Tips on Purchasing a Laser Scanner

Written by Michale Olsen
Saturday, 26 May 2012

The selection of a laser scanner can be a difficult decision.  Let’s face it, they all are cool and it would be nice to have one of each!  But ultimately, it is a significant investment and you want to make sure that you get the optimal value out of your purchase.  Laser scanners may have specific purposes, environments, or applications for which they are best suited.  Caution must be used when comparing scanner specifications because there are no consistent standards for testing and reporting, although the ASTM E57 committee is working to address this issue.  For example, the accuracies of scanners vary non-linearly with distance and some manufacturers publish accuracies at 50 m and others at 100 m.  Overall accuracies are influenced by the surface being scanned, geometric configuration of the scanner and target, environmental conditions, laser properties, and many other factors.  Point of Beginning offers a very helpful list of specifications (usually updated yearly) for a variety of scanners and should be consulted by anyone looking to purchase a scanner.

As I have discussed in previous articles, scan geo-referencing can also induce error.  For example, the accuracy of a survey grade GPS unit is typically 1.0 cm in the horizontal and 2.0 cm in the vertical.  Thus, data acquired from a scanner with a millimeter level accuracy will no longer be of millimeter accuracy if GPS is used for the scan geo-referencing.

Some criteria that should be weighted in the selection of a scanner include (although not limited to):

1. Type of laser (wavelength) – How well does the laser reflect off the type of surfaces to be scanned?  Are you scanning metal objects, topography, wet surfaces, dark surfaces?

2. Spot size (pulse width, beam divergence) – What will be the size of the laser spot on the target?  Do features smaller than this need to be modeled?

3. Speed – The most common question/metric is: How many points does it collect per second?  Most scanners are fast so this is not the most crucial ifnormation.  A more important question is: How much setup time (e.g. mount the instrument, boot up, select scan window, acquire imagery\targets, and scan) is involved?  The latter can dominate a lot of the actual field time required.  Another question is how much processing is required and what workflow optimizations are presented by the scan manufacturer.

4. Field of View – How wide is the scan view? (Many scanners can scan 360 degrees horizontal, but have a limited vertical window).

5. Accuracy – What level of instrument measurement error is acceptable to fit into your overall error budget?  This will depend on the intended applications.

6. Resolution – What point density is achievable/required?

7. Range – How much coverage is needed in a single scan?

8. Geo-referencing – Does the scanner have a calibrated GPS mount for geo-referencing? Or are external targets required?

9. Level compensators\Inclination sensors – Can the scanner correct for out of level setups, improving data quality?

10. Mobility, durability – Is the scanner designed for field operation?  Or is it meant to be an indoor scanner?

11. Photography – Do you need photographic information? Does the scanner use an internal or external camera?  What steps need to be taken to map the photograph to the point cloud if it is external?  Is the photograph taken simultaneously or as an additional data collection procedure?  How long does this take?

12. Software – What software package is used for aligning and meshing the scans? What features are available?  How does this package integrate with the other packages you are currently using?

13. Effects on humans – Is it eye safe? Will it set off security alarms (e.g., in cultural heritage applications, you may be scanning in a museum with an alarm system (I have had that happen before!))?

14. Maintenance – What are the costs associated with maintaining the scanner?  Many manufacturers offer maintenance packages.

15. Upgrades – Scanner technology evolves quickly.  Would you be able to upgrade your scanner (or obtain a trade-in credit) when it is time to upgrade?

Obviously you would also want to do a cost/benefit analysis when comparing different systems.  Ultimately, invite the manufacturers out and have them demo the scanner in the environment you will be using it in most frequently.  Also, ask them to let you demo the software so you can get a feel for the workflow and how that will integrate into your current operations.

If your agency is looking to purchase multiple scanners, a few questions arise.  Do you want to go with various types of scanners so that you have a versatile amount of equipment for any job?  Or is it better to standardize your equipment so that all personnel are using the same scanner, reducing training costs?

Good luck in your new scanner purchase!

originally published at LiDAR News http://www.lidarnews.com/content/view/9015/

Registration open for 2010 Leica Geosystems HDS Worldwide User Conference

(Heerbrugg/ Switzerland, 3 August 2010) – Leica Geosystems announces the formal opening of registration for the 8th  annual HDS Worldwide User Conference, Oct. 25-27, in San Ramon, California. The international conference will feature presentations by more than 30 leading users of its High-Definition Surveying™ (HDS™) 3D laser scanners and software and by key Leica Geosystems staff.

Registration is open for the main conference of presentations and exhibits, plus all nine (9) training workshops. Workshop space is limited. Many workshops have sold out in the past, so prospective attendees are encouraged to register early for these popular workshops.

