LIDAR NEWS WEEKLY RECAP – JULY 21st
Curated and written by Adam Clark. Adam has spent the past 13 years exploring the world from above by using drones, satellites, and mapping tools to better understand our landscapes.
AMETEK Completes Acquisition of FARO Technologies, Strengthening Leadership in 3D Metrology, Laser Projection & Digital Reality Solutions
AMETEK, Inc. has finalized its acquisition of FARO Technologies. FARO is known for its expertise in 3D metrology, laser projection, and digital reality solutions and has become part of AMETEK’s Ultra Precision Technologies division within its Electronic Instruments Group. With annual revenue near $340 million, FARO strengthens AMETEK’s precision measurement capabilities and strategic growth in digital reality markets.
──────────────
Reconstructing Cities in 3D: A Smarter SAR Imaging Method
Conventional Tomographic Synthetic Aperture Radar (TomoSAR) systems struggle with resolution limitations, signal noise, and overlapping scatterers, often resulting in incomplete or inaccurate 3D reconstructions. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences introduced Geo‑SETRA, a novel TomoSAR reconstruction algorithm that embeds geometric semantics like building shapes directly into the radar imaging process. Tested on both simulated and UAV‑borne datasets, the method outperformed conventional TomoSAR in positional accuracy, visual completeness, and robustness under noisy conditions, representing a new synergy between computer vision and SAR imaging
──────────────
Nortek Nucleus Supports Coral Reef Photogrammetry Project
A collaborative team of academics, supported by Inkfish, deployed Seeker autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with Nortek Nucleus 1000 navigation sensors off Tonga to map mesophotic coral reefs in 3D. These AUVs surveyed ~8,000 m² across reef slopes at depths of 5–75 m, which is roughly 20 times the area traditional divers could cover. The Nucleus provided depth, DVL, altimeter, and IMU data fused into Kalman‑filter navigation for precise mapping. Combined with diver‑collected samples and genomic sequencing, the 3D models help assess coral genetic diversity in deeper reefs that are normally understudied due to their depth and may act as climate refuges.
──────────────
Helping farmers measure carbon: The environment baselining pilot
Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Quality Meat Scotland have launched an Environmental Baselining Pilot involving 170 farms across England, Scotland, and Wales. The initiative aims to provide farmers with precise assessments of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration across soil, trees, and hedges. Participating farms represent diverse sectors such as dairy, beef, lamb, pork, cereals, and oilseeds and varied landscapes. The process includes LiDAR scanning to identify tree species for estimating carbon storage and finding locations of potential rain runoff, which will inform habitat management and water quality preservation throughout the five‑year project.
──────────────