Funds from this collaborative grant with UNAVCO, Inc. (PI: Miller; EAR-0923539) will support acquisition of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) equipment that will be made available through the UNAVCO National Earth Science Geodetic Support Facility equipment loan pool to the broader geoscience community. The TLS systems and ancillary equipment including a digital camera and ruggedized field laptops will facilitate research and research training applications that will take advantage of the unique capability of TLS for sub-cm resolution mapping of natural and manmade surfaces (e.g., rock outcrops, vegetation, beach profiles, snow pack, civil structures). TLS technology is based on precise time-of-flight measurement capability from a laser photon source to a target surface and return to a detector with scanning ranges of up to 3 km. Rastering of the laser beam allows for rapid, precision 3-D mapping of surface features. Coupled with GPS, TLS scans can be accurately referenced to an appropriate datum. The addition of digital photography yields photorealistic 3D images. TLS systems are portable and therefore suitable for a wide spectrum of user applications in many different environments. UNAVCO will provide user training through workshops and outreach activities.
