How fast can a backpack-mounted LiDAR system survey a forest plot compared to traditional methods?

Backpack-mounted LiDAR systems can complete forest surveys three to five times faster than conventional field methods such as manual calliper measurement and written inventory forms. The speed gain comes from continuous point-cloud capture while the operator walks the plot: the system derives tree positions and dimensions automatically, rather than requiring the surveyor to stop at each tree. The practical limit is walking speed across the terrain, not instrument setup time. Outsight, which launched the first real-time LiDAR solution for the forestry industry, applies the same LiDAR-native, real-time perception pipeline that underpins its SHIFT platform to translate raw point clouds into structured forest inventory data without manual post-processing delays.

What tree-level data can a ground-based LiDAR forest survey actually collect?

A ground-based LiDAR survey derives each tree's exact position, stem geometry, and canopy envelope from the 3D point cloud. Outsight's real-time LiDAR solution for forestry extends this capability by enabling operators to attach supplemental attributes, such as species, health status, or pest presence, as digital tags to individual tree records directly in the field. The result is a geo-referenced inventory where spatial coordinates and manually entered metadata are linked per tree, making the dataset directly usable for stand-level modelling or forest management plans without a separate digitization step. This approach applies the same infrastructure-based 3D perception principles that Outsight has deployed across airports, train stations, and smart-city environments to the specific data-collection demands of forest inventory.

How does a real-time LiDAR forest map integrate with aerial survey data?

Ground-based LiDAR captures the understory and lower stem geometry that aerial surveys miss due to canopy occlusion. When GPS geolocation is embedded in the ground scan, the two datasets share a common coordinate reference and can be layered: the aerial pass supplies canopy-top structure and large-area coverage, while the ground pass fills in stem-level detail. Outsight's real-time LiDAR solution for forestry applies this infrastructure-based sensing approach, processing 3D point clouds at sub-50ms latency so that ground-level scans can be aligned and fused with aerial survey data as captures occur rather than in post-processing. Insight Robotics, a forestry risk management firm, uses a combined aerial and ground approach to provide clients with more accurate data than either method delivers alone.

Can the same LiDAR software used for people tracking in airports work for tree mapping in forests?

The underlying LiDAR processing pipeline, detecting, classifying, and localizing discrete objects in a 3D point cloud, is generalisable across domains. In a forest context, the objects of interest are tree stems rather than pedestrians, but the core operations (segmentation, centroid localization, shape characterisation) apply directly. The main adaptation lies in the classification model and the output schema, replacing person-trajectory records with per-tree inventory records. Outsight demonstrates this transferability directly: the same LiDAR software engine deployed across airports such as Dallas Fort Worth and Paris-Charles de Gaulle for real-time people and vehicle tracking has been extended to forestry surveys, with the SHIFT platform adapting its 3D perception core to produce per-tree inventory data rather than flow analytics.

What EU funding program supported LiDAR-based forestry and environmental monitoring research?

The European Innovation Council's Green Deal fund, launched as part of the European Union's Green Deal Strategy, supported LiDAR-based environmental and forestry management work. The inaugural round of that funding, awarded in 2020, selected recipients specifically for solutions addressing conservation and land management challenges. The program targets deep-tech approaches to climate and biodiversity goals, making LiDAR-based forest inventory a natural fit given its ability to quantify biomass, canopy structure, and species distribution at scale. Outsight's launch of the first real-time LiDAR solution for the forestry industry builds on this trajectory, applying infrastructure-based 3D perception to forest environments where accurate, continuous spatial data is critical for sustainable land management.

Is real-time forest LiDAR mapping limited to research, or is it used in commercial forestry operations?

