Lidar education at Georgia Tech

The Georgia Tech Research Institute teamed with a local undergraduate women's institution, Agnes Scott College, to develop an eyesafe lidar for atmospheric remote sensing as a unique hands-on research experience for undergraduate students. The students constructed the lidar with guidance from Georgia Tech researchers after receiving classroom lectures and doing hands-on laboratory work on the technologies required to design and build the system. Coursework included geometrical and atmospheric optics; lasers and eye safety; radiometry; optical detection; materials, coatings, and filters; digital signal processing and data analysis; and mechanical structures. The course succeeded in making lidar technology accessible and appropriate for undergraduate students, and it is intended to serve as a model for other schools. EARL (the Eye-safe Atmospheric Research Lidar) research projects include studies of the planetary boundary layer, tropospheric aerosols and clouds, and the stratospher...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: IGARSS
• Authors: Gary Gimmestad, Leanne West
• Keywords: Georgia Tech, IGARSS 2010, Lidar, Remote Sensing, Undergraduate Students