Cahalane, Conor and Lewis, Paul and McElhinney, Conor P. and McCarthy, Tim
(2015)
Optimising Mobile Mapping System Laser Scanner Orientation.
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 4.
pp. 302-319.
ISSN 2220-9964
Abstract
Multiple laser scanner hardware configurations can be applied to Mobile Mapping
Systems. As best practice, laser scanners are rotated horizontally or inclined vertically to
increase the probability of contact between the laser scan plane and any surfaces that are
perpendicular to the direction of travel. Vertical inclinations also maximise the number of
scan profiles striking narrow vertical features, something that can be of use when trying to
recognise features. Adding a second scanner allows an MMS to capture more data and
improve laser coverage of an area by filling in laser shadows. However, in any MMS
the orientation of each scanner on the platform must be decided upon. Changes in the
horizontal or vertical orientations of the scanner can increase the range to vertical targets
and the road surface, with excessive scanner angles lowering point density significantly.
Limited information is available to assist the manufacturers or operators in identifying the
optimal scanner orientation for roadside surveys. The method proposed in this paper applies
3D surface normals and geometric formulae to assess the influence of scanner orientation
on point distribution. It was demonstrated that by changing the orientation of the scanner
the number of pulses striking a target could be greatly increased, and the number of profiles
intersecting with the target could also be increased—something that is particularly important
for narrow vertical features. The importance of identifying the correct trade-off between the
number of profiles intersecting with the target and the point spacing was also raised.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Additional Information: |
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Keywords: |
point density; laser scanner; scanner orientation; mobile mapping systems; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering > Research Institutes > National Centre for Geocomputation, NCG |
| Item ID: |
6941 |
| Identification Number: |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi4010302 |
| Depositing User: |
Conor Cahalane
|
| Date Deposited: |
01 Feb 2016 15:30 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information |
| Publisher: |
MDPI |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Funders: |
Irish Research Council (IRC), Pavement Management Services Ltd., National Roads Authority (ERA-NET SR01 projects), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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