UNAM selects RIEGL sensor as its first aerial Lidar system

The University of Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) has recently procured a RIEGL VQ-1560 II-S airborne system through its Institute of Geography. It has been added to the R&D project workflows in the university. The primary focus is to further the understanding of naturally occurring changes to the environment and the impacts of human interaction on the landscape. This information is crucial for mitigating risks to the region, planning development, and studying the effects of climate change over time.

“For UNAM, having this team is a milestone in terms of research and development. This equipment will allow us to meet a tremendous demand in the field of research and study of natural phenomena and human activity in the territory throughout Mexico,” said Armando Peralta, technical secretary of liaison for the Institute of Geography, UNAM.

Peralta continued: “This state-of-the-art Lidar system will help us obtain very important results for disaster risk management, territorial planning, the study of ecosystems and the search for strategies for adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change in vulnerable areas of the country. It will be used in all areas of research throughout the university and allow for experimentation with new applications and also to train specialists in the use of Lidar. We are very pleased with the acquisition of this technology and have already completed the installation and calibration, so we will soon start carrying out surveys on major projects.”

Preparing future experts

As the university continues to deploy this RIEGL system on more research projects, it will further develop students to become the next leading generation of specialists in these fields. RIEGL looks forward to being a key collaborator and supplying needed cutting-edge technology to further this educational initiative.

“We feel honoured with UNAM and their final decision to purchase one of our most sophisticated units, the VQ-1560 II-S," said Claudio Avello, RIEGL USA’s regional manager for LATAM. “And at the same time, we are confident that our technology and solutions will bring them all kinds of new opportunities to study and analyse the Mexican geography and be part of important projects that will positively impact the population. We look forward to continuing our support for UNAM in this new Lidar era for them.”