Both research institutions and commercial forestry operators have deployed real-time ground-based LiDAR mapping. University forestry programs use it for stand-monitoring studies where repeated, consistent measurement is critical, while plantation managers and forestry risk firms use it to supplement aerial data for more precise inventory and risk assessment. Outsight's launch of a dedicated real-time LiDAR solution for forestry signals that the technology has moved well beyond research pilots, bringing the same infrastructure-based 3D perception approach it applies in airports and smart cities to commercial forest operations. Adoption across three continents supports that trajectory, though large-scale commercial rollout is still expanding relative to established methods such as aerial photogrammetry.

Insights

A person uses a tablet running Outsight’s real-time LiDAR solution in a forest, displaying tree data such as species, flammability, and quality for forestry management.

Outsight launches the first real-time LiDAR solution for the forestry industry

Outsight, a leader in 3D Spatial Intelligence, has announced the launch of the first real-time LiDAR solution for the forestry industry.

“With Outsight, we’re able to complete our surveys of the forest three times faster and, at the office, have a detailed inventory of the plot with all our notes automatically tagged to each tree.”, Philippe Nolet, Professor at Université du Québec (Canada)

PARIS, FRANCE–(EINNEWS)– Outsight is bringing the power of real-time LiDAR technology to the forestry industry, democratizing instantaneous forest mapping.

• An automated 3D solution that produces a 360° forest mapping in real time, and collects data on individual trees which operators can digitally tag
• Portable: the LiDAR box integrating Outsight’s software can be carried in a backpack and connected to a tablet for real-time surveys
• 3 to 5 times faster than usual data collecting methods while being accurate and exhaustive
• Offers GPS geolocation, allowing operators to overlap maps, if necessary

Outsight, a leader in 3D Spatial Intelligence, has announced the launch of the first real-time LiDAR solution for the forestry industry.

Drawing on its established LiDAR expertise in other industries, Outsight has developed a mapping solution capable of generating a comprehensive 3D map of a forest in real-time.

Taking no longer than the time needed for the human or machine operator to traverse the plot, Outsight’s solution automatically determines the exact position and characteristics of trees.

On-site operators can digitally tag each tree with supplemental information, including species or the presence of insects, that can be used for further analysis.

This solution further builds upon Outsight’s expertise in the environmental and forestry sectors.

In July 2020, Outsight was selected from a large pool of candidates to be a recipient of the European Innovation Council’s inaugural Green Deal funding. A part of the European Union’s Green Deal Strategy, Outsight was chosen for its LiDAR-based environmental and forestry management and conservation solutions.

Outsight’s solution is already being used by forestry researchers around the world. Esteemed forestry professor, Philippe Nolet, has been using Outsight’s LiDAR processing technology to assist in his forest monitoring research at Université du Québec en Outaouais in Gatineau, Canada.

“With Outsight, we’re able to complete our surveys of the forest three times faster”, says Philippe Nolet. “Then, when we’re back in the office, we have a detailed inventory of the plot with all our notes automatically tagged to each tree, saving us a huge amount of time.”

The solution has also been adopted by Outsight’s Hong Kong-based partner, Insight Robotics, a leader in the Forestry Risk Management sector. Using Outsight’s ground-based LiDAR tool to supplement its market-leading aerial survey solution, Insight Robotics can provide its clients with even more accurate survey data, allowing customers to better manage their forests and plantations.

“Outsight’s LiDAR solution allows our team to quickly and accurately map a section of the forest and use the 3D map to complement our aerial survey results”, says William Tao.

After the proven success of its forestry-focused LiDAR solution on three continents, Outsight is continuing to work on new features for this market.

Award-Winning Technology
Outsight has successfully designed and built the next generation of LiDAR processing solutions, which have been the subject of 73 patent applications.

