Ethiopian Geospatial Information Institute to Use LiDAR Remote Sensor

Addis Ababa August 30/2021 (ENA) Ethiopian Geospatial Information Institute announced that in view of scaling up its engagement it will start to use LiDAR Sensor from next month.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Sensor is a popular remote surveying method used to measure the exact distance of an object on the earth’s surface.

Ethiopian Geospatial Information Institute Director General, Tulu Beshah told ENA that LiDAR Sensor will render better services than the previous method of using cameras for taking aerial photograph.

He added that it will provide significant contribution for safeguarding national security besides its socio-economic importance in combating contraband and illegal land grabbing.  

Trainings on using the LiDAR Sensor have been provided to professionals, it was indicated.

According to him, projects of the Ethiopian Road Authority that the institute has agreed to carry out will be executed using LiDAR.

Tulu pointed out that the institute has plans to buy drones and utilize for mining as well as open satellite station.

He stated that the LiDAR Sensor was bought from a Switzerland company called Leica Terrain Mapper.

The Director-General said that Ethiopia’s aerial photograph coverage since 2012 has reach 43 percent.

The LiDAR Sensor technology generates precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.