High Speed Rail work gathers momentum for Delhi – Varanasi High Speed Rail Corridor with the start of LiDAR (Aerial Ground) Survey

High Speed Rail work gathers momentum for Delhi – Varanasi High Speed Rail Corridor with the start of LiDAR (Aerial Ground) Survey

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy; Sci & Tech

In news 

• With the start of LiDAR (Aerial Ground) Survey, High Speed Rail work gathered momentum for Delhi – Varanasi High Speed Rail Corridor.

Key takeaways

• The LiDAR survey for Delhi-Varanasi High Speed Rail Corridor started from Greater NOIDA where a Helicopter fitted with state of art Aerial LiDAR and Imagery sensors took the first flight and captured the data related to ground survey.
• National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited is adopting Light Detection and Ranging Survey (LiDAR) technology which provides all the ground details and data in 3-4 months wherein this process normally takes 10-12 months.
• The ground survey is a crucial activity for any linear infrastructure project as the survey provides accurate details of areas around the alignment.
  

Important value additions

LiDAR

• Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.
• These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system— generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.
• A LiDAR instrument principally consists of a laser, a scanner, and a specialized GPS receiver.
• This technology is mostly used for ground-based surveys.
• LiDAR was first used on a spacecraft during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971, when astronauts mapped the surface of the moon.
• Apart from aerial surveys, the LiDAR sensor is the most important component in self-driving cars. The LiDAR sensor provides continuous 360 degrees of visibility and accurate depth information.

Do you know?

• Airplanes and helicopters are the most commonly used platforms for acquiring the data.
• It can be used to examine both natural and manmade environments with accuracy, precision, and flexibility.
• Two types of LiDAR are:
  • Topographic typically uses a near-infrared laser to map the land
  • Bathymetric uses water-penetrating green light to measure seafloor and riverbed elevations.

Related articles:

• About LiDAR: Click here

• Prehistoric settlements discovered through Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data: Click here