y. 
aq 
at 
International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part B6. Istanbul 2004 
  
  
ae 
Figure 1. application of LIDAR derived products in 
highway projects (DTM with simulation of projected 
highway). 
  
Figure 2. application of LIDAR derived products in 
highway projects (detection of possible environmental 
problems right-of-way). 
6. PROBLEMS FACED BY THE OWNERS OF LIDAR 
SYSTEM 
The largest problem mentioned by the system owners is the 
high cost of maintenance of the equipment, considering that it is 
a high technology of the latest generation. Another problem is 
the understanding of the uses and limitations of the technology, 
on the part of the customers, who are influenced by concepts 
given out by people who have no knowledge of Laser Scanner 
equipment and its limitations and potentialities. 
Another difficulty is the need of a highly specialized and 
trained team of people to work in the acquisition of the LIDAR 
data (planning and carrying out the flights, data processing), 
treatment — (filtering, classification), making products 
(DTM/DSM, hypsometric maps, etc), as well as the application 
of these products for a great variety of uses. 
It should be pointed out that it is a work for specialized 
engineers; otherwise, there is the risk of producing data which 
may be incoherent with reality. Besides, in order to obtain 
better results, there is a need for correct interpretation of the 
objectives of the project to be executed, in the phase of 
acquisition of data as well as in the processing phase. 
35 
7. DIFFICULTIES TERMS OF MARKET 
The owners of LIDAR technology in the country agree that the 
cartography market in the country is already difficult by itself. 
The LIDAR technology is still an innovation for many 
contracting parties of mapping in Brazil. In the cartographic 
community Laser Scanner can be considered a new technology 
experienced in tests and approved for the maps production . 
Besides, this market is polluted for conservative ideas that tend 
to refute new technologies without at least to try knows them. It 
is difficult for a customer (usually a state organization) to 
understand the by-product of the Laser Scanner survey. The 
subject of altimetric quality is an example of that; many don't 
get to dissociate of contour line obtained by photogrammetry, 
whose quality on it influences of operator subjectivity and of 
mapping scale. The explanation of that new product becomes a 
task as arduous as the surveying itself. Another important fact is 
the question of cost of a Laser Scanner survey. It is still too high 
for a restricted market with a Brazilian. 
8. EXPECTATIONS ABOUT OF LIDAR TECHNOLOGY 
FUTURE IN BRAZIL 
The surveing and researches already accomplished and in 
development are enlarging the possibilities of LIDAR 
technology application at the country. The approval of the law 
10.257 (city statute) in 2001, it turned obrigatory the master 
plan implantation for the Brazilian cities with more than 20.000 
inhabitants, doing still more urgent the need of mapping 
realization of those cities. Although mapping demand is 
elevated, the financial resources to accomplish them are limited. 
The Laser Scanner sensor can be an alternative to map the cities 
with goal of master plan execution. 
The GIS application for urban planning, environmental and 
forest purpose, electric power sections, etc. it is constituted in 
vast field for application of LIDAR technology in Brazil. Still 
more being taken into account that the data are usable in digital 
ambient, a new form of using space data and remote sensor 
products. 
It is waited that next years new surveing and researches bring 
benefits for the following areas: 
1. environment: antropic actions monitoring, creation of digital 
digital models and of elevation, erosion monitoramento, 
mapeamento of basins hidrográficas, control of floods; 
2. forest section: height of the vegetation, virtual removal of the 
vegetation, biomass estimate; 
3. urban planning: urban drainage, telecommunications, digital 
models of elevation urban; 
4. electric section: project and monitoramento of transmission 
lines, mapeamento of basins hidrográficas, modelling of 
reservoirs; 
5. other: cut-and-fill volumes, highway engineering projects and 
rail, petroleum and gas. 
REFERENCES 
References from journal 
FLOOD, M., 2001.Laser altimetry: from science to commercial 
LIDAR mapping. Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote 
Sensing. EUA, 67(11), pp. 1209-1218.