Terrestrial Scanning / Archaeology & Cultural Heritage

Lukas Stampfer: Live Processing and Feedback on a Combined Laserscanning and Photogrammetric Documentation Workflow 29.02.2024

The use of a combined terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and structure-from-motion (SFM) surveying approach has proved to be able to deliver advantageous benefits in terms of coverage and surface rendition. The elaboration of such approaches entails a succession of processes and are without many options for on-site feedback largely dependent on the experience of the surveyor. In support of this approach a combined automated processing workflow with augmented reality feedback is introduced, allowing operators to get a better understanding of their progress and project success during surveying. To do so native TLS and SFM software is connected to a shared network and data storage environment and controlled within an active framework. Within this, scans and images are aligned within RealityCapture and resulting registration is visualized to the operator using augmented reality (AR). To achieve complete independence of pre-scanned environments, the augmented reality application presented within this research uses a GNSS supported visual SLAM algorithm. With this the application is able to position virtual objects – such as markers representing the positions of registered cameras – within a physical space using only their geoposition as reference. The workflow presented in this paper should be understood as a proof of concept to determine possible improvements that would enable such interactive means of surveying and would allow deeper integration of components into a combined AR supported documentation workflow.

With adequate resolution, precision, and accuracy, the RIEGL VZ-600i 3D Terrestrial Laser Scanner - supported by RiSCAN PRO, RIEGL’s appropriate software package for post-processing – is a valid tool that was used by the author within this research.

The full article is published on the ISPRS platform, and can be found here.