The 1960s marked the initial development of 3D scanning technology. During this period, the equipment had several limitations, leading to the need for significant time and effort to achieve precise object scanning. However, with recent advancements in 3D laser scanning equipment technologies and the opening up of multiple avenues like NFT and digital twins, 3D laser scanning is deployed in various industries more than ever before
Industries/Manufacturing
3D laser scanning is the biggest initiator in the industrial revolution 4.0. Apart from capturing the manufactured product, reality capturing optimizes the way industry facilities are maintained. Your existing production layout can be digitized quickly through the accurate point cloud data generation and subsequent conversion to as-built BIM models.
The digital twin of production facilities and factories will not only give a detailed understanding of the maintenance requirement but also help in opting for the most energy-efficient design settings. Multiple data models can be made to run on energy simulation to pick out the most efficient for execution.
Companies are already opting for a scan-to-BIM approach to be more consciously sustainable and frugal in their facility management. One such example is this industrial scan-to-BIM project in Baltimore implemented by Tejjy Inc which was aimed at as-built documentation of the existing facility and accurate video documentation. This further laid the foundation for project investors to make smarter investment decisions on property maintenance.
Surveying
3D laser scanning is indeed used as a pre-construction survey to capture accurate and detailed information about existing site conditions. Manual procedures to take up site documentation are quite restrictive in nature. It obviously costs time and, in some cases, inaccessibility for movement on-site does come as a major issue. Therefore, these non-contact laser scanners, like aerial LiDARs, can be quite a game changer in resolving these issues concerning manual documentation of land.
Infrastructure
Infrastructural projects are a big-time strain to develop and maintain, the reasons being funds crunch and keeping up the maintenance with population aspiration. This is exactly where the 3D laser scanning approach comes into play. 3D laser scanning can reality capture the infrastructural assets around the country. Digitizing these infrastructural assets would help in real-time contribution from various governmental stakeholders on project development.
This further optimizes the fund allocation of the project which usually gets squeezed due to discontinued communication and manual documentation management. Government bodies are surely catching up to the benefits of combining infraBIM with 3D laser scanning processes on their infrastructural spending.
On the very same lines, the Northeast Water Purification Plant Scan-to-BIM Expansion Project was quite a success in increasing the capacity of the existing water plant by 320 million gallons per day (MGD) before the year 2024. As a result, there will be a significant transition from primarily using groundwater to relying mainly on surface water.
Real estate and interior design
LiDAR scanning systems have revolutionized real estate by providing fast and accurate data collection for property mapping and floorplan creation. They use laser beams to measure distances and have become exponentially valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling virtual tours and detailed property representations.
Real estate professionals can use these handheld scanners instead of surveyors. In an industry like real estate where cash flow is very difficult to maintain especially in times of economic stagflation, LiDAR improves marketing materials, streamlines facility, and asset management, and makes it easier to spot measurement errors. In addition to these accurate square footage measures, renovation optimization on BIM software, and coupling its applications with insurance, paperwork, and inventory management are the benefits of investing in the latest of 3D laser scanning in your real estate operations.
Also, in relevance to interior design, with 3D laser scanning interior designers can obtain a point cloud that serves as the basis for their designs, allowing for accurate planning of furniture placement, lighting arrangements, and other design elements. This technology enables designers to visualize and refine their concepts without the need to be physically present.
Construction
In the construction sector, 3D scanning is essential in the pre-construction and post-construction stages. Prior to construction, a region is scanned to collect information on the site’s physical attributes. On the other side, buildings are evaluated after construction too, often in situations where conventional evaluation techniques are challenging, as in structures with high ceilings. Drones with 3D scanners are used to take precise scans, examine buildings, and gather vital information.
The exciting future of 3D laser scanning
3D laser scanning is advancing with developments in equipment prospects and its integration with IoT technologies. Also, with the new hype of Blockchain, NFTs, and digital twinning around the globe, 3D laser scanning has found its new purpose in the AEC industry. Now 3D laser scanning could be used for precise and accurate as-built documentation of facilities. These very same as-built data nowadays lay the foundation for NFTs and digital twins. These NFTs and digital twins act as marketing prospects to attract investment and further a roadmap to execute the project’s ambition.