This month’s edition offers a broad look at how lidar, positioning, and GeoAI integrations continue to evolve. This evolution is not simply the result of better technology, but of the ways those tools are being applied to increasingly complex real-world problems.
We begin once more in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, where Marc Riedo, Matthew Parkan and Corentin Junod explore the use of high-density aerial lidar and deep learning to better understand forest structure. Their work demonstrates how detailed point clouds can support species classification, resource assessment and increasingly automated forest inventories.
On page 20, Kevin Andrews takes us beyond the traditional measure of positioning performance: accuracy. His article examines how sensor fusion is helping systems remain reliable in urban environments, rail tunnels and active airport airspace. The common theme is resilience, with positioning technology continuing to perform when GNSS alone is no longer enough.
In Florida, Al Karlin, Nicole Hewitt and Madison Trowbridge revisit Kings Bay and Crystal River through a decade of topobathymetric lidar surveys. Beginning on page 26, their comparison illustrates both the value of repeated elevation mapping and the care required when interpreting change through time.
On page 34, Ada Perello is back with installment four of our “Elevations for the Nations” series, addressing lidar use in Czechia, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. These profiles reveal the varied approaches to national lidar programs across Europe and explore the prospects for a broader pan-European elevation dataset.
Immediately afterwards, on page 41, David Jones of McKim & Creed brings the focus back to the United States with a look at surveying’s role in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. As existing maps and records became outdated, surveyors provided the accurate field information needed to begin rebuilding.
Closing out this edition, a Q&A with Chanlee Vincent of NV5 examines the gap between experimentation and operational adoption in GeoAI, including how agentic AI may help integrate lidar, imagery, GIS and enterprise systems into more connected workflows.
Taken together, these stories reflect an industry moving far beyond data collection alone. The real value increasingly lies in resilience, interpretation, integration and the ability to turn complex geospatial information into decisions that matter.