LIDAR Urban Modeling

SAIC processes light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data to discern and delineate a wealth of three-dimensional (3-D) feature data. Our services range from urban modeling and data integration to affordable geospatial database development. SAIC's engineers and scientists have developed proprietary automated feature extraction and other automated tools that greatly reduce both the time and cost of data production.

Accurate and Timely Data Crucial in Emergency Response

SAIC's automated feature extraction tools can support assessment of the consequences of natural disasters, industrial accidents, and terrorist incidents. A finished urban model can be used in any number of applications including personal navigation devices, urban planning and emergency response.

High-Resolution Geolocation Databases Save Time, Money, and Lives

Databases, derived from LiDAR data covering entire urban areas at an individual building and tree level of detail, can be delivered in weeks at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. From providing warfighter geolocation information to providing detailed data for security event or mission planning including updating plume dispersion information for disaster management to full-scene recreation and line of sight computations; high-resolution geolocation databases can save time, money, and more importantly, lives.

SAIC is a leading producer of 3-D urban models from LiDAR with over six years of experience and more than 150 completely modeled cities worldwide. SAIC's proprietary LiDAR tools and the experience gained from using them on a large number of projects provide significant competitive advantages. Capabilities of urban modeling and databases using LiDAR data include:

Incorporating LiDAR System into a Service-Oriented Architecture

SAIC is incorporating our industry-leading LiDAR processing production system into a service-oriented architecture with distributed processing capabilities. This architecture enables a number of opportunities:

• External user access to high-throughput LiDAR processing through Web services, providing rapid turnaround of LiDAR products without logistical or contracting overhead
• Flexible deployment of LiDAR exploitation capabilities with a range of processing and user interface options
• Deployment as SAIC's in-house production system, further lowering processing costs and time required

Available data products include:

• Bare earth and reflective surface digital elevation models
• Orthoimagery
• Vegetation polygons and tree stem points
• Advanced mission-specific exploitation products

Processing options include the use of clusters and graphics processing units (GPUs) as well as grid processing across standard workstations.

Automated LIDAR Feature Extraction

These examples show how SAIC's feature extraction capability can discern and delineate a wealth of LIDAR feature data, greatly reducing both the time and costs of data production.