Laser/Optical Scanning: Technology Overview from a User’s Perspective

Abstract

Laser and optical scanning technology has shown great progress over the past decade, and has been used in a variety of applications, such as manufacturing quality control, reverse engineering, recording historic sites, etc. Scanning equipment is readily available for capturing three dimensional geometry on a large scale (e.g, buildings, vehicles, and outdoor settings) as well as small scale (e.g, machined or 3D printed components with a length scale on the order of inches or feet). We compile the information on commercially available small scale scanning systems: this snapshot of the current state of the art can serve as a valuable reference for potential new users and technology valuation for possible new applications. We present case studies and applications of laser scanning which are unique to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and conduct technology assessment for metrology applications.