While light detection & ranging technology is enabling the spatial industry to make the most of 3D point cloud data, it is equally crucial to keep up with the latest platforms & their new features for producing point clouds & gaining from their multiple benefits that are not available in other types of sensors. This article explores 4 recent developments that are increasing the speed, efficiency & accuracy of creating and delivering a 3D model from point cloud data.

Recently, Airborne Lidar has dramatically transformed in terms of data processing, manual editing, and quality assurance. It is now being streamlined & automated using cloud-based architecture. This has resulted in enhanced versatility between the field and the office with a significantly faster turnaround. Project data can be easily uploaded as soon as the aircraft lands!

Australia is witnessing a great demand for cloud-based storage & Lidar capture for the calculation of fuel loads for bushfire forecasts and the development of urban digital twin landscape. Airborne Lidar is playing a crucial role by supporting the creation of accurate & high-quality 3D models from point cloud data.

Terrestrial Lidar technology has also witnessed a sea change in terms of its scanners. The latest generation can efficiently scan more than 200 setups in a single day! Automated alignment algorithms are being leveraged for efficient data processing. Cloud-to-cloud alignments have virtually eliminated the use of tedious, time-consuming task of point cloud processing. Instead, the registration software is now fully equipped to align the point clouds as and when data is generated, thereby overcoming the downsides of manual registrations, and enabling the operator to visually review the alignment.

The operator can also share the aligned data with the client in real-time using a tablet. A virtual floorplan with all the scans helps avoid costly re-work. The additional data processing along with the location of scans eliminates the need for detailed field reports.

This commercial platform is also known as handheld short-range lidar. It uses simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) technology to position itself in GNSS-denied locations. With the success of Emesent’s Hovermap & Leica’s BLK2GO, there’s been an increasing preference for using Lidar in complex, confined environments. Applications that can tolerate slight inaccuracies can gain big benefits in the speed of capture, the efficiency of processing data & faster delivery timeframes.

The Eminent Hovermap can also be attached to a drone. In this mode, the autonomy of the drone combined with the versatility of the SLAM technology makes for a great indoor mapping solution for complex enclosed sites and mines. The system’s level 2 ensures collision avoidance by enabling the drone to fly way beyond your line of sight while streaming the captured Lidar data in real-time.

Mobile lidar no longer comes with convoluting cables and a multitude of accessories that need to be organized by an expert. All the mapping-grade sensors and survey-grade platforms are easy to mobilize. Operators can simply plug and play for a wide vertical view having high accuracy.

Dual scan heads are being used to capture an end-to-end view from a single pass. Advanced systems such as Trimble MX9, Leica Pegasus, or the RIEGL VMX-2HA can capture more than 2 million points/sec even with a range going up to 500m-plus with great detail.

Recently, the industry focus has shifted to speedy delivery of Lidar data without compromising on quality and accuracy. This has led to an increasing interest in comprehensive coverage of structures and assets using a range of integrated Lidar technologies. Additionally, the latest developments have revolutionized the versatility of Lidar systems across several platforms, making it much easier to deliver a complete lidar-based solution for creating a 3D model from point cloud data.