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ZEB Horizon hits the road

  • by geoslam
  • 1st July 20209th February 2021
  • Blog

ZEB Horizon Vehicle mount – available now! The ZEB Horizon can be… Read More »ZEB Horizon hits the road

Point Clouds for Beginners – We answer your questions

  • by geoslam
  • 26th June 20209th February 2021
  • Blog

With mobile mapping technology readily available, anyone can effortlessly map the world… Read More »Point Clouds for Beginners – We answer your questions

Discovering New Zealand’s Underground Heritage

  • by geoslam
  • 16th June 202016th March 2021
  • Blog, Case Studies

The underground world has always captured our imagination and stories abound about… Read More »Discovering New Zealand’s Underground Heritage

Getting to know you: Gabriel de Barros Praxedes

  • by geoslam
  • 12th June 202010th February 2021
  • Blog

In the series of profiles on the team here at GeoSLAM, Gabriel… Read More »Getting to know you: Gabriel de Barros Praxedes

Mapping Trees on the Move

  • by geoslam
  • 10th June 202026th February 2021
  • Blog, Case Studies

How GeoSLAM’s mobile technology collates forest resource information for Australian National University… Read More »Mapping Trees on the Move

Invading a 19th century fortress with GeoSLAM

  • by geoslam
  • 4th June 202026th February 2021
  • Blog, Case Studies

Mapping historic sites can prove challenging for surveyors mainly due to lack… Read More »Invading a 19th century fortress with GeoSLAM

GeoSLAM celebrates record sales with Chinese dealer Scanner (Beijing) Science and Technology

  • by geoslam
  • 1st June 20209th February 2021
  • Blog

We’ve seen almost every country go into some sort of lockdown during… Read More »GeoSLAM celebrates record sales with Chinese dealer Scanner (Beijing) Science and Technology

Scanning the Grand Canyon

  • by geoslam
  • 28th May 202026th February 2021
  • Blog, Case Studies

The Grand Canyon National Park is a 1,901.972 sq mile square park… Read More »Scanning the Grand Canyon

How Builders by Design are integrating GeoSLAM into their workflow

  • by geoslam
  • 22nd May 202026th February 2021
  • Blog, Case Studies

Urban mapping opportunities with UK Government

  • by geoslam
  • 19th May 202026th February 2021
  • Blog, News

Last week the UK Government announced a £2 billion package to encourage… Read More »Urban mapping opportunities with UK Government

Q&A with Robert Vargo, of GeoSLAM dealer Keystone Precision Solutions

  • by geoslam
  • 14th May 20208th February 2021
  • Blog

In this blog, Robert Vargo, Northeast Mobile Imaging and GIS Consultant at… Read More »Q&A with Robert Vargo, of GeoSLAM dealer Keystone Precision Solutions

Scanning a Hydroelectric Dam with ZEB Revo

  • by geoslam
  • 7th May 20204th March 2021
  • Blog, Case Studies

Canadian 3D geospatial experts Smarter Spaces engaged in a partnership with the… Read More »Scanning a Hydroelectric Dam with ZEB Revo

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    Coupling with hardware

    Some SLAM software algorithms have been made available as open-source on the internet, but they are purely algorithms and not a product that you can take and use off-the-shelf. SLAM is most successful when it is tightly coupled and designed with specific hardware in mind. A generic SLAM cannot perform as well as one that has been specifically designed for a purpose.

    Usage in multi-environments

    Visual SLAM is closer to the way humans navigate the world, which is why it’s popular with robotic navigation. But in the same vein, vSLAM will have the same image-capture challenges as humans do, for example not being able to look into direct sunlight, or not having enough contrast between the objects picked up in the image. These can be overcome indoors, however, you may need to map a forest, tunnel or urban canyon. While SLAM technologies don’t rely on remote data (meaning you can scan areas where there is no GPS), you do need to ensure the SLAM technology you chose operate well inside, outside, in daylight and darkness.

    Real-time data capture

    Mapping a property is time-critical. Ideally, you want to make a single visit and gather sufficient data to create a highly accurate 3D model. Ensure the software you choose transforms 3D point cloud data into actionable information in real-time. This allows you to view and interrogate your data whilst still in the field, and make any adjustments, or collect missed data, then and there.

    Flexibility and deployment

    If you’re trying to map an enclosed environment (e.g. tunnel, mine) or a complex, difficult-to-access space such as a heritage building with tight stairwells and uneven floors, you need to use fully-mobile, adaptable technology. Wheel-based systems, often used with the vSLAM camera, will struggle with access. Handheld devices or LiDAR scanners that can be attached to a drone or pole and still deliver accurate results in a rugged environment are best for navigating hazardous spaces.

    Speed and accuracy

      

    While vSLAM is able to provide a qualitative high-level map and sense of the surrounding features, if you’re needing survey-quality accuracy and rich-feature tracking at a local level, you’ll need to consider LiDAR. Cameras require a high-frame-rate and high processing to reconcile data sources and a potential error in visual SLAM is reprojection error, which is the difference between the perceived location of each setpoint
    and the actual setpoint.

    Quality and distortion

    In order to deliver the depth required for high-quality data, a number of depth-sensing cameras are needed with a strong field of view. In most cases, this isn’t possible, especially as cameras with high processing capabilities typically require larger batteries which weigh down airborne scanners, or limit the time of flight. LiDAR is both faster and more accurate than vSLAM, and can deliver detailed point clouds without expensive (and timely) camera processing.

    • If your internet connection allows, move the Point Budget slider to the maximum amount available to view all the points in the cloud.
    • Making the point size smaller using the Point Size slider makes the data easier to view and interpret.
    • In the tools section of the viewer, you can measure the distance and angles of features within the pointcloud.
    • Using the materials section of the viewer, you can use the Select Attributes dropdown to view by intensity, elevation and RGB (if pointcloud is coloured)