Eagle, Idaho’s Tim Williams on LIDAR: A New

Way of MappingBy Tim Williams

Tim Williams of Eagle, Idaho, president of Single Point Solutions, likes to keep abreast of new technology for his Geographical Information Systems services. LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) offers exciting prospects for mapping and analyzing data for future real estate development.

Eagle, Idaho’s Tim Williams on LIDAR: A New Way of Mapping

LIDAR has been in existence since the 1960s, but it is only now becoming cost-effective and accurate enough for widespread use. LIDAR enables surveying of large areas from aircraft at a substantial savings over conventional methods.

Eagle, Idaho’s Tim Williams on LIDAR: A New Way of Mapping

The basic concept of LIDAR is simple. A laser beam fires, and sensors measure how long it takes for the light to be reflected back. The longer this lag time, the farther away an object is. These pulses form a three-dimensional “picture” of the objects being surveyed. 

Eagle, Idaho’s Tim Williams on LIDAR: A New Way of Mapping

Experts see many applications for LIDAR. For example, the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management use it for mapping wooded areas. Using LIDAR on a national scale could save the U.S. Geological Survey anywhere from $116 million to $620 million per year.

Eagle, Idaho’s Tim Williams on LIDAR: A New Way of Mapping