r). 
on 
AIRBORNE LASER SCANNING IN THE BRAZILIAN MARKET 
R. E. N. Loch*®, A. G. Schäfer” 
“Geosciences Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88040-900 Florianopolis, SC, Brazil . 
"Laboratory of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing e Geoprocessment — Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88040-900 
Florianopolis, SC, Brazil - (ruth,alexandro)@ecv.ufsc.br 
KEYWORDS: LIDAR, Application, Analysis, Development, Remote Sensing, Technology 
ABSTRACT: 
The use of laser, as a remote sensory instrument, has been in a developing stage for over 30 years. Starting in 1995, the commercial 
development of Light Detection and Ranging technology (LIDAR) grew fast and became an important technique for obtaining data 
of digital model of land, as well as digital model of surfaces. In Brazil, the first use of mapping with LIDAR, was performed in 2001 
by an aerosurvey company, which has been using the sensor mainly to survey strips of ducts for correcting orthophotos and projects 
of highway engineering. In 2002, a research institute and a specialized company in cartography also acquired the sensor, which is 
being used in surveys and research in Brazil. This work has the objective of reporting the use of LIDAR technology in Brazil, to 
show its application, results and expectations obtained, as related to the development of the technology at national level. The 
information for the work was obtained by interviews with main Brazilian professionals who are working directly with applications of 
LIDAR and with those who are developing research in this area. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
In Brazil, there are several companies which obtain aerosurveys 
for the production of maps in large scale. They are located 
mainly in the more developed part of the country, which is, in 
the south and southeast. These companies are using the digital 
photogrammetry in the mapping process, at least for ten years. 
Therefore, in spite of the fact many researchers consider South 
America, and even Brazil, as being technologically backwards 
in the production of maps; this is far from the truth. 
The fact is that there is a very large discrepancy in updating the 
systematic national mapping, which is the federal government's 
responsibility. Most of our cities have no mapping compatible 
with urban planning. This is a result of two facts: (a) lack of 
investment policy for federal cartography and (b) scanty 
resources appropriated for this purpose. 
However, the development of the country brought up new 
needs and they are interrelated to the physical knowledge of the 
land, the property, and the socio-environmental topics. All this 
needs to be physically determined and specialized and calls for 
good maps. We have a country, which is a continent, to map, 
we have compatible technology, however, we have few 
economical resources, which justify the concern for cost/benefit 
in the investments in new technologies, as the Laser Scanner. 
Mello (2002), reviewing the situation of the Brazilian market 
for the suborbital imaging sensors, concludes that the high cost 
of the new technologies are only assimilated in the market 
when the advantages and applications are compensatory. This is 
not only true in Brazil, but anywhere in the world, for any 
enterprise. Therefore, the recent acquisition of the Laser 
Scanner sensors, by three Brazilian companies, must have been 
a result of this knowledge. 
The first sensor was acquired in the year of 2001 by an 
acrosurvey company. In 2002 they have acquired two more 
sensors, one for a specialized company in cartography and 
another for the technology institute for development 
(LACTEC), linked to UFPR (Federal University of the State of 
Paraná) and COPEL (Power Company of the State of Paraná). 
Several researches are in the making by companies which have 
the sensors, as well as by researchers in Brazilian universities. 
It is exactly the current situation of these applications of 
33 
LIDAR, in Brazil, that the following article is going to touch 
on. 
2. DESCRIPTION OF LIDAR SYSTEMS USED IN 
BRAZIL 
Altimetry for LASER, more commonly referred to, in the 
commercial sector, as LIDAR mapping (Light Detection and 
Ranging), is becoming a common operational tool in the fields 
of the remote sensing control, photogrammetry, and mapping. 
LIDAR technology is capable to generate fast, dense and 
accurate digital model of the topography and the vertical 
structure of a surface. For a lot of applications that need high 
accuracy in elevation models, LIDAR technology offers unique 
technical capabilities; it reduces costs of field operations, and 
reduces the time and effort of post-processing, when compared 
to the traditional surveying methods. The commercial 
development of LIDAR technology is growing rapidly, since 
1995 (FLOOD, 2001). 
Plate 1 presents the institute and the Brazilian companies which 
possess the LIDAR system, the model, the manufacturer of the 
system and year of acquisition. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Company/ |ESTEIOS.A. | GEOID Ltda | LACTEC 
institution 
Sen Mo ALTM 2025 | ALTM 1225 | ALTM 2050 
Manufacturer | Optech Inc. Optech Inc. | Optech Inc. 
Maximum 
operational | 2000m 1200 m 2000 m 
flying altitude 
Average laser | 5 riz 25kHz 50 kHz 
repetition 
Nearofs. 5 01 2002 2002 
acquisition 
  
Plate 1: Laser Scanner sensors used in Brazil.