According to https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi6080243 "topographic databases maintained by national mapping agencies are currently the most common nationwide data sets in geo-information", however this is not true for Germany. Until now there is no single data set which is available for entire Germany. However, there are plans to generate such data. The project Digital Twin Germany aims to acquire high density point cloud data for Germany. The project is run by the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG), Germany's national mapping agency. Data acquisition was supposed to start in 2023 and the goal was to have a data set for entire Germany by 2024, with at least one repition some years later. It was also planned that the data would be mapped by Geiger-Mode or Single Photon Sensor (Leica SPL100) in the vegegtation period [https://doi.org/10.12902/zfv-0379-2021]. Plans did not include to make the point cloud data available as open source, although terrain and surface models mitght be made available (with resolutions of 1m). Point cloud data might be accessible for scientific research and national authorities only. However, there were also rumors, that at least a downsampled version of point cloud data will be available.
At the time of writing the initial plans can not be fulfilled anymore and a lot of details about the project are still not organised (see https://fragdenstaat.de/anfrage/informationen-zum-projekt-digitaler-zwilling-deutschland/).
- coordinated by BKG
- data meant for government agencies
- first data collection 2024-2025 (source)
- data collection in the vegetation period
- point density >=40 pts/m² (source)
- case study applied to Hamburg in Winter 2022 with SPL100 (source)
- possibly repeated in a 3-year cycle (source)
Geodata collection, administration and publication in Germany is predominantly organized in federal structures by the land surveying and cadaster authorities of the 16 federal states. Although the Working Committee of the surveying authorities of the states of the Federal Republic of Germany (AdV) defines guidelines and standards (DTM spec, DSM spec, Point Cloud spec), there is still a variety of data and their availability in the realm of laserscanning data. For applications on a broader scale, beyond state boundaries, it is essential to know the data availability. Hence, information on federal ALS data was collected from federal mapping agencies' websites and other sources such as personal and email comunication.
Comparison of available ALS point cloud data in Germany by federal state (in case multiple campaigns are available the date range refers to the last finished campaign)
Federal State | Cost (min)1 | Cost (max)2 | Year (from)3 | Year (to)4 | Point Density5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baden-Württemberg | 10 | 80 | 2016 | 2021 | 8 |
Bavaria | 0 | 0 | 2011 | 2021 | 4 |
Berlin | 0 | 0 | 2021 | 2021 | 10 |
Brandenburg | 0 | 0 | 2017 | 2022 | 5 |
Bremen | 80 | 80 | 2017 | 2017 | ? |
Hamburg | ? | ? | 2020 | 2020 | ? |
Hesse | 0 | 0 | 2009 | 2020 | 4 |
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 10 | 80 | 2012 | 2022 | 2-5 |
Lower Saxony | 3,75 | 30 | 2015 | 2022 | 4 |
North Rhine-Westphalia | 0 | 0 | 2018 | 2023 | 4-10 |
Rhineland-Palatinate | 0 | 0 | 2018 | 2023 | 4 |
Saarland | 0 | 0 | 2016 | 2016 | 6-8 |
Saxony | 0 | 0 | 2015 | 2023 | 4 |
Saxony-Anhalt | 0 | 0 | 2009 | 2023 | 3-5 |
Schleswig-Holstein | - | - | ? | ? | 3-5 |
Thuringia | 0 | 0 | 2017 | 2023 | 4 |
- DGM025 and DOM1 available as open data since 2024
- there are two statewide laserscanning campaigns available and the third is ongoing
- statewide ALS data of one campaign for 720.000 €
- DGM1 available from first campaign
- DGM025 available from second campaign
- DOM5 available from first campaign
- DOM1 available from second campaign
- bDOM02 (20cm) as LAS/LAZ open data with processing fee
- no bulk download option
- DGM1 and point cloud open data since 2024 (?)
