Airborne Laser Scanning in the Brazilian Market

The use of laser, as a remote sensory instrument, has been in a developing stage for over 30 years. Starting in 1995, the commercial development of Light Detection and Ranging technology (LIDAR) grew fast and became an important technique for obtaining data of digital model of land, as well as digital model of surfaces. In Brazil, the first use of mapping with LIDAR, was performed in 2001 by an aerosurvey company, which has been using the sensor mainly to survey strips of ducts for correcting orthophotos and projects of highway engineering. In 2002, a research institute and a specialized company in cartography also acquired the sensor, which is being used in surveys and research in Brazil. This work has the objective of reporting the use of LIDAR technology in Brazil, to show its application, results and expectations obtained, as related to the development of the technology at national level. The information for the work was obtained by interviews with main Brazilian professionals who are working directly with applications of LIDAR and with those who are developing research in this area.