Abstraction and Removal of Feature Data to Generate Bare Earth Models from Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) Technologies

EnerQuest Systems, LLC's Phase II technical approach focuses on the development of a prototype system that post-processes LIDAR data within a database management, image processing, and GIS environment. The development of the EnerQuest prototype system isdue to the culmination of knowledge gained through Phase I investigations and testing, coupled to the vast experienced gained by EnerQuest during the last three years of its operation and processing of RAMST LIDAR data. Our technical approach is centeredon the ability of the system to collect massive amounts of LIDAR data easily accessible to a user in a timely and efficient manner. This will be handled within a database and map library framework, in which interactively selected tiles of LIDAR data can beprocessed and classified using feature extraction techniques. Bare earth surfaces can be generated, with resultant residual information (non-bare earth features) being further classified in order to extract elevations of vegetation canopies and buildingfootprints.