Airborne laser scanning: basic relations and formulas

An overview of basic relations and formulas concerning airborne laser scanning is given. They are divided into two main parts, the first treating lasers and laser ranging, and the second one referring to airborne laser scanning. A separate discussion is devoted to the accuracy of 3D positioning and the factors influencing it. Examples are given for most relations, using typical values for ALS and assuming an airplane platform. The relations refer mostly to pulse lasers, but CW lasers are also treated. Different scan patterns, especially parallel lines, are treated. Due to the complexity of the relations, some formulas represent approximations or are based on assumptions like constant flying speed, vertical scan, etc. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.