LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing technology that uses a laser beam of light to measure features on the ground. Airborne LiDAR scans the Earth's surface, then the returns of the laser are measured to create a 3D representation of the imaged surface. The abundance and transmission speeds can be used to define both the bare Earth structure and the aboveground structure. These distinctions are created by processing the raw data through specific mathematical algorithms designed to separate bare Earth from aboveground structure.

The LIDAR system combines a pulsed, solid-state laser, an inertial motion unit (IMU), and a geodetic GPS receiver in a compact and modular configuration. The IMU (accelerometers and gyroscopes) monitors the aircraft attitude, while the GPS receiver provides aircraft position data. Rotating optics in the instrument's sensor head scans the laser across the ground, illuminating a swath under the aircraft. The LIDAR instrument can be installed on any plane equipped for aerial photography. Depending upon aircraft altitude, aircraft velocity, and instrument pulse rate, the LIDAR instrument can collect data with an illuminated footprint of approximately 15 cm and a swath width ranging from 300 to 900 meters.