Lecturer
Julia Rieder
ECTS
5 ECTS
Aim
The course provides a practical introduction to LiDAR technology and point cloud analysis. Students gain hands-on experience with LiDAR data, from acquisition principles to processing and interpretation, and learn how LiDAR supports applications such as terrain modelling, forestry, and others. The course emphasizes critical understanding of data quality, limitations, and real-world use cases
Content
This course provides an overview of the scientific field surrounding LiDAR as a key technology for three-dimensional Earth observation. The course covers the fundamentals of LiDAR remote sensing, point cloud data structures, and processing methodologies across platforms ranging from spaceborne and airborne systems to terrestrial and mobile laser scanning. Furthermore, the course highlights current developments and emerging analytical possibilities enabled by advanced point cloud analysis and discusses future potential as LiDAR technologies and methodologies continue to evolve and converge with related disciplines.
Coding
Software
Techniques
Content
General Course News and Updates
Successful MSc Defense by Laura Obrecht
At the recent EAGLE MSc defenses, Laura Obrecht presented her thesis on the detection of grassland mowing events using Sentinel-1 InSAR coherence and deep learning approaches. Her work, titled “Detektion von Grünlandmahd mit Sentinel-1 InSAR Coherence und einem Deep...
First-semester EAGLE students deliver an impressive suite of R packages
One of the most encouraging signs of a strong Earth Observation curriculum is when students move beyond learning existing tools and start building their own. In their very first semester of the EAGLE MSc program, our students did exactly that: developing a diverse and...
EAGLE MSc Defense: Evaluating the Potential of a Deep Learning Framework for Detecting Mowing Events in German Grasslands with Sentinel-1 InSAR Coherence
On May 22, 2026, Laura Obrecht will present her Master Thesis on " Evaluating the Potential of a Deep Learning Framework for Detecting Mowing Events in German Grasslands with Sentinel-1 InSAR Coherence" at 11:00 a.m. in room 01.B.03 (EORC meeting room 1st floor). From...
From Kruger to Potchefstroom: Reconnecting with South African EAGLE
After completing their internship in Kruger National Park, EAGLE students Sebastian and Clemens were not quite ready to leave South Africa behind. Instead of heading straight home, they reunited with their South African EAGLE friend, Charl Strydom, for a road trip...
Celebrating Dr. Aida Taghavi: An EAGLE Graduate’s Successful PhD Defense
We are delighted to congratulate our former EAGLE M.Sc. student, Dr. Aida Taghavi, on the successful defense of her PhD thesis, “Multi-Sensor Soil-Moisture Estimation and Freeze–Thaw Detection across Alpine Grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau, Peatland Permafrost in...
EAGLE Internship Presentation: Remote sensing for Ecological Applications in the High Arctic
On April 13, 2026, Clara Vydra will present her internship results on " Remote sensing for Ecological Applications in the High Arctic" at 15:30 in seminar room 3, John-Skilton-Str. 4a. From the abstract: This internship focused on supporting Master students in their...
EAGLE MSc Defense: Current Status, Trends, and Future Challenges of the Alpine Cryosphere, Illustrated by an Example from the Hohe Tauern National Park
On April 27, 2026 Clara Vydra will present her Master Thesis on "Current Status, Trends, and Future Challenges of the Alpine Cryosphere, Illustrated by an Example from the Hohe Tauern National Park" at 14:00 in seminar room 3, John-Skilton-Str. 4a. From the abstract:...
🦅 Don’t Miss the EAGLE M.Sc. Application Deadline – May 15
The deadline to apply for the EAGLE M.Sc. “Applied Earth Observation and Geoanalysis of the Living Environment” program is approaching quickly - applications must be submitted before midnight May 15th (CEST) for a winter term start in October. Located at our EORC at...
EAGLE social ski retreat
To recharge their batteries after an intense semester, some EAGLE students went skiing together in the Austrian Alps, taking the opportunity to experience cold-region environments themselves. Beyond the thrill of the slopes, the trip allowed students to observe snow...
EAGLE Internship Presentation: Geomorphological Monitoring at Askja Caldera: Field Observations of Subsurface Instability
On April 28, 2026, Hanna Zoë Schulten will present her internship results on " Geomorphological Monitoring at Askja Caldera: Field Observations of Subsurface Instability" at 12:30 in seminar room 3, John-Skilton-Str. 4a. From the abstract: Volcanic calderas are...