libLAS is a C/C++ library for reading and writing the very common LAS LiDAR format. The ASPRS LAS format is a sequential binary format used to store data from LiDAR sensors and by LiDAR processing software for data interchange and archival.
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a form of high precision range detection much like a radar system that uses laser light as the electromagnetic emission. One of LiDAR systems’ products is a “point cloud” data product that can be conceptualized as a series of point measurements representing distance from the sensor to a returned emission. A common storage format for these point cloud data is ASPRS LAS format.