Some of its other well-known applications are listed below. Laser scanning is utilized by many high-value, government-backed, and privately funded projects such as national defense and road surveying. They can also be used to simulate construction or urban planning projects. These 3D digital models can be used to analyze topographic features, structures, and transport corridors. Perhaps the biggest advantage of laser scanning is that scan data can create 3D CAD models. Detailed 3D Models Can Be Created from Scan Data For example, drone-mounted LiDAR can survey unsafe sites and structures.Д«ecause laser scanning is a non-contact surveying method, it can also survey sensitive objects or areas, such as vulnerable historic sites. But with vehicle-mounted LiDAR systems, organizations can collect point cloud data from even the most inaccessible of areas. 3D Scanning Systems Can Survey Inaccessible AreasД«efore laser scanning systems came about, certain areas were off-limits to surveyors. Instead, surveyors can stay safely out of harmвЂ™s way while the scanner does its job. Using laser scanners to collect information from dangerous or hard-to-reach locations means teams donвЂ™t have to put themselves at risk. Laser Scanning Can Reduce Health and Safety Risks The systems can then gather data from all of the necessary areas in a short space of time. Systems Can Be Mounted to VehiclesДЇor projects that require information from vast landscapes or extensive networks of roads or railroads, laser scanning systems can be mounted onto land-based or aerial vehicles. This method of surveying is perfect for projects that require a quick turnaround. Laser scanners can collect millions of data points in seconds, reducing the time and human resources needed to complete surveys. Laser scanning is the speediest land surveying method out there. Here are some of the reasons why organizations use 3D scanning for surveys. Laser scanning has a number of advantages over alternative land surveying methods, such as photogrammetry. When the point clouds from laser scans are processed, they form a digital representation of the scanned surfaces, demonstrating the dimensions and spatial relationships of topographic features and structures. All of this happens in just seconds, and during a single scan, a laser scanner will collect millions of 3D coordinates. The distance measured is then used to calculate a coordinate for the tiny section of the surface hit by the laser beam. This process is known as the вЂњtime of flightвЂќ measurement. The sensor then calculates how far away the surface is by measuring the time taken for the light beam to complete its journey. Using all of these components, laser scanners can calculate accurate coordinates of surfaces and structures.ДЇirst, laser scanning systems throw out light waves that bounce off of surfaces and reflect back to the sensor. Present-day laser scanning procedures use laser beams, advanced sensors, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), receiver electronics, and photodetectors. How Does Laser Scanning Work?ДЈD laser scans involve much more advanced technology now than they did back in the 1960s. Modern laser scanners can collect detailed point clouds, and with point cloud processing software, these datasets can create digital 3D models of the scanned environment. Then, in 1985, these simple scanners were replaced with LiDAR systems - high-quality scanners that use laser beams and shadowing to collect data relating to objects and surfaces. These first scanning systems took a lot of time to process data. Initially, equipment was basic, consisting of cameras, projectors, and lights. The history of laser scanning dates back to the 1960s. Laser scanners collect information in the form of point cloud data, which consists of millions of 3D coordinates (XYZ coordinates). Laser scanning is a popular land surveying method that can accurately measure and collect data from objects, surfaces, buildings, and landscapes.

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