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3DLaser Scanningfor Heritage
 Advice and guidance to users on laser scanning inarchaeology and architecture
2007
 
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Contents
1Introduction
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31.1Aims
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31.2The Heritage3D project
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31.3Three-dimensional recording
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31.4Questions laser scanning can help to answer
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41.5Tasks appropriate for laser scanning
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41.6What laser scanning cannot provide
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2How does laser scanning work?
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72.1Instrumentation and hardware
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72.2Software
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92.3Computer hardware
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3Commissioning survey
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93.1Knowing what you want
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93.2Determining appropriate point density
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103.3Finding a contractor
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103.4Laser safety
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103.5Archived data sources
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4From point cloud to useful information
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114.1Typical workflows
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114.2Cloud alignment/registration
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124.3Modelling
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124.4Analysis
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5Managing data
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155.1Reprocessing data
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155.2Data formats and archiving
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155.3Metadata
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6Helping you to decide
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166.1Whatoutputs are wanted?
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166.2How big is the subject?
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166.3What level of accuracy is required?
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166.4What resolution of measurement?
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166.5Does the survey need to be referenced?
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166.6Time and access restrictions?
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166.7Is three-dimensional information required?
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176.8Budget
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176.9Can you do this yourself?
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176.10What are the alternatives?
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7Where to find out more
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187.1Chartersand guidance
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187.2Organisations
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187.3Books
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187.4Journals and conference proceedings
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187.5Websites
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187.6Training
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8Glossary
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9Case study summaries
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20Case study contributors
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Project overview
The Heritage3D project directlyaddresses four sections of the 1998English Heritage Exploring our PastImplementation plan.The two principalaims of the project are to:
Develop
and support best practice inlaser scanning for archaeology andarchitecture
Disseminate
this best practice to usersalong with the education of likelybeneficiariesIn order to achieve these aims the projectworks towards five objectives:
Objective 1
 –production of a guidancenote that demonstrates the products thatcan be generated from laser scanning
Objective 2
 –to update the currentAddendum to the Metric SurveySpecification to take into account thecontinuing advances in the technology
Objective 3
 –to increase the knowledgebase of English Heritage by formingpartnerships with external surveypractitioners/equipment manufacturerswithin the UK 
Objective4
 –to promote synthesisbetween disciplines within EnglishHeritage by publishing and maintaining aproject website
Objective 5
 –to provide workshops onthe use of laser scanning to educatearchaeologists,architects and engineersfrom within English Heritage
 
1Introduction
1.1 Aims
The advice and guidance presented hereaims to provide the reader with theinformation they require to use laserscanning appropriately and successfullywithin projects.However,it should benoted that other survey techniques canprovide three-dimensional informationand should be considered alongside laserscanning.So while this documentpresents information specifically on when,why and how you might want to use laserscanning,it will point to other techniquesthat might also be considered.Moreover,it will cover generic issues,such as datamanagement,where the advice andguidance given will be relevant to anygeometric survey techniques.As a resultof this note users should be able tounderstand how laser scanning works,why they might need to use it and how itmight be applied.For abbreviations see Glossary.
1.2 The Heritage3D project
This note has been generated as part of the Heritage3D project.Heritage3D wassponsored by English Heritage’s HistoricEnvironment Enabling Programme(project 3789 MAIN) and undertakenby the School of Civil Engineering andGeosciences atNewcastle University.This twoyear project developed andsupported best practice in laser scanningfor archaeology and architecture,anddisseminated this best practice to users.Further details on the project can befound at the Heritage3D websitehttp://www.heritage3d.org.Asummaryof the case studies referred to throughoutthis note is given at the end of thisdocument.
1.3 Three-dimensional recording
The recording of position,dimensionsand/or shape is a necessary part of almostevery project related to the conservationof cultural heritage,forming an importantelement of the documentation andanalysis process.For example,knowingthe size and shape of a topographicfeature located in a historic landscape canhelp archaeologists identify itssignificance,knowing how quickly a stonecarving is eroding helps a conservator todetermine the appropriate action for itsprotection,while simply having access to aclear and accurate record of a buildingfaçade helps a project manager toschedule the work for its restoration.It is common to present suchmeasurements as plans,sections and/orprofiles plotted onto hardcopy for directuse on site.However,with theintroduction of new methods for three-dimensional measurement and increasingcomputer literacy among users,there is agrowing demand for three-dimensionaldigital information.
There is a wide variety of techniques forthree-dimensional measurement.Thesetechniques can be characterised by thescale at which they might be used (whichis related to the size of the object theycould be used to measure),and on thenumber of measurements they might beused to acquire (which is related to thecomplexity of the object).Figure 1summarises these techniques in terms of scale and object complexity.While handmeasurements can provide dimensions andposition over a few metres,it is impracticalto extend this to larger objects;andcollecting many measurements (forexample 1000 or more) would be alaborious and,therefore,unattractiveprocess.Photogrammetry and laserscanning could be used to provide agreater number of measurements forsimilar object sizes,and,therefore,aresuitable for more complex objects.Photogrammetry and laser scanning mayalso be deployed from the air so as toprovide survey data covering much largerareas.While GPS might be used to surveysimilarly sized areas,the number of pointsit might be used to collect is limited whencompared to airborne,or even spaceborne,techniques.This advice and guidance isfocused closely on laser scanning (from theground or air),although the reader shouldalways bear in mind that anothertechnique may be able to provide theinformation required.
Laser scanning,from the air or from theground,is one of those technicaldevelopments that enablesa large quantityof three-dimensional measurements to becollected in a short space of time.Thisdocument presents advice and guidanceon the use of laser scanning,so thatarchaeologists,conservators and othercultural heritage professionals can makethebest possible use of this technique.The term laser scanner applies to a rangeof instruments that operate on differingprinciples,in different environments andwith different levels of accuracy.A genericdefinition of a laser scanner,taken fromBöhler and Marbsis:“any device that collects 3D co-ordinatesof a given region of an object’s surfaceautomatically and in a systematic patternat a high rate (hundreds or thousands of points per second) achieving the results(ie three-dimensional co-ordinates) in(near) real time.”(Böhler,W,and Marbs,A2002,‘3DScanning Instruments’,
Proceedings of CIPA WG6 Scanning for Cultural HeritageRecording 
,September 1–2,Corfu,Greece)
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1 Mil100 00010 00010000.1m 1m 10m 100m 1km 10km 100km 1000km100101
Object size
     C    o    m    p     l    e    x     i     t    y     (    p    o     i    n     t    s     /    o     b     j     e    c     t     )
Close rangephotogrammetry/laser scanningAirbornephotogrammetry/laser scanningTerrestrialsurvey GPSHandmeasurementSatellite remote sensing
Fig 1
Three-dimensional survey techniques characterised by scale and object size (derived from Böhler presentation CIPAsymposium 2001,Potsdam).
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