Tag Archives: laser scanning

The GeoDude on the Adoption of Laser Scanning Today

Part 2 Above: Although not yet fully mainstream for topographic surveys, laser scanning is frequently used to topo sites with a lot of detail and hardscape. Credit: Allegheny Surveys. With new and emerging technologies such as laser scanning, many professionals want to know “When is the right time to get in?” They may worry about...

This image of a plan deliverable conveys that scanning is not just about interesting scan images; it has progressed to valuable client deliverables. Credit: Delta Engineers, Architects, and Land Surveyors.

GeoDude: The Adoption Status of Laser Scanning Today, Part 1

By Geoffrey Jacobs Note from the editor in chief: In 2006 when I began at this magazine’s predecessor, Professional Surveyor, Geoff Jacobs was already an established 3D scanning columnist, trusted as an industry specialist and read regularly by our subscribers. He’s a significant leader in the field; Geoff is also a pleasure to work with....

A Geiger lidar image of downtown Charlotte, North Carolina

A Lidar That Oversamples: Geiger Lidar Imaging

Harris Corporation’s Geiger-mode lidar reaches new markets. Typical linear lidar systems repeatedly fire a single beam, each time measuring a single location on the ground. They collect data at a given resolution, which is also the processing resolution. By contrast, a Geiger-mode system is an array that illuminates a large area on the ground, capturing...

How to Talk with Clients About Laser Scanning

Clients should choose a laser scan primarily when they need to document existing conditions for a future construction or complex renovation project.  When complex conditions exist, the risk of a mistake using a tape measure and sketch pad greatly increases the probability of a construction error. If this matches our clients’ needs, we then discuss...