Development of a simulator for Airborne Altimetric LiDAR

The airborne altimetric LiDAR has gained considerable significance over the last few years as a tool for collecting accurate and dense topographic data at a high speed. The LiDAR instrument consists of several sensors like laser scanner, GPS, INS, all integrated to yield the coordinates of the ground points where the laser pulses fired from laser transmitter strike the ground. This paper describes the initial progress achieved in the development of a LiDAR simulator and outlines the further goals. The simulator is aimed at replicating the process of data collection by the LiDAR using mathematical models. The terrain (as near as possible to actual ground) is generated using a set of mathematical surfaces stitched together. Another model simulates the flight of aircraft and produces a laser vector towards the ground. Determination of the point where the laser vector intersects the mathematical surface leads to the coordinates of the ground point hit by laser. It is also possible to corrupt the laser vector by incorporating error models in it to replicate the errors produced by LiDAR. The final outcome of the simulator is a data set for the given mathematical surface and for chosen flight parameters. This simulator will be useful in better understanding of the LiDAR dat