How a handheld imaging laser scanner can accelerate documentation of complex scenes

What’s the best way to document a scene with multiple floors or levels? New handheld imaging laser scanner technology makes quick work of these and other complex situations.

A recent video from Leica Geosystems’ reality capture specialist Frank Collazo demonstrates how a Leica BLK2GO handheld imaging laser scanner was used to scan a subway and street in New York City. “What would have taken a few days with tripod scanners took a few hours with BLK2GO,” he said. The scanner captured more than 225 million measurement points in 3D with accuracy of 2.25 cm. The resulting data can be used for safety planning, flythroughs and visualizations, and measurements can be obtained in a free viewer such as the Jetstream Portable Viewer.

The BLK2GO combines two-axis LiDAR with SLAM and Leica’s VIS technologies to accurately track its movement and simultaneously unify point clouds while recreating complex spaces with unprecedented efficiency and speed. “It’s a lightning fast way to document a visual representation of a space in a full immersive point cloud with images,” says Ryan M. Rezzelle, who manages the Leica Geosystems Public Safety Group in the US & Canada. Users can get live 2D and 3D visualizations, check the device status, and do quick data inspections with the BLK2GO Live app for iPhone.

“The BLK2GO is a lightning fast way to document a visual representation of a space in a full immersive point cloud with images. It’s transformational for public safety.”

It’s both an easy and practical way to capture point clouds on the fly. “You literally hold it in your hand and walk around with it,” Rezzelle says. In addition to one-button operation and one-click import, the BLK2GO is small, light (11 x 3.15 inches; less than 1.75 pounds w/batteries) and rugged. “The Leica BLK2GO is an economical, compact—but very powerful—workflow for really any problem that you can face in the geospatial world. It’s pretty transformational as far as what it can do for public safety agencies.”

To learn more about the BLK2GO or explore other time-saving scene investigation solutions for your agency, please contact us.