Real-Time Update of Digital Terrain Model From Lidar Data

Construction work using heavy machinery (e.g. bulldozers, graders and excavators) will in the future require real-time digital terrain model (DTM) updating. The original contribution of this paper is the innovative method and the algorithm to implement this requirement. A portable measurement platform has been built as a fusion of GNSS (global navigation satellite system), IMU (inertial measurement unit) and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors. The algorithm for operating the platform was developed in the Python programming language. Analyses of the capabilities and limitations of both the platform and the algorithm were performed. A field test was conducted at a gravel pit where the surface of the excavated material was modified in the course of the experiment to verify the performance of the system. It is concluded that the prepared measurement platform and the original algorithm are highly efficient in performing the real-time update of DTM model from LiDAR data.