Although primarily intended for HDS users, the conference is also open to those looking for HDS service providers and to prospective users who want to conduct additional homework on how others are using these tools, such as the popular, new Leica ScanStation C10 scanner. Many members of the trade press are also planning to attend the conference. In total, more than 300 attendees from over 20 countries are expected for the 2010 conference.

New Forensic Track
Based on the very rapid adoption of laser scanning for capturing forensic scenes, the conference will feature for the first time a special Forensics Track and a special, all-day Forensics workshop on shooting trajectory reconstruction. This workshop will be taught by Mike Haag of the Albuquerque Police Department, an international leader in trajectory reconstruction analysis, in cooperation with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department.

Additional detailed information is available at:
http://hds.leica-geosystems.com/en/Events_6441.htm?id=6896

Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information.

Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 2,400 employees in 22 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden.

For further information please contact:

Leica Geosystems
Geoff Jacobs
Phone: +1 925 790 2317 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +1 925 790 2317      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Fax: +1 925 790 2309
geoffrey.jacobs@lgshds.com
www.leica-geosystems.com/hds

Trimble Expands the Quantm Alignment Planning Product Line with Desktop Option

SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 10, 2010 — Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) introduced today its Quantm™ Desktop software for road alignment planning to complement its existing alignment planning system. The innovative new Quantm Desktop software simultaneously considers construction costs, environmental restrictions, social constraints and legislative obligations, allowing infrastructure planners to thoroughly examine all alternatives and select the most appropriate corridors for roads. When compared to results using traditional industry best practice planning methods, the software can provide significant reductions in project planning time and cost for road projects.

Since 2000, the Quantm System has supported road planners through the complex process of generating and selecting corridors and alignments. Unique alignment optimization technology generates millions of alternative alignments and provides a range of options for review by various stakeholders. As the project progresses, different scenarios are created using the latest terrain, geological, topological, social and environmental inputs to iteratively produce revised results for consideration and refinement. Using a thin client and advanced IT technology, the Quantm System accesses data that is processed on the Quantm server and is implemented on a consultative project-by-project basis.

The new Quantm Desktop software is ideal for a variety of short distance projects such as local and regional roads, bypasses, ring roads and many others. The Quantm Desktop software version has been optimized to take advantage of unique Quantm technology to process the data locally on the user’s computer. The Quantm Desktop also allows the customer to use the software for multiple projects rather than on a project-by-project basis. For larger road and rail projects, Trimble continues to offer its Quantm service using a thin client and advanced IT technology to access data that is processed on the Quantm server.

At the pre-feasibility stage, the Quantm Desktop software can be used as a tool to aid decision making, determining the macro viability of the road corridor options. The software generates multiple alignments that cluster into primary corridors, while maintaining the 3D geometric requirements and other project constraints. The result is a set of preferred alignments for public consultation.

Using detailed data in the preferred corridor, the software further optimizes and refines the alignment. Throughout the feasibility process new constraints can be added based on the detailed data collection and the alignment can be refined to address the social and environmental constraints.

The Quantm Desktop software is also available in a configuration for civil engineers and contractors. This version allows users to refine the vertical geometry to reduce earthwork and other construction costs, based on an analysis of the material flow along the road alignment, after introducing the project constraints to material flow.

The Quantm Desktop software is currently available and supported in North America, Australia and New Zealand.

About Trimble

Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location—including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS, lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back office. Founded in 1978, Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

Autodesk Floats Design Tools in the Cloud

Company releases new details on Project Butterfly collaboration tool and outlines plans for cloud computing offerings around MoldFlow and Inventor

Beth Stackpole, contributing editor, software/hardware — Design News, May 17, 2010

Autodesk filled in some pieces of its vision for putting design tools in the cloud, releasing new details on its Project Butterfly collaboration tool and announcing two new Software-as-a-Service initiatives surrounding Inventor and its MoldFlow offering.

Project Butterfly, as described by Tal Weiss, lead software development manager at Autodesk, allows AutoCAD users to view, edit and collaborate in real time on DWG files online. With this cloud computing technology, anyone with a Web browser can log onto a site and access the same version of a file as opposed to the current way many engineering teams collaborate, simply by e-mailing files around.

“Our intent is to enable AutoCAD users to take any AutoCAD file and upload it to the cloud using this application, and share it with anyone at a remote site without the need for the software,” says Weiss, who came to Autodesk last November when his company, VisualTao, was acquired as the foundation technology for Project Butterfly. “The only thing they need is a browser — there is nothing installed on the disk and they can pan and zoom, annotate and edit files.”

