Software
EveryPoint It’s been a long time coming, but we are about to enter an era where we will all have the ability to quickly and easily make 3D reality captures of environments or objects using the phone in our pockets. Martyn Day explores EveryPoint
T
he LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) laser scanning market moves at a glacial pace. For years, it was hoped that the price of laser scanners would drop to below $12,000 to democratise reality capture. Typically, laser scanners have cost $40,000 and have been large and heavy devices. And for long range scanning, this is still the reality. When range isn’t such an issue, there has been some movement. In 2010 there was a significant release from Faro with the Focus3D at $20,000, which qualified for hand luggage on a plane. Then in 2016 Leica launched the BLK360, which could fit in a handbag. This brought the price to scan down to $15,000, but that’s pretty much still the lowest entry 26
May / June 2022
p26_27_28_AEC_MAYJUNE22_EveryPoint.indd 26
point for professional laser scanners. While we have been waiting for vendors to move from the top, down to the entry level, similarly there have been multiple attempts to enter at the low end and move up. Microsoft’s Kinect for the Xbox was a low cost, low resolution structured light scanner, which served as the basis for a lot of research into portable and lightweight scanning solutions based on the exploding tablet market. This small format, low power technology developed rather slowly and had trouble gaining traction when brought to market. The solutions we saw at AEC Magazine were all best suited to scanning individual objects or small areas as opposed to buildings or whole interiors.
Different bits of mobile hardware came and went, none really leaving any impression, even when firms the size of Intel got involved. Then, Apple decided to include a small structured light sensor in its high-end iPhone and iPad products. One of these was for face recognition and security purposes, while the rear facing LiDAR scanner was there for developers to mainly experiment with Augmented Reality (AR) apps and, for some time in the future when Apple realises its much-vaunted AR Glasses. Apple’s sensor is not high-fidelity, and the depth data just doesn’t offer the resolution needed for detailed 3D scanning. On the face of things this didn’t appear to be a platform for professional AEC solutions. www.AECmag.com
21/05/2022 07:37
