LIDAR drone costs have dropped dramatically from $150,000 per flight to around $60,000 per unit, allowing independent researchers to conduct archaeological surveys without university backing. A major initiative is planned across the US, South America, and the Polynesian world, including the largest independent Amazonian scan. All data will be shared with local indigenous communities. LIDAR can achieve precision down to the size of a golf ball — remarkable democratization of the technology. 📡🔍
LIDAR technology democratizing archaeology for independent researchers
Key facts
- LIDAR drone costs dropping from $150,000 per flight to $60,000 per unit
- Independent researchers can now conduct archaeological surveys without university approval or grants
- Announcement of upcoming major LIDAR initiative in US, South America, and Polynesian world
- Plans for largest independent Amazonian LIDAR scan
- All data will be shared with local indigenous communities
- Discussion of Moundville archaeological site scanning in Alabama
- LIDAR can achieve precision down to the size of a golf ball
Sources
Scientists are 'X-raying' the Amazon and unlocking a lost human ...washingtonpost.com
Brazilian researchers are using laser technology to unearth a lost Portuguese colony and challenge long-held beliefs about human settlement ...
Mapping New Archaeological Frontiers in the Rainforest - Kagglekaggle.com
Recent LiDAR (airborne laser) surveys confirm that many undiscovered structures lie hidden in Acre's forests. The evidence strongly indicates that Acre's ...
LidArc Initiative: Pioneering Global Under-Canopy Archaeology by ...lapet.unisi.it
The initiative aims to support underfunded projects in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, where possible, in the acquisition, processing, and ...
Unpacking OpenAI's Amazonian Archaeology Initiativetechpolicy.press
It combines cutting-edge LiDAR technology with community-led observation to identify archaeological legacies beneath the forest canopy. This ...
Lidar reveals pre-Hispanic low-density urbanism in the Bolivian ...nature.com
Lidar technology has revolutionized the documentation of archaeological sites worldwide, especially those hidden under dense forest4,5,6,32,33, ...
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.