Lidar (also written LIDAR or LiDAR) is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser and analyzing the reflected light. Although thought by some to be an acronym of Light Detection And Ranging, the term lidar was actually created as a portmanteau of "light" and "radar." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lidar)

Lidar is popularly used as a technology to make high-resolution maps, with applications in geomatics,archaeology, geography, geology, geomorphology, seismology, forestry, remote sensing, atmospheric physics, airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM), laser altimetry, and contour mapping. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lidar)



