A Year in the Life of the Desert: Lidar Project Captures the Sonoran in 3D
The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix has completed a unique year-long project using lidar scanning technology to create detailed 3D models of the Sonoran Desert landscape. The project documented daily changes in desert flora and human development, resulting in both a public exhibition and a valuable scientific dataset.
The Technology and the Timeline
Lidar scanners, similar to those used in self-driving cars, work by firing millions of laser pulses that reflect off surfaces to build precise 3D models. Over the course of a year, these scanners captured subtle daily transformations in plants like saguaro cacti, prickly pear, ocotillo, and cholla.
The project provides "incredible records of growth that you would never get from going on to the same field site every day," said Laura Spalding Best, senior director of exhibits at the Desert Botanical Garden.
One of the key subjects was a specific saguaro cactus, scanned from February 2023 until its eventual fall in February 2024. Remarkably, scanning continued for six months after it toppled, documenting how it nourished surrounding wildlife before decomposing.
From Data to Exhibition: "Framerate: Desert Pulse"
The scanning project was conducted in collaboration with ScanLAB Projects, an artist group based in London. The resulting data and imagery are now featured in an exhibition titled "Framerate: Desert Pulse" at the Desert Botanical Garden.
The exhibition includes video projections on screens placed among the garden's plants and an immersive room with screens covering the walls, floor, and ceiling. A soundtrack composed by Pascal Wyse incorporates materials found in the desert, including saguaro spines.
Scientific Insights and Conservation Potential
The lidar scans created billions of data points that garden scientists are now using for conservation research. Researchers have already observed previously undocumented plant behaviors through the data.
For example, the scans revealed agave plants folding and unfolding their leaves over multiple days. According to Kim McCue, vice president and chief research officer at the garden, this data could help determine if such behaviors serve adaptive purposes, such as heat protection.
Matthew Shaw, co-founder of ScanLAB Projects, noted that the way lasers reflect off surfaces can indicate moisture content. This could provide crucial information about why saguaro cacti die and how to protect them.
Shaw also mentioned that previous artwork by the studio has been used to produce scientific papers, including one about coastal erosion in England.
A Data-Driven Mission
The Desert Botanical Garden is a data-driven institution focused on desert plant conservation. This lidar project underscores that mission, transforming the subtle pulse of the desert into a permanent, analyzable record that blends art, science, and a deeper understanding of a fragile ecosystem.