Pinliang Dong & Sheng Nie 
Introduction to LiDAR Remote Sensing [PDF ebook] 

Light detection and ranging, or Li DAR, is an advanced active remote sensing technology developed in the last 30 years to measure variable distances to the Earth. This book explains the fundamental concepts of Li DAR technology and its extended spaceborne, airborne, terrestrial, mobile, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms. It addresses the challenges of massive Li DAR data intelligent processing, Li DAR software engineering, and in-depth applications. The theory and algorithms are integrated with multiple applications in a systematic way and with step-by-step instructions. Written for undergraduate and graduate students and practitioners in the field of Li DAR remote sensing, this book is a much-needed comprehensive resource.FEATURES Explains the fundamentals of Li DAR remote sensing, including theory, techniques, methods, and applications Highlights the dissemination and popularization of Li DAR remote sensing technology in the last decade Includes new advances in Li DAR data processing and applications Introduces new technologies such as spaceborne Li DAR and photon-counting Li DAR Provides multiple Li DAR application cases regarding topography mapping, forest investigation, power line inspection, building modeling, automatic driving, crop monitoring, indoor navigation, cultural heritage conservation, and underwater mapping This book is written for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students taking courses in remote sensing, geography, photogrammetric engineering, laser techniques, surveying and mapping, geographic information systems (GIS), forestry, and resources and environmental protection. It is also a comprehensive resource for researchers and scientists interested in learning techniques for collecting Li DAR remote sensing data and processing, analyzing, and managing Li DAR data for applications in forestry, surveying and mapping, cultural relic protection, and digital products.Chapters 1 and 2 of this book are freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.