On analysis and visualization of full-waveform airborne laser scanner data

The ongoing technical developments on airborne laser scanner systems, with shorter pulses, increased operation altitudes, focal plane array detectors, full-waveform digitization and recoding, etc. provide new opportunities for the expansion and growth of military as well as civilian applications. However, for the continuing development of systems F and applications one crucial issue is the research and development of new and efficient laser data processing methods for analysis and visualization. In this paper we will present some recent developments on visualization and analysis of full-waveform data. We will discuss visualization of waveform data by inserting the waveform samples in a 3D volume consisting of small 3D cells referred to as voxels. We will also present an approach for extracting additional 3D point data from the waveforms. The long term goal of this research is to develop methods for automated extraction of natural as well as man-made objects. The aim is to support the construction of high-fidelity 3D virtual environment models and detection and identification of man-made objects.