Dave McGee, lead CAD technician at Lacy and Ebeling Engineering Inc., a structural and industrial engineering firm, has experimented with the Project Butterfly technology preview. Most recently, he and a client at a remote site conducted a co-editing session on a 2-D AutoCAD drawing showcasing a load-out facility for a truck. “Rather than the time-consuming task of having to send him a PDF, then calling him and having him tell me he wanted something in the northwest corner, we didn’t have to do any of that,” McGee says. “He was looking at his 2-D drawing, I was looking at mine, and I just followed his pointer and it was pretty obvious what he wanted.”

Weiss wouldn’t say when Project Butterfly would be commercially available. Users can download the technology preview at Project Butterfly.

In related news, Autodesk announced a couple of other SaaS efforts: Project Cumulus, which leverages the cloud computing model to deliver more computational horsepower for MoldFlow plastic design simulations; and Project Centaur, which lets Inventor users offload simulation tasks to the cloud. Both technology pilots, currently available to select Autodesk customers, leverage the cloud to lets users perform simulations they traditionally wouldn’t be able to do on the desktop.

“We’re letting users leverage the untapped potential compute power of the cloud to bring optimization into the equation,” says Jeff Wymer, Autodesk senior product line manager, digital simulation. “We’re allowing the MoldFlow designer to optimize their design and get the best results with unrivaled performance and capacity compared to the desktop.”

The new technology will run as a lightweight desktop, allowing MoldFlow users to set up their geometries and input locally. Once they hit “solve,” the lightweight application will transmit the data to the cloud for computation and will return the results back to the desktop when finished. The amount of processing time will vary depending on the complexity of the design, however, the technology works asynchronously so it allows users to conduct normal computing during the simulation.

Project Centaur, aimed at mechanical engineers, is focused on the pervasive problem of design optimization, helping users reduce material weight while achieving quality targets. Similar to Project Cumulus, Project Centaur will run as a small plug-in on the desktop, allowing users to retain the user of their computer while the simulation is in progress on the cloud. Project Centaur is also aiming to push the envelope in terms of usability, delivering simulation capabilities in such manner that they can be utilized by the broad spectrum of mechanical engineers, not just simulation experts, Wymer says.

There is no official availability date for either Project Centaur or Project Cumulus.

Leica Viva Uno – A Simple Handheld GNSS Solution

(Heerbrugg, 03 May 2010) Leica Viva Uno is a simple and reliable handheld GNSS solution for centimeter surveying. The easy-to-use Leica SmartWorx Viva software makes any task simple and with proven Leica Geosystems GNSS technology reliability is guaranteed. Being fully integrated into Leica Viva , the Leica Viva Uno can be upgraded to an unlimited GNSS solution at any time.

Simple and Productive
Leica Viva Uno addresses a growing need for large scale data collection, e.g. utilities, agriculture, and road infrastructure. With simple workflow and dataflow, newcomers and experienced personnel are productive from day one.

Leica Viva Uno uses Leica Geosystems’ easy-to-use onboard software Leica SmartWorx Viva providing non-technological terminology, setup wizards and simplified workflows for productive and powerful handheld GNSS data collection.

Reliable Data and Measurements
Leica Viva Uno is a rugged GNSS system that uses Leica Geosystems’ proven and recognized technology. With a high quality measurement engine and integrated antenna customers achieve reliable measurement data.

Leica Viva Uno is equipped with an integrated high-performance L1 GPS/GLONASS receiver and antenna. The system allows raw data to be logged at 5 Hz for post-processing with an accuracy of 10 mm + 2 ppm. Viva Uno also supports real-time data collection with SBAS differential corrections with 5 Hz update rate and an accuracy of better than 0.4 m.

Scalable – a Full Member of the Leica Viva Family
Users who need more functionality or greater accuracy can upgrade Viva Uno to an unlimited GNSS solution at any time. Using the same powerful Leica SmartWorx Viva onboard software enables an easy upgrade without additional training. The GNSS handhelds can also be used with total stations and other Viva GNSS RTK sensors. Leica Viva Uno is a full member of the Leica Viva family.

About Leica Viva…let us inspire you
Leica Viva is a new generation surveying system that combines the latest state-of-the-art technologies into an unrivalled portfolio of total stations, GNS

S receivers, controllers and onboard software to meet the daily challenges for all positioning tasks.
Encompassing innovative, feature rich functionality with a new, modern and ergonomic design, Leica Viva is an easy and intuitive to use surveying system providing speed and precision.

---

Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information.

Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 3,500 employees in 28 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden.