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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A series of experiments were conducted in collaboration with the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence (MSCoE formerly MANSCEN) and the Contingency Base Integration Technology Evaluation Center (CBITEC) to test the capabilities of mast mounted LiDAR for Persistent Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance (P-ISR).
Experiments were coordinated by Brad Pettijohn, ERDC MSCoE liaison, and Ken Bergman of the Army Geospatial Center. ERDC-TEC researchers, worked with Lt. Col. Mike Kneuper, MSCoE Maneuver Support Battle Lab and ERDC-CERL’s Dr. Robert Tucker CBITEC project manager to deploy a RIEGL VZ400, full-waveform LiDAR atop a 30-foot military grade, carbon fiber mast and scan areas and perimeters associated with an established experimental forward operating base (FOB). The FOB has been constructed as a plug-and-play facility to test various technologies representing power and energy, waste removal and recycling and resource use and can house 300 to 600 troops.
As a result of the effort, the team built a high-resolution, three-dimensional point cloud and image-based model of the FOB and perimeter environs that will be used by MSCoE and CBITEC as a tool for future construction planning and assessment. The model detail will permit evaluation of elements such as volume of fill materials, structures and general site design. The team is also using the model to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the deployable technology, including day/night acquisition, data resolution, positional information and scanning procedures involving height and mast stability. The team is scheduled to revisit the site over the next two years to provide change assessment and generate updated models for MSCoE.
The work at Fort Leonard Wood is being conducted as part of the Laser Reconnaissance Intelligence and Telemetry (LARIAT) program at TEC to demonstrate LiDAR acquistion, remote sensing, and data processing and dispersal for tactical applications. The tests showed that a mast-mounted approach fills an important area gap not addressed by airborne and ground mobile systems, namely the ability to view top-down and deliver important centimeter-level details in structures, environment and topographic information. It is hoped that Soldier-deployed LiDAR will be a technology offered as a companion to other similar electro-optical systems such as the Night Vision Laboratory’s “Cerberus” - a portable integrated tower with mounted sensors, developed to provide persistent ground surveillance for FOB perimeter defense. LiDAR could deliver a ranging and modeling capability not yet part of this integrated system.