Airborne lidar: a surveying tool for the new millennium

The last few years of the 20^th century have witnessed the “coming of age” of Airborne Laser Bathymetry (ALB) and its transition from research and development technology to routine operational use. Despite this transition, the technology is still generally poorly understood in the hydrographic survey community, and in this environment it has been difficult to establish a universally accepted philosophy for its use. This paper explores the strengths and limitations of the technology and relates these characteristics to several scenarios, with particular emphasis on how the use of Airborne Laser Bathymetry systems is likely to impact survey operations of the future