Laser Altimetry

Breakthrough in development of reliable satellite-based positioning for dense urban areas

Researchers have developed a GNSS-only method that consistently outperforms existing methods in dense urban areas, enabling safer and more reliable autonomous navigation. The approach uses a probabilistic framework to estimate position without relying on carrier-phase integer ambiguity resolution.

SourceMeijo University·JournalIEEE Robotics and Automation Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 22, 2026

Antarctica’s glacial border migrates for miles with the tide

Research reveals the grounding line of the Ronne Ice Shelf can shift up to 15 km with changing tides, controlling ice stability and potentially accelerating ice melt. This finding highlights the need for improved observations and modeling of tidal processes to predict Antarctica's response to climate change.

SourceBritish Antarctic Survey·JournalThe Cryosphere·DateSep 26, 2023

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Satellite laser altimetry helps monitor changes in global lake water storage

A recent study using satellite laser altimetry found that about 54% of lakes showed a significant trend in water-level change from 2003 to 2020, with 80% showing an upward trend. The total water volume of observed lakes increased at a rate of 10.88 ±16.45 Gt/yr during this period.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateFeb 22, 2022

NASA's ICESat-2 equipped with unique 3-D manufactured part

ICESat-2 will employ a novel technique to determine ice sheet topography and sea ice thickness, leveraging a 3D-printed PEKK bracket that offers electrostatic dissipation and minimal outgassing. The satellite's Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) will utilize photon counting for precise surface elevation measurements.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateFeb 2, 2016

Altimeter built at Goddard helped identify ice on Mercury

The MESSENGER spacecraft provided new lines of evidence for the existence of water ice on Mercury, with measurements from its laser altimeter and hydrogen concentrations from the neutron spectrometer. The findings suggest that ice is present near the north pole, covered by a layer of material in most areas.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalScience·DateNov 29, 2012

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.