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Simulation of LIDAR Point Cloud for a Planet as Generated by Satellite Borne Laser Ranging Instrument

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Abstract

Laser ranging is the modern and fast way of finding distances to different inaccessible objects. When integrated with positioning and orientation sensors these instruments yield 3D coordinates of points on the object. A large number of such points results in a point cloud model of the object. This model contains information about topography and overall shape of the object. This paper presents a method to simulate the resulting point cloud for a planet generated by a satellite borne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) instrument so as to understand the exact nature of data in advance. Planet Moon has been taken as an example in this paper along with the orbital parameters of Chandrayan-1 and its laser instrument LLRI (Lunar Laser Ranging Instrument). The satellite orbit coordinates are calculated in MCMF (Moon Centered Moon Fixed) coordinate system. The satellite ground path is estimated and the LLRI specifications are employed to generate the point cloud data over the planet surface (Moon in this paper) for a given duration and areal coverage. Simulator projects the generated data using UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) projection or Equal Area Cylindrical Projection system as per the need of data display. Craters and fractal surfaces are also simulated to generate Moon-surface-like data. These simulated data can help in planning LiDAR missions and also help in developing data processing algorithms in advance.

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Acknowledgments

Authors acknowledge the help received from Laboratory of Electro-Optic Systems (LEOS), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, 208016, UP, India

    Bharat Lohani, Aditya Roshan & Abhishek Kumar Singh

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  1. Bharat Lohani
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  2. Aditya Roshan
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  3. Abhishek Kumar Singh
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Correspondence to Bharat Lohani.

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Lohani, B., Roshan, A. & Singh, A.K. Simulation of LIDAR Point Cloud for a Planet as Generated by Satellite Borne Laser Ranging Instrument. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 43, 521–528 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-014-0438-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-014-0438-9

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