In-Depth Look at the Uses and Deployment of Large Volume Laser Scanning

Abstract

The basic functions of the large volume laser scanner can be comprehended fairly easily by a novice user, however, with the advancements of scanners and the growing list of applications it has become critical to adjust and tailor scanner settings to meet the needs of many unique applications. The primary focus of this paper will be to get a better understanding of the different settings available on laser scanners and how to adapt them for efficiency to make the most out of your scanning projects. Each project has its own requirements and level of detail that will need to be captured by the laser scanner. Knowing the effects of each available setting will not only make for a smoother scanning process but will cut down on unnecessary data and give you confidence in obtaining manageable and sufficient data. Many times, laser scanner users either capture too much data or not enough, this paper will help you determine scanner settings to capture just the right amount. The primary settings available on laser scanners will allow the user to alter the resolution and sampling of the measured points. Typically, a higher resolution yields more points and a higher sampling rate yields cleaner crisper point clouds with less “noise”. In most cases, however, more is not necessary and cumbersome and less can be project compromising and sparse. This is the reason to know the effects of laser scanner settings and how to set them to get the data that you want.