Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Judi Lynn

(160,517 posts)
Sat May 25, 2019, 05:06 AM May 2019

Laser drones protect Scottish forests


By Kenneth Macdonald
BBC Scotland Science Correspondent
1 hour ago

Laser-carrying drones that can see through the forest canopy are being used to protect native Scottish plants threatened by invasive species.

The drones use Lidar (light detection and ranging), which works like radar but uses light instead of radio waves.

Laser pulses are fired at the trees below and the time it takes for wavelengths to bounce back is used to create a 3D picture of what lies beneath.

The data is combined with information from satellites to give an accurate "fix" of the drone's position.

More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-48380213
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Environment & Energy»Laser drones protect Scot...