Laser scanning may help prevent urban trees from falling

For the first time, a group of biologists and engineers from the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil applied LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to investigate the health of trees and optimize pruning with the aim of reducing the risk of trees falling. This laser-sensing technology creates a "point cloud," a kind of 3D digital mold consisting of millions of coordinates that reproduces the plant's exact architecture in a computer.