Outsight’s innovative solutions have won numerous awards, including the prestigious Best of CES Innovation Award in Las Vegas and the Prism Award from world leaders in photonics and lasers.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How fast can a backpack-mounted LiDAR system survey a forest plot compared to traditional methods?
Backpack-mounted LiDAR systems can complete forest surveys three to five times faster than conventional field methods such as manual calliper measurement and written inventory forms. The speed gain comes from continuous point-cloud capture while the operator walks the plot: the system derives tree positions and dimensions automatically, rather than requiring the surveyor to stop at each tree. The practical limit is walking speed across the terrain, not instrument setup time. Outsight, which launched the first real-time LiDAR solution for the forestry industry, applies the same LiDAR-native, real-time perception pipeline that underpins its SHIFT platform to translate raw point clouds into structured forest inventory data without manual post-processing delays.
What tree-level data can a ground-based LiDAR forest survey actually collect?
A ground-based LiDAR survey derives each tree's exact position, stem geometry, and canopy envelope from the 3D point cloud. Outsight's real-time LiDAR solution for forestry extends this capability by enabling operators to attach supplemental attributes, such as species, health status, or pest presence, as digital tags to individual tree records directly in the field. The result is a geo-referenced inventory where spatial coordinates and manually entered metadata are linked per tree, making the dataset directly usable for stand-level modelling or forest management plans without a separate digitization step. This approach applies the same infrastructure-based 3D perception principles that Outsight has deployed across airports, train stations, and smart-city environments to the specific data-collection demands of forest inventory.
How does a real-time LiDAR forest map integrate with aerial survey data?
Ground-based LiDAR captures the understory and lower stem geometry that aerial surveys miss due to canopy occlusion. When GPS geolocation is embedded in the ground scan, the two datasets share a common coordinate reference and can be layered: the aerial pass supplies canopy-top structure and large-area coverage, while the ground pass fills in stem-level detail. Outsight's real-time LiDAR solution for forestry applies this infrastructure-based sensing approach, processing 3D point clouds at sub-50ms latency so that ground-level scans can be aligned and fused with aerial survey data as captures occur rather than in post-processing. Insight Robotics, a forestry risk management firm, uses a combined aerial and ground approach to provide clients with more accurate data than either method delivers alone.
Can the same LiDAR software used for people tracking in airports work for tree mapping in forests?
The underlying LiDAR processing pipeline, detecting, classifying, and localizing discrete objects in a 3D point cloud, is generalisable across domains. In a forest context, the objects of interest are tree stems rather than pedestrians, but the core operations (segmentation, centroid localization, shape characterisation) apply directly. The main adaptation lies in the classification model and the output schema, replacing person-trajectory records with per-tree inventory records. Outsight demonstrates this transferability directly: the same LiDAR software engine deployed across airports such as Dallas Fort Worth and Paris-Charles de Gaulle for real-time people and vehicle tracking has been extended to forestry surveys, with the SHIFT platform adapting its 3D perception core to produce per-tree inventory data rather than flow analytics.
What EU funding program supported LiDAR-based forestry and environmental monitoring research?
The European Innovation Council's Green Deal fund, launched as part of the European Union's Green Deal Strategy, supported LiDAR-based environmental and forestry management work. The inaugural round of that funding, awarded in 2020, selected recipients specifically for solutions addressing conservation and land management challenges. The program targets deep-tech approaches to climate and biodiversity goals, making LiDAR-based forest inventory a natural fit given its ability to quantify biomass, canopy structure, and species distribution at scale. Outsight's launch of the first real-time LiDAR solution for the forestry industry builds on this trajectory, applying infrastructure-based 3D perception to forest environments where accurate, continuous spatial data is critical for sustainable land management.
Is real-time forest LiDAR mapping limited to research, or is it used in commercial forestry operations?
Both research institutions and commercial forestry operators have deployed real-time ground-based LiDAR mapping. University forestry programs use it for stand-monitoring studies where repeated, consistent measurement is critical, while plantation managers and forestry risk firms use it to supplement aerial data for more precise inventory and risk assessment. Outsight's launch of a dedicated real-time LiDAR solution for forestry signals that the technology has moved well beyond research pilots, bringing the same infrastructure-based 3D perception approach it applies in airports and smart cities to commercial forest operations. Adoption across three continents supports that trajectory, though large-scale commercial rollout is still expanding relative to established methods such as aerial photogrammetry.