lidR Book

The lidR package is an open-source R package specifically designed for processing and visualizing airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. It is widely used in forestry and ecology applications for research and development, providing a comprehensive suite of tools for both novice and experienced point cloud users. The package integrates seamlessly within the broader geospatial R ecosystem, supporting interoperability with other popular R packages like raster/terra/stars and sp/sf.

Key functionalities include reading and writing common LiDAR data formats like .las and .laz files, alongside advanced processing capabilities such as point classification, digital terrain model (DTM) and digital surface model (DSM) generation, and point cloud normalization. It also enables individual tree segmentation and the computation of various standard metrics at different levels of regularization, including tree, cloud, grid, voxel, and point metrics.

Furthermore, lidR facilitates the management of large sets of point-cloud files through its LAScatalog engine, allowing for efficient processing of extensive datasets. It provides guidelines for area-based approaches to forest modeling using ALS data and supports user-defined processing streams, making it a flexible tool for custom research and development. The package's development is actively supported by academic and governmental institutions, and its source code is freely available on GitHub.