- data from 2011-2021
- nominal density: 4 points per m²
- bDOM (40cm) as LAZ with color values open data
- nDOM, tDOM and 3D-Mesh in development
- classes: ground points, object points, unassignable points near the ground, building points
- DGM1, DOM1 and point cloud available as open data
- data from February 2021
- nominal density: 10 points per m²
- classes: soil (class 2), low vegetation (class 3), medium vegetation (class 4) and high vegetation (class 5), outliers (class low points class 7) and default (class 0)
- EPSG:25833
- bDOM1 available based on march 2022 data as XYZ
- DGM1, bDOM1 and point cloud available as open data since end of 2021
- there is one laserscanning campaign available and another one is ongoing
- nominal density: 5 points per m²
- bDOM from winter flight with poor quality for vegetation
- EPSG:25833
- DGM1 and DOM1 open data since 2024
- data from 2015 (Bremerhaven) and 2017 (Bremen)
- bDOM (5cm) from 2021 (40 € per km²)
- point cloud data for 80 € per km²
- DGM1 available as open data since 2024
- data from 2010, 2020 and 2022
- bDOM1 from 2018 and 2020 as ASCII
- DGM1, DOM1 and point cloud available as open data since 2022
- there are two statewide laserscanning campaigns complete and the third is ongoing (6 year repition cycle)
- ALS_1 in 2009-2014 (4 points per m²)
- ALS_2 in 2015-2021 (8 points per m²)
- ALS_3 in 2022-2028, (overview)
- DGM1 and DOM1 available as open data since 2024
- current data from 2012-2022 (overview)
- nominal density: 2 (until 2014) to 5 (from 2016) points per m²
- bDOM with 10cm resolution available as LAZ 1.2 (5-20 € per km²)
- point cloud as LAZ 1.2 (10 to 80€ per km²)
- classes: ground points, non-ground points? (2,13,15,22,23,25)
- DGM and DOM based on old data, orthophotos are also mentioned as data source
- EPSG: 25833
- DGM1 and DOM1 available as open data since 2024
- current data from 2013-2022 (overview)
- nominal density 4 points per m²
- point cloud data (€3.75 -€30 per km²)
- bDOM (20cm) available as open data
- classes up to 2020: Ground points (2), outliers (7), water points measured (8), water points synthetic (11), sub-ground points (e.g. entrances/driveways, basement shoots and swimming pools) (12), non-ground points (e.g . B. buildings, vegetation and temporary embankments) (13), other points (DGM and DOM-irrelevant points such as power lines, means of transport, containers and birds) (15), overlap points (20,22,23,25 ,26,27)
- classes from 2021 (AdV specifications): Ground points (2), outliers (7), measured water points (9), synthetic water points (8), sub-soil points (e.g. entrances/driveways, basement sections and swimming pools) (24), not -Ground points (e.g. buildings, vegetation and temporary embankments) (20), other points (DTM or DOM-irrelevant points such as power lines, means of transport, containers and birds) (1), overlap points (12)
- DGM1, DOM1 and point cloud available as open data
- current data from 2018-2023 (5 year repition cycle)
- point density 4 to 10 points per m²
- "Historical 3DMs can also be submitted upon request."
- bDOM (50cm)
- classes: 1,2,14,17,18,20,24,26
- DGM1 and point cloud available as open data since 2024
- nominal density: 4 points per m²
- point clouds available as LAZ separated into terrain (last returns) and object points (first returns)
- 9-year cycle
- 4-year cycle since 2021
- current data from 2018-2023 (overview)
- no DOM from ALS available
- bDOM (20cm) available as open data
- DGM1, DOM1 and point cloud available as open data since June 2024
- there are two statewide laserscanning campaigns available
- ALS_1 in 2006 (2-3 points per m²)
- ALS_2 in 2016 (6-8 points per m²)
- next campaign likely 2025
- DGM2, DOM2 and point cloud available as open data since 2023
- data from 2009, 2015 and 2017-2023 (overview)
- nominal density: 3-5 points per m²
- DGM from 2021-2023 (?) (overview)
- bDOM (20cm) available as open data, updated every 2 years
- DGM1, DOM1 and point cloud available as open data
- data from 2015-2023 (overview)
- planned updates
- Update in a 6-year cycle
- nominal density: 4 points per m²
- classes: 02 ground ground points, 20 non-ground points, 08 interpolated water points, 30 interpolated other
- EPSG: 25833
- DGM1 available as open data since 2023
- nominal density: 4 points per m²
- there is one statewide laserscanning campaign complete and another one is ongoing
- ALS_1 in 2005-2007
- ALS_2 in 2022 - ?
- DGM largely from 2005-2007, updated with new data when available
- bDOM with 20cm resolution available as open data, updated every 2 years
- there is no DOM and no point cloud available (neither open data nor commercial)
- DGM1, DOM1 and pointcloud available as open data since 2017
- there are two statewide laserscanning campaigns complete and the third is ongoing
- ALS_1 in 2010-2013
- ALS_2 in 2014-2019
- ALS_3 in 2020-2025, (overview)
- nominal density: 4 points per m²
- historical data from 1996 is also available in parts