FULL WAVEFORM LIDAR EXPLOITATION TECHNIQUE AND ITS EVALUATION IN THE MIXED FOREST HILLY REGION

Abstract

Abstract. In this paper a full waveform exploitation technique and its evaluation in the mixed forest hilly region is presented. The increment in ground penetration by using the full waveform exploitation technique compared to the discrete LiDAR pulses during autumn and winter season is evaluated. The results showed that the technique used for the full waveform exploitation has effectively increased the ground penetration by 50 % and 20 %, respectively, during autumn and winter in the mixed forest hilly region compared to the discrete return pulses. The accuracy test of the LiDAR derived terrain model constructed from the discrete LiDAR pulses and full waveform LiDAR pulses obtained during autumn and winter has also been performed. The RMSE of the LiDAR derived DTM with 1m grid size constructed from the discrete LiDAR pulses obtained during autumn and winter were 0.73 m and 0.22 m respectively. Likewise, the RMSE of the LiDAR derived DTM constructed from the full waveform LiDAR pulses obtained during autumn and winter were 0.59 m and 0.21 m respectively. The results also showed that by using full waveform return pulses, DTM constructed for both seasons were improved compared to the DTM generated from discrete LiDAR pulses.