Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a mobile laser scanning system for 3D research and education in extreme drylands of the southwest border region and the Arctic

This project supports the acquisition of a mobile laser scanning system (MLS) by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to make high resolution three-dimensional (3D) profiles of dryland and urban areas of the southwest USA and the Alaskan Arctic. The MLS will transform science and engineering at UTEP by allowing for the creation of digital twins that can be used for GeoAI applications and cost-effective virtual experiments of complex systems. The MLS will support the training of a highly skilled STEM workforce in geospatial and biotechnology, by providing hands-on training of cutting-edge remote sensing instrumentation in STEM courses at UTEP and user workshops. The MLS will pave the way for UTEP to become a regional hub of digital twin technology innovations in drylands biology, geology, and civil engineering. The project will acquire an MLS to generate theoretical advances in the 3D science of vegetation and ecosystem structure, the Critical Zone, topography, and built infrastructure that play a role in the health of the southwest USA and Alaskan Arctic. The MLS will support technology innovations in biology, and geology, and civil engineering research and education at UTEP. Supported research activities will include: (1) 3D profiling of dryland ecosystems of the southwest USA, (2) 3D profiling of Alaskan Arctic ecosystems and coastal erosion, (3) quantifying insect population dynamics across southwest urban-rural gradients, (4) profiling of built infrastructure and digital twin creation for the city of El Paso, and 5) data science and GeoAI education. The MLS will facilitate interdisciplinary research across departments, colleges and institutions of west Texas and southern New Mexico. The MLS will be the focus of a new graduate course on remote sensing instrumentation at UTEP and a series of training workshops for biology, geology, and civil engineering users. The MLS will be used to make a digital replica model of UTEP’s campus to demonstrate public value of 3D data products for the residents of El Paso, TX. This project aligns with the NSF’s biotechnology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) priority areas. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.