lidar
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[remote sensing]
An abbreviation of light detection and ranging. An active, optical remote sensing technique that uses rapid pulses of laser light to measure distances and to densely sample the surface of the earth, objects on the earth, and physical infrastructure. Lidar produces highly accurate x, y, z measurements of the positions of objects struck by the light pulses. Some common uses of lidar are to provide topographic and bathymetric maps and assist infrastructure engineering.
