Airborne LIDAR-based mapping

Aerotec introduced its second-generation airborne LIDAR-based mapping product for identifying and locating vegetation in the vicinity of electric power transmission rights-of-way that presents a significant risk to the operation of the transmission line conductors.

A featured component of the vegetation management product is a handheld unit that provides the utility forester with the capability to measure, locate, analyse, and report the vegetation violation on-the-spot, with a two-second response time, using a single-shot of the handheld unit’s laser rangefinder.

Using AeroTec’s 3-D models of the rights-of-way, the utility forester is able to use and re-use the right-of-way models with the handheld unit to re-inspect, conduct on-site analysis, map, and report on vegetation violations well into the future.

Aerotec’s handheld unit is based on the TOPCON GRS-1 unit integrated with the Laser Technology TruPulse 360 laser rangefinder. Aerotec’s proprietary software for this application produces GIS-compatible (shape-file) results to provide the end-user with complete vegetation violation inventory maps both inside and outside the transmission right-of-way based on an initial airborne LIDAR data capture and processing operation.