Leica 3d scanners

Leica 3d scanners

Innovation Of Leica 3D Scanners

Imagine being able to capture a full 360° and three-dimensional, interactive photo of your surroundings. It is precisely what Leica 3D scanners enable you to do – that and much more!

Using laser scanning, or high-definition surveying (HDS) technology, Leica 3D scanners can create accurate models of real-life scenes. The possibilities are endless and undoubtedly beneficial. 

What Does Leica 3D Scanner Equipment Do?

Leica 3D scanners are helpful for corporations and professionals requiring high-accuracy mapping or reality capture scans of scenes such as roads, buildings, industrial plants, and other real-life spaces.

What Does Leica 3D Scanner Equipment Do?
Image Credit: directindustry

Leica’s range of laser scanning products features many different models. However, the general purpose of their laser scanner equipment is to create 3D photos with accurate pixel positioning (on X, Y, and Z axes).

While people can create similar kinds of maps, it is incredibly time-consuming to manually draw these maps by hand. Besides the tediousness of sketching by hand, human error is also ever-present.

Leica 3D scanners eliminate many risks using advanced technology with insanely high frame-capturing speed. The scanner improves accuracy and saves much time and money on fieldwork. It automatically registers scan, and its simple to use outstanding range helps with information modelling.

Who Manufactures Leica 3D Scanner Equipment: Leica Geosystems, The Company Behind The Product 

Leica Geosystems is often cited as the world leader in geographic surveying technology, due to high accuracy point cloud, and its laser scanners providing best capture of scans.

The Switzerland-based company has a rich history in geo-scanning, dating back over 200 years. Drawing inspiration from Swiss-born Jakob Kern, Leica Geosystems employ strict standards for their products. 

The company not only designs and manufactures scanning technology but also develops computer-aided design (CAD) and surveying software to read, manipulate, and navigate scanned data.

Owned by parent company Hexagon AB, Leica Geosystems has access to partnerships and funding many other information technology companies can’t enjoy. It, in turn, aids them in producing better products and helps reflect site reality.

Industries That Are Served By Leica 3D Scanning Technology

3D scanning technology serves a wide range of industries. Leica’s 3d laser scanning tech can serve your purpose as long as a detailed building plan, map, or any simple geometric record of an area is needed.

Industries That Are Served By Leica 3D Scanning Technology
Image Credit: exactmetrology

Construction Industry and role of 3d laser scanning

Before the building design process can continue on a site, construction companies need detailed surveys of the site they’re working on. This requirement goes for both new sites and building maintenance.

3D scans can be used at the beginning of a building project or to validate the accuracy of projects’ progress while they’re in construction. 

Laser scanning can measure new and current building sites faster and more accurately than conventional methods. It can better pinpoint the positions of plumbing and electric systems.

The demand, expected to grow by $10 billion between 2022 and 2024, is evidence of its importance in construction. Furthermore, the tech can reduce surveying costs by up to 50%. 

Design And Architecture Industries and ways to manage project complexities

Tying in with the construction industry, designers and architects can benefit from this technology. 

These professionals can use CAD and BIM (building information modeling) software to design 3D digital models of structures. Afterward, they can work with engineers to identify possible issues. 

Using Leica’s built-in software, designers and engineers can verify their plans with real-life models to reduce the risks and costs of making possible mistakes. 

The Aerospace Industry and 3d laser scanning

The aerospace industry is one of the best examples of industries that frequently use 3D scanning hardware and software.

Due to the delicate nature of the commercial airline industry, a lot of care has to be taken before ensuring that an aircraft is, in fact, safe to carry passengers and fly.  In healthcare and aviation there is no margin of error. Because of the robust checks, to make sure all the components are in place and fittings have been made, it is generally time-consuming. 

Aerospace Industry and 3d laser scanning
Image Credit: turbo-cast

3D scanners dramatically reduce the time these surveys take, improving efficiency and costs. Still, it aids surveyors in being more accurate when locating potential shortcomings or damage to ship components. 

Sometimes the naked eye cannot capture a lot of things, can be anywhere between 5 to 20% that can not be detected by human eye. Here again, laser scanning technology and its software can help locate cracks and leaks that could lead to aircraft equipment failure. 

The Entertainment Industry and 3d laser scanning

Referring to all things art, gaming, film, and virtual reality related, the entertainment industry is an excellent example of an industry that can benefit immensely from 3D scanning. 

Just imagine the potential to recreate real-life scenes in virtual reality, not just near-accurate depictions, but true-to-life copies with exact geographic and spatial measurements. This is the future of entertainment.

It’s also quite game-changing for the video game industry. Since immersion is one of the key factors to many players’ enjoyment of a title, game creators now have the opportunity to focus on that. 

Furthermore, filmmakers (including animators) can now increase the realism of certain CGI scenes or speed up the time it takes to draw certain landscapes. These creatives have a lot of options! 

History, Culture, And Tourism Industries

An impressive implementation of laser scanning technology lies in creating digital models of artworks, ancient artifacts, and famous buildings. Safeguarding heritage is, after all, very important.

Here you can see the 3D data of a historic library in Chernihiv, Ukraine, after it was bombed at the start of March 2022. 

Capturing historical scenes like these will help future historians put the pieces together, and it certainly provides a more immersive representation of the absolute devastation of war. 

Furthermore, most heritage sites, such as Notre Dame or Sacre Cœur, have had their 3D models scanned, which, in the case of the former, helped repair the damages of that 2019 fire. 

In fact, the historian behind the 3D scanning of Notre Dame cathedral, Andrew Tallon, can be seen using his own Leica 3D scanner in this video by National Geographic.  

