Alvaro Lau Sarmiento

Alvaro Lau Sarmiento is a Remote Sensing Lecturer at the Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing, part of Wageningen University & Research. He coordinates educational activities including courses like GRS10306 and supervises MSc theses and internships. His research focuses on terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) applications in tropical forest monitoring, 3D forest modeling, and biomass assessment.

Education:

• MSc in Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing (2014), Wageningen University
• BSc in Animal Science (2007), Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Peru

Research Interests: Alvaro specializes in integrating TLS and remote sensing techniques to study forest structure and carbon dynamics. His work emphasizes tropical ecosystems, combining field data with advanced 3D modeling to improve understanding of tree architecture, crown interactions (e.g., crown shyness), and forest degradation impacts. He actively collaborates with startups and companies on applied 3D modeling projects.

Key Projects:

• 3DForMod (2018–2020): Developed frameworks for monitoring tropical forest GHG emissions using remote sensing and 3D modeling.
• Terrestrial Laser Scanning Research Lead: Coordinates TLS data collection and analysis initiatives across tropical and European forests.

Advising & Collaboration: Supervises student internships and coordinates MGI thesis rings. Engages in interdisciplinary collaborations to bridge academic research with industry applications.