived from LiDAR data. This method is compared to a simple satellite ‘SAR-only’ method for generating flood extent and alternative, automated methods of generating flood extent and depth that also used SAR and LiDAR. TerraSAR-X and SPOT 5 data were used from an area including the UK Somerset Levels which suffered a major flood event in February 2014. The new semi-automated method produced similar overall accuracy to the SAR-only method ( Po = 95.8% and Po = 95.3%, respectively), but was more accurate at mapping flood extent where large vegetation or other objects appeared in the satellite SAR data. The automated methods were relatively inaccurate (overall accuracy ranged from Po = 83.4% to Po = 88.8%), but were used to identify where further work on improving the semi-automated-elevation method could be carried out. In addition to the flood extent information provided by the semi-automated-elevation method, flood surface elevation data were produced that could be used to estimated flood depths and flood volumes. The accuracy of the flood elevation surface was tested using LiDAR data acquired of the water surface during the flooding (root mean square error = 0.152 m). The paper discusses progress towards operational flood monitoring using SAR and LiDAR remote sensing products.

Generating meshes for tidal wetland modeling using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 941-951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramona Stammermann ◽  
Michael Piasecki
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Light Detection And Ranging ◽  
Tidal Marshes ◽  
Lidar Data ◽  
Tidal Channels ◽  
Light Detection ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Elevation Data ◽  
Resolution Model

A high resolution model mesh was required to numerically simulate sediment transport in tidal marshes. The timing of flooding is dependent on the tidal marsh ground elevation, which requires accurate topographic elevation data. The tidal prism of the marsh is determined by the volume provided by tidal channels in the system. Hence, their location and bathymetry needed to be represented adequately. Due to the high spatial variability and inaccessibility of marshes, remote sensing techniques such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR) are a significant resource for elevation data. LiDAR measures the highest elevation of elements. To determine the bare ground elevation, filter techniques exist but are often inadequate to eliminate elevation errors that are introduced by the vegetation of marshes. We introduce a simple method to remove remaining vertical elevation errors in high resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) of vegetated marshes and present an approach to determine the bathymetry of tidal channels based on a limited number of cross-sectional measurements. Forcing polygons for mesh generation were extracted from the DTMs to assure an accurate spatial representation of the marsh. DTMs (2 × 2 m/1 × 1 m) derived from LiDAR data from the Blackbird Creek Reserve and Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware, USA, were used.

scholarly journals A Novel LOS Decision Technique Reflecting 3D DTED for Modeling an Electronic Warfare Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 409
Author(s):  
Jaejoong Lee ◽  
Chiho Lee ◽  
Hyeon Hwi Lee ◽  
Kyung Tae Park ◽  
Hyun-Kyo Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interpolation Method ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Electronic Warfare ◽  
Decision Algorithm ◽  
Elevation Data ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Point Distance ◽  
Terrain Elevation

A new line-of-sight (LOS) decision algorithm applicable to simulation of electronic warfare (EW) is developed. For accurate simulation, the digital terrain elevation data (DTED) of the region to be analyzed must be reflected in the simulation, and millions of datasets are necessary in the EW environment. In order to obtain real-time results in such an environment, a technology that determines line-of-sight (LOS) quickly and accurately is very important. In this paper, a novel algorithm is introduced for determining LOS that can be applied in an EW environment with three-dimensional (3D) DTED. The proposed method shows superior performance as compared with the simplest point-to-point distance calculation method and it is also 50% faster than the conventional interpolation method. The DTED used in this paper is the data applied as level 0 for the Republic of Korea, and the decision of the LOS at approximately 1.8 million locations viewed by a reconnaissance plane flying 10 km above the ground is determined within 0.026 s.

scholarly journals Using Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) to Characterize Forest Stand Condition on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Erik Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Forest Inventory ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Grid Cell ◽  
Forest Stand ◽  
Light Detection And Ranging ◽  
Inventory Analysis ◽  
Light Detection ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Kenai Peninsula

Abstract Airborne laser scanning (also known as light detection and ranging or LIDAR) data were used to estimate three fundamental forest stand condition classes (forest stand size, land cover type, and canopy closure) at 32 Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) plots distributed over the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. Individual tree crown segment attributes (height, area, and species type) were derived from the three-dimensional LIDAR point cloud, LIDAR-based canopy height models, and LIDAR return intensity information. The LIDAR-based crown segment and canopy cover information was then used to estimate condition classes at each 10-m grid cell on a 300 × 300-m area surrounding each FIA plot. A quantitative comparison of the LIDAR- and field-based condition classifications at the subplot centers indicates that LIDAR has potential as a useful sampling tool in an operational forest inventory program.

Precision and shortcomings of yaw error estimation using spinner-based light detection and ranging

Wind Energy ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Knud A. Kragh ◽  
Morten H. Hansen ◽  
Torben Mikkelsen
Keyword(s):  
Error Estimation ◽  
Light Detection And Ranging ◽  
Light Detection

Hybrid Integrated Silicon NitridePolymer Optical Phased Array for Efficient Light Detection and Ranging

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Chul-Soon Im ◽  
Sung-Moon Kim ◽  
Kyeong-Pyo Lee ◽  
Seong-Hyeon Ju ◽  
Jung-Ho Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phased Array ◽  
Light Detection And Ranging ◽  
Light Detection ◽  
Optical Phased Array

Streamlining Chinese Highway Accident Data Acquisition, Communications, and Analysis

2003 ◽  
Vol 1846 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Yi ◽  
Bin Ran
Keyword(s):  
Data Acquisition ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Highway Safety ◽  
Data Mapping ◽  
Data Logger ◽  
Safety Program ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Accident Data ◽  
Analysis System ◽  
Set Up

This research examines a streamlined accident data acquisition, communications, and analysis system to improve the Chinese highway safety program. A data logger compatible with the Global Positioning System and geographic information system is proposed to identify highway accident locations and organize the data into a database format. A data encoding concept is used to transform Chinese characters into numbers, so that the encoded data are easy to integrate into a large data system. A three-tier client–server networking system is set up as the backbone framework for data communications between the central database and distributed local offices. Using local database functions, traffic police at the client level can view crash data through data mapping and attribute listing and analyze the data through nested query and sorting operations. A data graphing and analysis module was tested for automatically constructing a collision diagram on selected data. The proposed approach to crash data acquisition and analysis was found to be feasible and effective and will help to enhance China’s highway safety program after full implementation.

Hardware-in-the-loop projector system for light detection and ranging sensor testing

2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (8) ◽  
pp. 083609-1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajin J. Kim ◽  
Charles B. Naumann ◽  
Michael C. Cornell
Keyword(s):  
Light Detection And Ranging ◽  
Hardware In The Loop ◽  
Light Detection
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