Mobile LiDAR Scanner for the Generation of 3D Georeferenced Point Clouds

Abstract

Mobile laser scanning systems are a modern tool used by leading companies in surveying. These systems are capable of making a three-dimensional reconstruction of the environment by capturing thousands of aligned points. This article describes a hardware and software-based solution for a 3D LiDAR scanner capable of generating a georeferenced point cloud. This solution uses an integrated microcomputer-based hardware architecture, integration of navigation components and data logging. In addition, the effect caused by the measurement errors of the inertial sensors is displayed. To minimize these undesired effects, the use of high-precision navigation system is necessary. For the estimation of the position and orientation of the data captured by the LiDAR sensor, a non-linear interpolation is used for the oversampling of navigation data. Likewise, the scientific problem of direct georeferencing is modeled with a mathematical approach to conventional robotic structure. The product developed meets the technical requirements for most applications in topographic surveys and structural modeling. The system is portable on multiple platforms such as land vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles.