April 8, 2020
Presented By Emily Wilson, CLEAR Geospatial Extension Educator
Lidar is a remote sensing technique to map elevation using a laser sensor on an airplane. The result is millions of points (or more) which are often used as input to other datasets such as digital elevation models (DEMs) which show the surface of the bare ground. It has been more difficult to work with and visualize the actual points due to their 3D nature and overwhelming numbers, especially on a statewide extent. But that was then, the statewide 3D Lidar Interactive Viewer is now. The new 3D Lidar Viewer is a proof of concept for publishing statewide colorized Lidar points in a 3D ArcGIS Online web scene. It was created with the help of Esri’s Living Atlas Team using ArcGIS Pro and published to ArcGIS Online. It is available on the CT ECO website which is a partnership between UConn CLEAR and CT DEEP. The Viewer contains the 2016 statewide Lidar points which were colorized using summer aerial imagery (NAIP). This means that the points have color corresponding to what is on the ground at that location. Also included in the viewer are points showing detailed building roofs and bridges, points colored by intensity as well as elevation, a pilot area of 3D buildings and trees (including tree height and diameter measurements) along with existing shaded relief, contours and impervious surfaces. We are just beginning to explore the many applications. Check it out at http://cteco.uconn.edu/projects/lidar3D/.