Noise Reduction in Contour Lines and Slope Maps From Medium/High-Density Lidar Data

Abstract

The use of medium/high-density LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) data for land modelling and DTM (Digital TerrainModel) is becoming more widespread. This level of detail is difficult to achieve with other means or materials. However,the horizontal and vertical geometric accuracy of the LIDAR points obtained, although high, is not homogeneous.Horizontally you can reach precisions around 30-50 cm, while the vertical precision is rarely greater than 10-15 cm. Theresult of LIDAR flights, are clouds of points very close to each other (30-60 cm) with significant elevation variations, evenif the terrain is flat. And this makes the triangulated models TIN (Triangulated Irregular Network) obtained from such LIDARdata especially chaotic. Since contour lines are generated directly from such triangulated models, their appearance showsexcessive noise, with excessively broken and rapidly closed on themselves. Getting smoothed contour liness, withoutdecreasing accuracy, is a challenge for terrain model software. In addition, triangulated models obtained from LIDAR dataare the basis for future slope maps of the land. And for the same reason explained in the previous paragraph, these slopemaps generated from high or medium density LIDAR point clouds are especially heterogeneous. Achieving uniformity andgreater adjustment to reality by reducing the natural noise of LIDAR data is another added challenge. In this paper, theproblem of excessive noise from LIDAR data of high (around 8 points/m2) and medium density (around 2 points/m2) in thegeneration of contour lines and terrain slope maps is raised and solutions are proposed to reduce this noise. All this, in thearea of specific software for the management of TIN models and GIS (Geographic Information System) and adapting thealternatives proposed by these programmes.