Airborne Laser Measurement Technology in Japan

Kinematics GPS and inertia movement instrumentation technology has developed rapidly, which achieved to provide a high and stable accuracy of spatial positioning, attitude in three dimensions for high-speed movement platform such as aircraft. The airborne laser measurement system which is based on the laser scanning technology, has been integrated to the GPS inertia movement instrument on the aircraft platform. The advantage of airborne laser data is the possibility of displaying, operating and generating of 3D spatial model in the computer. Further development is being done to extend to wide variety of applications in scientific manner. The applications based on these airborne laser data are used in the field of mapping, analysis of land deformations, city modeling, flood control simulation, and CG or virtual realities. Also, the research and development on spatial operation function technology for threedimension spatial model acquired by airborne laser measurement system, is now applied for the expansion uses of latest 3D-GIS. The analysis result of the airborne laser measurement, by using the electronic ground control points as reference points, which is established by Geographical Survey Institute, extending over 1000 points in Japan, and the research result concerning the preparation of the manual for public survey, indicates the vision of the prospect of the laser measurement in Japan.