SBG, Viametris Present 3D Indoor Scanning System at INTERGEO

The iMS 3D indoor mapping system by Viametris uses an Ellipse-A by SBG for roll and pitch data.

SBG Systems will join Viametris in presenting a new 3D indoor scanning system at the INTERGEO trade show, which will be held Sept. 15-17 in Stuttgart, Germany.

The iMS 3D is a mobile 3D indoor scanner generating continuous point clouds. For this brand-new model of indoor mobile mapping system, or iMMS, Viametris chose SBG Systems’ miniature Attitude and Heading Reference Sensor (AHRS), the Ellipse-A. The iMS 3D is easier to transport, install and set up than previous iMMS. The iMS 3D also integrates new sensors, including the Ellipse-A from SBG Systems.

Based on the SLAM technology, the iMS 3D is equipped with three lidar profilers, each taking 40,000 points per second. The main lidar provides the horizontal profile, which also contributes to the continuous calculation of the iMS 3D position in the building. Two lateral lidars give vertical profiles, including the ceiling. While the user walks, pushing the iMS 3D at normal speed, the 3D profile of the room appears on the screen, since the system records 3D measurements of the same room. Easy to manipulate, one person is enough to survey every corner of the building with the iMS 3D.

During the survey, the 360-degree camera takes a spherical picture every two meters for a full documentation of the building. This solution makes indoor survey 10 times quicker than traditional methods usually using distance meters, Viametris said, adding that the iMS 3D delivers a combination of point density, acquisition speed and accuracy suitable for the building trade industry.

At the office, the user accesses a centimeter-level accuracy 3D survey as a point cloud and pictures by using the Viametris processing and browsing software. The user can import the point cloud in CAD software (Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD, MicroStation, Rhino, etc.) to easily produce 2D maps or 3D models. The point cloud can be colorized with the colors of the pictures taken during the survey, which greatly improves the environment understanding. Additionally, the user has access to contextual 360-degree pictures, making objects such as radiators, extinguishers or lights simple to distinguish and locate.

Ellipse-A.

Already integrated in other Viametris ultraportable technologies, the Ellipse-A has been chosen for this new generation of indoor mobile mapping system, or iMMS. “We integrated an Ellipse-A in our 2D system and were very happy with the results. It was obvious to us that the Ellipse-A will be part of our new iMMS,” said Jérôme Ninot, president of Viametris. The Ellipse-A is used to correct the horizontal profile. While the user is pushing the iMS 3D through the rooms, unevenness, slopes and ramps, cables or door thresholds can cause noise in the point cloud. The Ellipse-A keeps the point cloud clean by correcting the horizontal lidar data frames used to build the trajectory.

The Ellipse-A AHRS provides roll and pitch data accurate to 0.2° at 200 Hz. “The Ellipse sensors are much more efficient than the previous IG-500 product line,” said Mr. Ninot.

Keeping lidar and camera data precisely synchronized can be difficult because the camera focal time is susceptible to vary. In mobile scanning, even a slight latency might cause an offset. For example, the picture will not be located on the right place inside the point cloud. Viametris decided to connect the camera and the three lidars to the Ellipse-A to ensure a highly accurate and repeatable synchronization.

At INTERGEO 2015, the iMS 3D will be presented at stand # B4.049 and the ELLIPSE-A will be presented at stand # G4.079.