Laser scanning is the most recent way of data gathering in three-dimension. The scanner placed in the field is capable to capture tens of millions of individual points within a few minutes. The result is a high density, coloured point cloud which records the scene’s condition at the specific time the scanning took place, and creates the exact copy of it.
What is it good for?
As it is like the existing scanned scene and object, in the point cloud we can take measurements, create simulations and we do not have to go to the field. We can literally reuse the point cloud infinitely many times. This technology has many advantages in specific areas where fast and precise capturing is expected with the least possible impact on the objects, like archaeology and crime scene investigation. Engineering works can also be supported by this method, as facade drawings and floor plans can easily be extracted without the need of time-consuming field surveys by architects. Inspecting and verifying manufactured parts can be carried out with no effort in the case we have the designed digital 3D model to compare with. Various measurements can be made using the geometry of the objects, such as area of walls, or volume of sand, gravel piles.
