Fast continuous 360 degree color 3D laser scanner

There are many needs for the ability to fast acquire 3D data from environmental surroundings, such as navigation, mapping, localisation and robot mobility, fire and police planning, urban planning, but the technology for acquiring dense, wide ranging, accurate 3D data is too expensive to be used widely. A low-cost, 3600 continuous scanning, portable 3D laser scanner is presented. The accuracy of the portable laser scanner was analyzed in detail, and an algorithm of systematic measurement error compensation was given. On the other hand, a sequence of images was captured by a hand-held digital camera, and then 2D images were fast mapped on 3D point cloud by a method proposed based-on multiview geometry. The experimental results show that the portable laser scanner has higher measuring accuracy and better data quality. Its max range of the scanner is 80m, and its accuracy can achieved 6 mm. The portable laser scanner can measure black objects, it well suit tunnel measurement. The weight of the portable laser scanner is less than 6kg, it can be installed on unmanned aircrafts.