Annual international LiDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF) Conference 2010

From a record 96 abstracts submitted by international experts, the Annual international LiDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF) Technical Committee has organised a wide-ranging Conference program of 30 technical papers for ILMF10 which is being held in Denver, Colorado, USA from 3-5 March 2010.

The ILMF Conference agenda will be delivered by representatives of the major global LiDAR [Light Detection and Ranging] system manufacturers, service providers and government and national user organisations. Technical papers from examining the latest developments in LiDAR technology to reporting on recent projects from around the world, reflect the increasing use of LiDAR for fast, high-resolution and cost-effective data gathering in map making for urban areas, rural asset management and along flood plains and the coastal zone.

A new session at ILMF10 is devoted to Mobile Mapping, the cutting edge technology for development of digital maps for highways and urban areas. The accuracy and speed of data capture in the field by Mobile Mapping technology supersedes traditional survey methods, and applications for the data include 3D maps, advanced driver assistance systems and vehicle fleet management.

Conference Chairman, Alastair MacDonald from TMS International comments, ‘Mobile Mapping comprises complex integration of a number of sensors including high accuracy positioning, digital photographic and 3D imaging cameras and terrestrial LiDAR systems, all computer-linked and time-synchronised and contained on a single vehicle.

‘The advantages of Mobile Mapping are: the speed of data acquisition and the recording of “real world”, geo-referenced information; increased efficiency and productivity as many different forms of data are acquired simultaneously rather than requiring separate survey missions; and the accuracy of the data, resulting from the high resolution and precision of the sensors, which can be verified very quickly on site.’

A unique element to this event is the ‘Basics to LiDAR workshop series’ a two day workshop which caters to those that are new to the business and want to find out what LiDAR is, how it works, what the applications are, the cost benefits and how it compares with other mapping technologies. There will also be four sessions on Mobile Mapping.

The 10th Conference is supported by a major technical exhibition, consisting of the worlds leading LiDAR system and component manufacturers, operators and software companies.

Full details on ILMF10 including the conference program can be found at www.lidarmap.org.