This Technology Could Transform Life in Cities
- Daniel Stone for National Geographic Magazine February 1st, 2018
- Source: {short_url}
Debra F. Laefer is a professor at New York University’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (NYU CUSP) and the NYU Tandon School of Engineering.
… In the past, the highest resolution for lidar was about 40 points per square yard. But a team of researchers at New York University has increased the resolution to 280 points per square yard, resulting in a view from above—especially in urban areas—that’s far more detailed than ever before and true to cracks, curbs, and building facades. … “Let’s say you worked in public health and you knew there was a high concentration of asthma in one neighborhood,” says NYU’s Debra Laefer, professor of urban informatics. You could start looking at corners where trucks idle, she says. Where is that pollution going?
