Part 2 – From the Laboratory to Everyday Life
LiDAR Conquers Industry & Research
Where does laser scanning come from? Who invented it?
How has laser scanning been used over the past decades up to today?
Our series “The origins of laser scanning” gets to the bottom of these questions and provides answers about this fascinating technology, which by now is hardly imaginable to live without in our everyday lives.
From research to application
Parallel to military and scientific use, the first industrial systems emerged in the 1970s. The Italian company DEA developed a 3-axis coordinate measuring machine that set new standards in physical object measurement.
In 1972, students at the University of Utah used this technology to digitally measure a car – a VW Beetle – for the first time using an algorithm.
Point Cloud – the digital image of reality
A point cloud is a collection of millions of individual measurement points in space. Each point has an exact position (x, y, z) and often additional information such as color or intensity. Together, they form an accurate 3D model of the captured scene.
New fields of application in the 1980s
In 1984, the first stripe-based laser scanner was developed to create a 3D image of the human head. This technology was mainly used for animation and was a precursor to modern 3D scanning methods in film, medicine, and gaming.
The 1990s: The market opens up
In 1992, Trimble (then Mensi) launched the S-series – 3D laser scanners for industrial applications. In 1993, the first commercially usable scanners followed.
The portable breakthrough
In 1996, Cyra Technologies developed the Cyrax, the first portable 3D laser scanner designed for architects, engineers, and surveyors. A few years later, Leica Geosystems acquired the company and established itself as one of the leading manufacturers.
Did you know…?
… the first portable 3D laser scanner (Cyrax, 1996) was as big as a briefcase – and yet replaced entire teams in many surveying projects?
Here’s what’s coming next:
In the next part of our series, we will look at 3D laser scanning as an everyday tool in the digital world from the 2000s up to today.
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