Sunil Mudholkar, Vice President of Products, Physical Security for Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division, explores the benefits of LiDAR for key infrastructure.

LiDAR in physical security

In the 1960s, NASA used LiDAR (short for light detection and ranging) during the Apollo 15 moon mission to measure lunar surface height and topography.

Since then, its ability to use laser technology to create 3D models and track movement has made it indispensable to the construction, civil engineering and auto industries.

Its popularity is only growing. The global market for LiDAR technology is predicted to spike from $2.3 billion in 2023 to nearly $8 billion by 2030, according to Fortune Business Insights.

As the technology has evolved and been proven, it is now transforming the physical security industry by providing unparalleled ability to provide 3D perimeter protection and identify intruders or obstacles.

From critical infrastructure like power grids and energy plants to railways, airports, prisons and military installations, LiDAR’s capabilities are revolutionizing how security challenges are addressed.

Take, for instance, a nuclear power plant or an electrical substation. Traditional video surveillance can only put eyes on potential threats, but not without blind spots and challenges from low-light conditions.

By providing enhanced 3D perimeter protection, this technology augments traditional surveillance systems with precise motion-tracking capabilities.

This is especially valuable in conditions with poor visibility, where traditional cameras might falter.

Plus, LiDAR can scan the airspace in a designated area – nuclear reactor stacks or power transmission towers, for example – to detect unauthorized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), providing an additional layer of safeguarding from aerial threats.

Tracks and tunnels

In the transportation sector, LiDAR plays a crucial role in railway track safety and tunnel incursion detection.

By identifying objects on tracks or within tunnels, it helps prevent potential accidents and ensures the safety of passengers and cargo.

The LiDAR sensors can be programmed, for example, to alert operators when an object of a specific size falls onto the tracks at a passenger station or a person enters the track area, either by accident or with nefarious intent.

LiDAR is also an excellent option for protecting trains and tracks in tunnels.

By creating a 3D box with laser beams, LiDAR can distinguish between a human or animal entering the vicinity of the tunnel perimeter for a prescribed distance.

When an incursion is detected, the system will send coordinates to integrated pan, tilt, zoom (PTZ) cameras to provide video and alert the operator of the perimeter breach.

The system can also signal to the operator(s) and control systems to enact safety mechanisms.

Airports and seaports

For airports, the technology excels at protecting fence lines and identifying blind spots in video surveillance systems along the perimeter and enclosed areas such as terminals and hangars.

Airports also benefit from LiDAR’s ability to detect unauthorized UAVs, which traditional video systems might miss.

It can also be a powerful tool for interior security planning, identifying areas that require enhanced surveillance coverage and ensuring comprehensive protection.

Using a portable LiDAR scanner and a virtual planning tool, operators can create a 3D model or “digital twin” of a terminal or other interior space and pinpoint places where video cameras can’t see.

A designer tool allows the user to strategically place LiDAR sensors to cover those blind areas.

Like its application in airports, LiDAR provides robust 3D perimeter protection in seaports.

It can be used to build customizable 3D digital barriers to keep ships in the correct lanes, generate 3D maps and monitor perimeter security on the water and around or inside port facilities.

Perfect for prisons

Protecting high-security government facilities is among the most important uses for LiDAR.

Perimeter protection for any sensitive location is of high value, but nowhere is it more critical than in prisons.

First and foremost, it can monitor prisoner and corrections officer movement inside and outside the prison and provide a virtual perimeter that detects any incursion or escape attempt.

In addition, LiDAR’s unique ability to monitor airspace can help stop prison contraband trafficking by detecting objects being catapulted over walls or dropped into the prison yard by drones.

It can even be set up to detect movement along the walls of the building, preventing prisoners from using ropes to transport contraband up or down from window to window.

Multiple military uses

LiDAR’s versatility also extends to military applications, where it has multiple uses, from drone detection and battlefield mapping to temporary perimeter setups.

This flexibility allows for rapid deployment of security measures in sensitive zones.

If you’re in a battlefield zone and need to set up a temporary perimeter, LiDAR scanning and design tools can be used to quickly create a 3D mesh of the area and set up an alert system if a foreign object approaches from ground level or from above.

Redefining physical security

As the demand for more sophisticated security measures grows, LiDAR technology is proving to be a valuable asset in protecting critical infrastructure and facilities.

Its ability to provide real-time, high-resolution data makes it an ideal solution for enhancing perimeter security and monitoring activity in complex environments.

With multiple capabilities and adaptability, LiDAR technology is redefining physical security standards, providing unparalleled accuracy and reliability across various applications.

Its strategic use in critical infrastructure, transportation, airports, seaports and government/military sectors underscores its importance in safeguarding our world.

For more on LiDAR technology for physical security, visit Accur8vision | Hexagon.