Posts by Ted Huffman

3D mapping and modeling, which are accomplished using point clouds of data collected by laser scanner, have come very far very fast. Anyone around in the infancy of laser scanning can recall how large, heavy, and slow the equipment was. Once the technology became more efficient, affordable and widely available, however, there seemed to be no limit to its uses.

LiDAR created 3D maps and models are made up of individual data points. A point cloud is a massive collection of virtual data points, with each one representing actual points in the real world. These millions of individual data points, taken together, create a usable dataset. Using software to model physical objects in digital space makes point clouds imminently useful.

If time is money–and many argue that it is–then 3D drone surveying delivers a resounding mic drop. Traditional surveying and drone surveying are not even in the same ballpark when it comes to the amount of time it takes to complete a survey. The slowness of traditional surveying methods can contribute to costs running into the thousands of dollars for a single small acreage topographical map.

Before advances in underground surveying using 3D scanning technology, inspecting and mapping subsurface facilities was time-consuming, costly, and hazardous. Surveying mines is notoriously tricky, but today’s LiDAR, photogrammetry, and georeferencing tools paired with state-of-the-art software are capable of producing a phenomenal array of maps and models designed to tackle almost any underground conundrum in near real-time. Watching a video of a 3D tunnel scan is mesmerizing.

Exactly like the name sounds, an as-built survey is an accurate visual rendering showing a completed construction or engineering project. Today’s laser scanning makes the process fast, efficient, and affordable and will even save money in the long run. Cost reduction is so significant, in fact, the U.S. government General Services Administration (GSA) now requires building information models (BIM) to provide clash detection on every government construction project.