LizardTech Awarded U.S. Patent for LiDAR Point Cloud Compression
- Anvita Shrivastava
- Jan 13
- 3 min read
LizardTech, now a GeoWGS84 company, is a leader in technology for managing and compressing geospatial data. On September 20, 2017, LizardTech announced that it had been granted a U.S. Patent for its LiDAR Point Cloud Compression Technology, which represents a tremendous step forward in the way that large LiDAR data sets are stored, transmitted, and processed.
This patent recognizes LizardTech’s proprietary method of losslessly compressing LiDAR Point Clouds, which allows an organization to significantly reduce the size of each record while maintaining 100% of the original data’s accuracy.
What This Patent Means for LiDAR Data Workflows
LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a type of technology used to create three-dimensional images of the Earth through surveying, mapping, and modeling efforts. A typical flight of a LiDAR-equipped aircraft or drone may collect thousands of images and create point clouds of materials such as soil, water, and plants, generating large amounts of information; it is common for LiDAR team members to collect over one terabyte of data in a single scanning season. Without properly compressing file sizes, the costs associated with storing and processing large quantities of data can be overwhelming and depleting.
LizardTech has developed patented technology that provides lossless compression for LiDAR point clouds, allowing for the retention of every data point to the extent of its original precision after being compressed. Lossless compression provides massive reductions in data storage requirements while maintaining the integrity of the data; this is especially useful for professionals in the fields of GIS, engineering, and data science who are working with high-resolution three-dimensional spatial datasets.
Technical Foundation: Wavelet-Based Compression
LizardTech’s approach builds on wavelet transformation algorithms historically used to compress satellite and aerial imagery. By adapting these advanced compression techniques for 3D LiDAR point cloud data, LizardTech enables efficient encoding into compact formats such as MrSID and LAZ. This method reduces data size by up to 75% or more, effectively shrinking massive point clouds while retaining accuracy and full data fidelity.
Originally developed in 2009, the LiDAR compression technology was first available as a stand-alone product called LiDAR Compressor and was later integrated into LizardTech’s flagship software, GeoExpress, in 2015.
Real-World Impact on Geospatial Processing
LiDAR data can be compressed without degrading the quality of the data, which can affect many industries positively:
Surveying and Mapping - Large data file sizes cause limited options for storing large amounts of data. By reducing the file size, you allow for quicker transfer times and therefore make high-resolution terrain and infrastructure model data more available to users.
Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) - The workflow of using LiDAR scan data collected in the field is greatly enhanced by offering compressed data sets to be easily transported (quickly) between field teams and the central server where the data are processed and viewed.
GIS analysis and visualization - Smaller file sizes allow for faster load times, render times, and analysis times within GIS and 3D-related software applications.
Sensor Integration - Developers who create SDK-embedded algorithms for compression make it possible for other developers (third-party) to use and install compressed LiDAR data processing algorithms directly into hardware and workflows associated with LiDAR systems.
Why This Matters Now
LiDAR will soon see a rise in usage across many different industries – including but not limited to autonomous vehicles and environmental monitoring – therefore making it even more important that users have a method for efficiently working with point cloud data. The recent US Patent awarded to LizardTech for their compression technology is not only a groundbreaking technical feat but also offers practical help to one of geospatial computing’s biggest hurdles; i.e., finding ways to process vast amounts of LiDAR data while minimizing the storage and bandwidth costs associated with it.
LizardTech has developed the world’s first lossless compressed point cloud file format, which is capable of performing at a level superior to any other such format. This innovative technology will set the standard for how users manage their point cloud data across various platforms, in various industries, and for multiple purposes.
For more information or any questions regarding the LizardTech suite of products, please don't hesitate to contact us at:
Email: info@geowgs84.com
USA (HQ): (720) 702–4849
(A GeoWGS84 Corp Company)
Comments