3D Laser Scanners Accident Reconstruction By Leica

Another industry that is served by Leica 3D scanners is the forensics industry. Naturally, this includes accident reconstruction and consequent investigative analysis.

Leica’s scanning technology can capture every piece of evidence an accident scene can provide. Everything leading up to the accident (like tire marks) and the resulting damages can be recorded.

3D Laser Scanners Accident Reconstruction By Leica
Image Credit: geospatialworld

Speeding up this kind of job doesn’t just improve accuracy maximum productivity and workflow in the office but also allows roads to reopen faster than they usually would.

Forensic scientists can use this technology to investigate car accidents, train wrecks, airplane crashes, and much more. Furthermore, Leica scanners can document efficiently even in bad weather conditions. 

Leica 3D Scanning Products

Leica Geosystems features a broad range of 3D scanning products, each with unique capabilities, which are especially beneficial for specific industries.

Besides the products listed below, Leica offers professional help and training for its clients. They even provide you the opportunity to rent the hardware and software or hire one of their experts.

Leica Aibot SX for Surveying 

The Leica Aibot SX is the perfect airborne companion for large geographic content digital surveying. Essentially, it is a drone-flown 3D scanner boasting high dynamic range and many fancy features.

Leica Aibot SX for Surveying 
Image Credit: geoweeknews

With the Aibot, you can plan flights, let the bot execute the flights automatically, and then efficiently process asset data afterward. It’s that simple!   

Leica BLK2GO Handheld Imaging Scanner

This 3D scanner is a compact yet powerful little machine. With hand-held portability, the BLK2GO is a lightweight scanner that is easy to use and allows you to take indoor scans easier than its counterparts.

Leica BLK2GO Handheld Imaging Scanner
Image Credit: leica-geosystems

“Easy to use” is no exaggeration. One single button is all you need to push to switch the BLK2GO on and start recording your surroundings, which means you don’t need to spend hours on proper training.

Leica BLK360 G2 Imaging Scanner

Leica BLK360 G2 Imaging Scanner
Image Credit: leica-geosystems

The BLK360 G2 is the new and improved version of its predecessor, the BLK360 G1. Like the BLK2GO, you only press a single button to start scanning.

What differentiates it from its competitors is its speed. The BLK360 G2 takes a full spherical scan of an environment in under 20 seconds!

Furthermore, it features HDR quality capabilities. It is also lightweight and sleek in design – a worthy addition to your scanning team.

Leica-BLK360-3D-Scanning 

This one is the latest in the BLK360 series, boasting the smallest dimensions of all the previous laser scanners – yet more powerful scanning abilities. 

The Leica BLK360 imaging laser scanner is a little more sophisticated than other scanners in the series, mainly due to its increased settings and features. 

On this model, you can decide between four different scanning speeds and qualities (ranging from 7 to 75 seconds); more time taken per scan naturally means a more detailed scan.

Leica ScanStation P40/P30 

The ScanStation P-series of Leica’s array of laser scanning products is likely the most well-known. It’s a reliable machine that will satisfy all your needs.

They make up for what the ScanStation P40 and P30 lack in portability through their high-quality imaging. Furthermore, their lasers can reach up to 270 m for large-scale scans.

The P-series of ScanStations is the right choice if you’re afraid of any damage to your products. This high dynamic range one is exceptionally durable and is the right choice to use in extreme heat (over 50° C).

Overall, the Leica ScanStation P40/P30 is a portable hardware device known for being one of the lightest imaging laser scanners on the market. It excels in laser scanning environments, capturing high-definition point cloud data with precision and detail.

The device’s robustness and portability make it an ideal tool for diverse scanning needs. Currentlly, Leica ScanStation is preferred laser scanner

Leica ScanStation P50

The ScanStation P50 is the newest and most potent in its product line. This one is undoubtedly the 3D laser scanner you want if you need a super powerful tool to survey sites. 

Leica ScanStation P50
Image Credit: leica-geosystems

With ranges up to 1km and low noise over long distances, the ScanStation P50 can create the best quality high-definition 3D data in its class. 

At automationswitch we recommend Leica ScanStation P50 and believe it is a leading portable hardware device designed to provide advanced 3D reality capture solutions. It is particularly known for its ability to automatically register scans, helping industried drive efficiency.

Leica RTC360 3D Laser Scanner

The Leica RTC360 features a similar design to the larger ScanStations, but its parts can fold easily and fit into your backpack. 

While its scanning range is certainly limited compared to the Leica ScanStation P50, it can scan twice as many points per second (2 million). Quite impressive! 

Leica RTC360 3D Laser Scanner
Image Credit: survey.crkennedy

Leica RTC360 3D Laser Scanner, paired with Leica Cyclone FIELD 360 software, provides an unparalleled data capture system that automatically registers scans, streamlining the process of 3D reality capture solutions. Like other Leica model it provides unique ability to enrich high dynamic range data making it an essential tool for civil infrastructure projects, where precise and detailed 3D imaging is critical.

Summary: How Innovation Has Contributed To The Success Of Leica 3D Scanners

Due to the political turmoil of the 1930s, Leica was commissioned to create various things like telescopic sights for artillery and other applications. Necessity sparked multiple innovations in the optics industry.

In the 40s and 50s, the company started pioneering photogrammetric devices such as the BC-4 ballistic camera system to optically track missiles and satellites. The company’s innovation surged again.

In 1990 they released the world’s first digital level (NA2000) and later the DISTO (the world’s first hand-held digital laser distance meter). Both these sparked the beginning of 3D laser scanner development. 

Round Up

Leica 3D scanner is an incredible disruptive technology’s. Interested in learning more about Leica scanners or acquiring one yourself? Head to their products page, where you will find detailed descriptions of each machine.

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