Using This Light Penetrating Technology Saves You Money

LiDAR is a technology that makes your life better and helps keep your power on. LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a technology that utilizes laser light pulses to accurately measure distances and create detailed 3D maps of objects and environments. The light pulses can penetrate foliage and tell you what is underneath. 

This can be helpful for planning new subdivisions, archeologists looking for former human habitations, forest management and even detecting hidden marijuana farms. One way it affects all of us is helping maintain the power lines for power companies. LiDAR can give you a three-dimensional image down to a centimeter and can be helpful to see what is impacting power lines in wilderness areas.  

I talked with Daryl Southard with Varidaas who does LiDAR scans all over the nation. “We do arial surveying with LiDAR,” said Southard. “We can determine what’s ground, what’s tree.” This saves the need for someone to physically be there and report sightings.

This also saves you money because it costs less for the power company to maintain their lines. “If light can get through, we can see it,” said Southard. “So, you don’t have to send people to drive through and see what is there."

This can also be important for safety reasons as well. California has had massive wild fires start from power lines being disrupted and starting the spark. With LiDAR, they can detect the problems before they happen. They can see if the lines are sagging or the poles are leaning.

I like that this technology is saving me money and creating a safer world. I would also like it for home use. My son could clearly see what the dog leaves on the lawn. I could also use it to zap tomato worms hiding on my plants.