Generation of 3D virtual geographic environment based on laser scanning technique

This paper demonstrates an experiment on the generation of 3D virtual geographic environment on the basis of experimental flight laser scanning data by a set of algorithms and methods that were developed to automatically interpret range images for extracting geo-spatial features and then to reconstruct geo-objects. The algorithms and methods for the interpretation and modeling of laser scanner data include triangulated-irregular-network (TIN)-based range image interpolation; mathematical-morphology (MM)-based range image filtering, feature extraction and range image segmentation, feature generalization and optimization, 3D objects reconstruction and modeling; computer-graphics (CG)-based visualization and animation of geographic virtual reality environment.