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Where do point clouds and 3D imaging provide the best ROI?

By Charles Thomson
October 25, 2018
Point clouds have the potential to deliver the best Return on Investment when they can be generated and processed efficiently.

Understanding return on investment is critical to any business. Depending on the project and firm, commissioning a point cloud survey will cost between £1,000 and £3,000 per day. Buying a laser scanner and point cloud processing software can come with a five-figure price tag (sometimes more) along with ongoing maintenance costs.

Here, we will look at some industries and professions that benefit the most from making these types of investments. Point clouds have the potential to deliver the best ROI when they can be generated and processed efficiently. Existing in an evolving technological landscape, there are new techniques enabling targetless registration and automated processing that are increasing the return on point cloud creation by reducing the required investment.

It is important for those creating point cloud data to understand advances in the technology in order to deliver improved ROI, even in industries that already experience a significant ROI from point cloud use. Fundamentally, changes in the technology are opening up opportunities for an ever increasing number of applications within an expanding number of industries.  

What point clouds offer that other technology can’t

Point clouds deliver unparalleled maps of 3D space. They also enable these maps to be manipulated using digital tools. Rather than taking specific measurements of an object or area, a point cloud is made up of every conceivable measurement (within defined precision parameters) of that subject. This dataset is most commonly the result of a laser scan. However, the data can also be generated using a number of other technologies including ultrasound and photometry.

What is important is that creating a point cloud means that you don’t have to know every measurement that you will eventually need to make, you just need to know the degree of precision to which you need to make them. That will allow you to create a point cloud which you can simply reference to collect data as it is needed. You are also provided with the groundwork for creating a 3D model and engaging in iterative design processes. Lastly, point clouds allow for the comparing of existing 3D designs to an end result in exacting detail.  

The types of projects where point cloud technology really shines

The utility of this technology is far-reaching. However, it is of obvious benefit anywhere design is undertaken. Architects and construction teams have long used point clouds and laser scanners. So too have manufactures of high-end machine equipment. In both cases, point clouds are used to create designs and then to compare outcomes to design specifications. However, point clouds generate operational benefits to businesses as far afield as clothing producers, project leaders, BBQ pit manufacturers, facility managers, architects and designers of advanced aerospace products. The list is growing as the technology becomes more accessible.

Renovation projects are one area where point clouds provide particularly substantial benefits. When looking to undertake a construction project that builds on top of (or integrates) existing structural features, having a detailed map of what is already there is beneficial. Being able to create a point cloud of the existing structure(s) enables renovators to use iterative 3D and computer-aided design (CAD) programs to develop their project with the same level of freedom as those designing a building from scratch.

Similar results can be achieved through laborious individual measurements and manual computer-aided designs. However, point clouds deliver this in one go. This approach also ensures that there will be no need to revisit a location to make further measurements if plans change or something is found to be missing. Fewer people need to visit a site during planning. Specialists have access to all of the information they need at the office. Site lists and inventory models can be completed efficiently from a number of locations.  

In all construction projects, remote teams are allowed access to detailed site information in a collaborative working environment. Rather than having to repeatedly send job-site photos, teams on location and those in the office can engage with the same data and offer insights as if they were all working face-to-face. The time spent on location throughout planning and delivery can be optimised with the higher level of visibility and coordinated information provided by point clouds.  

The Types of Point Clouds that Deliver the Best ROI

The more efficiently point clouds can be produced, the greater ROI they deliver. Surveying teams creating point clouds using the most efficient processes get the most out of their equipment and can complete more projects for more clients faster. Businesses commissioning point cloud surveys from teams using the most efficient processes often get a better deal without losing output quality.   

Targetless registration and automated processing

The big transformation that is impacting the world of surveying is targetless registration and automated processing. This is not totally new, but advances in point cloud processing have made it a more dramatically useful technique. Historically, the efficiencies generated by approaching field scanning without targets have been lost by the increased processing time suffered in the office. This is no longer the case.

Novel, multi-stage approaches to vector-based processing is creating a faster and more automated means of processing point clouds, with or without targets. Under completely equal circumstances, it can still take slightly longer to assess two scans for natural features and align them across the x, y, and z axes than it takes to identify and overlap three to four common artificial targets.

However, by using these developing technologies, those differences are minimised, and the impact is completely mitigated by removing the need to engage in the manual procedures required by traditional software throughout processing. Vector-based processing cuts targetless processing time by 40%-80% while simultaneously automating many tasks.

Summary: Point clouds deliver great ROI across many projects, efficiently produced point clouds deliver better results across the board.

Anywhere where a large number of measurements need to be taken, point clouds deliver. They create flexible and accessible datasets that improve team collaboration, aid in design processes and improve outcomes. Construction and high-end manufacturing are the industries that have traditionally benefited most from point clouds and laser scans. Renovations, particularly, are greatly aided by the ability to essentially import an existing site into a computer model and begin designing as if building a product from scratch.

However, that does not necessarily mean that these industries receive the highest ROI from point clouds. Particularly when it comes to high-end manufacturing and large construction projects, these were forerunners in 3D surveying simply because they had the budgets needed to afford the technology. As technology develops and costs reduce, more businesses and industries are now able to access these benefits.

Smaller and smaller projects have been able to access point cloud technology as the market has matured, many of which are able to derive greater ROI than traditional construction projects, but would have been previously restricted from the market by high entry costs. There are now businesses that use laser scanners and 3D printers to make personalised figurines of a customer for as little as £200. Given that a business such as this is almost wholly dependent on point clouds and 3D imaging, it might be safe to say that this represents the pinnacle of ROI within the industry.  

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In every instance, however, effectively produced point clouds deliver greater ROI no matter where they are accessed because they require less investment. Perhaps more importantly, these developments are opening the door for ever more types of consumers, producers and businesses to access point cloud technology. There are so many opportunities that are only just becoming available, it is hard to say who benefits most from these investments.    

 

Tags: point clouds