Institute for Transportation

About the research

The main objective of the research was to evaluate the advanced remote sensing technology, LIDAR, as a method to provide the necessary data to support effective decision-making and resource allocation in asset management.

LIDAR technology integrated with airborne GPS and inertial measuring can allow surface measurements (x,y,z) with a typical vertical accuracy of 15cm. Further data processing can extract measurements of bare ground (removal of vegetation, snow cover, etc.); also, digital aerial photography can be obtained as LIDAR measurements are taken. For this project, LIDAR data were collected for two pilot study areas, assessed for accuracy and applicability relative to asset management data needs, and applied to three applications to evaluate practical use of the technology.

Three separate reports are available.

Funding Sources:
Iowa Department of Transportation ($70,000.00)
Midwest Transportation Consortium
Total: $70,000.00