UAV and Backpack LiDAR Systems for High-resolution Forest Inventory

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2023-HABI-69979
NCS: Researchers at Purdue University developed a new system for forest inventory assessment, surpassing current methods which are labor-intensive, expensive, and inaccurate. The Purdue researchers' method integrated LiDAR units mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and backpack mobile mapping systems (MMS) equipped with integrated Global Navigation Satellite System/Inertial Navigation System (GNS/INS). With system calibration and trajectory enhancement using aerial and ground-based data, the combined system provides high quality point clouds for accurate, high-resolution forest inventory. The researchers evaluated their method with two UAV and one backpack datasets covering a forest plantation. This groundbreaking technology can assist in the prevention of forest fires and forest and pest management, along with carbon sequestration measurements.

Technology Validation:
The UAV datasets achieved relative and absolute accuracy in the range of 0.1 m. The backpack dataset achieved relative and absolute accuracy of 2 cm and 10 cm, respectively.

Advantages:
- High accuracy
- High resolution
- Lower cost than manned airborne systems

Applications:
- Estimating forest inventory
- Prevention of forest fires
- Forest management
- Carbon sequestration measurement
Nov 15, 2022
Provisional-Patent
United States
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Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization
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