Trialling SLAM Technology from Home

Surveyors, architects and construction professionals can now trial SLAM technology from home, thanks to the launch of a new free remote demo service from the world’s leading expert in 3D mobile mapping solutions. GeoSLAM has launched ‘demo in a box’ as a way to experience the benefits of SLAM technology, while adhering to social distancing guidelines. GeoSLAM’s ‘demo in a box’ allows organizations to loan a ZEB REVO, ZEB REVO RT or ZEB Horizon free of charge. Once the product has been received, the recipient will have a virtual walkthrough of scanning for the first time, and then be able... (read more)

2020-05-08 09:15:35

Rapid Site Surveys Using SLAM Technology

Access All Areas: Geomatics Systems for the Future

The difficulties of undertaking geospatial surveys, particularly in unstable buildings or underground environments, are well documented. However, the pressure to collect accurate, real-time data within strict timelines has certainly intensified in recent years. With increasingly tight deadlines coupled with strict budgets, conducting surveys of hard-to-access sites can be a real challenge for engineering and construction firms. This article explains how new innovations in building information modelling (BIM) are providing an answer with the aid of simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) technology. As engineering and construction firms grapple with issues such as skills shortages, robust safety regulations and fierce competition for contracts,... (read more)

2018-10-24 04:26:50

NavVis Uses SLAM to Automatically Remove Point Cloud Artifacts

NavVis, a leading global provider of indoor spatial intelligence solutions for enterprises, announces a new software release for the NavVis M6 Indoor Mobile Mapping System (IMMS) that automatically detects and removes dynamic objects and object fringe points from point clouds during the post-processing of scan data. Fringe points and dynamic objects are two common types of point cloud artifacts that affect all 3D laser scanning devices. Fringe points arise when a laser beam hits the edge of an object as well as its background. This scattered beam ultimately appears as a so-called fringe around the edge of the object in the... (read more)

2020-04-16 01:52:44

How SLAM Technology Can Support New-build Projects

Keeping up with Demand in a Rapid, Cost-Effective and Transparent Way

When it comes to new-build projects, there are numerous significant pressures on delivery, whether it’s keeping to a strict budget, completing on time or even keeping all stakeholders in the loop throughout the build itself. Here, David Fowkes, sales director from 3D mobile mapping specialists GeoSLAM, explores how simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology can contribute to streamlining the entire new-build process. As populations across the world continue to grow, demand for new-build housing is consequently on the rise. Our communities require affordable, fit-for-purpose and considerately designed homes that will stand the test of time, whether that’s for an ageing... (read more)

2020-04-30 10:41:49

What's the Difference Between SLAM Algorithms for Handheld Lidar?

To get the full story when researching handheld Lidar scanners, you also need to compare the SLAM algorithms. These three criteria will help you: processing speed, sensor integration and colorization. While researching handheld Lidar scanners, you will probably scour spec sheets, cross-reference features, and read about software workflows. But that will get you only part of the way to understanding the market – you will also need to compare the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms that power these devices and enable them to create a point cloud as you walk. The problem is that SLAM algorithms can be difficult... (read more)

2019-12-24 09:48:10

GeoSLAM Launches New Innovation for Rapid Urban Mapping

Recently, GeoSLAM announced its latest innovation for rapid urban mapping – the ZEB Discovery. Officially unveiled at Intergeo 2019 in Stuttgart, the ZEB Discovery signifies a new era in data capture and integration of a point cloud with high-resolution imagery. The mapping solution is capable of rapidly capturing intricate data with the use of the company's industry-leading simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology and NCTech’s iSTAR Pulsar panoramic camera for ultra-high-definition image capture. The end-to-end solution automatically synchronizes the point cloud with imagery for a unique walk-through of the area of data captured. Combining the two data sources into one... (read more)

2019-10-01 11:33:14

Indoor Mapping: We Have Only Seen the Beginning

Indoor mapping is often associated with the rise in location-based services, but over the past few years there has been a growing demand for indoor mapping for a much wider range of use cases. In fact, it is fair to say that the evolution of indoor mapping has only just got started. Read on to find out why. The biggest trend is that mobile indoor mapping is taking on more of the work traditionally performed by static laser scanners. Some of the earliest adopters of simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) technology were surveyors and engineers. Faced with growing demand for... (read more)

2018-09-20 08:48:58

David Fowkes

David Fowkes is global strategic sales director at GeoSLAM. He has been heavily involved in BIM since 2015 when the UK Government mandated BIM on all centrally funded projects. Fowkes has recently joined GeoSLAM to work with companies that are looking to disrupt the markets they operate in by leveraging the use of mobile laser scanning technology. (read more)

2020-04-30 10:42:29

Rapid Scanning During a Global Crisis

Geospatial technology can play an important role in the expansion of hospital capacity in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In this feature, David Fowkes, sales director at 3D mapping and monitoring specialist GeoSLAM, explains how the rapid surveying capabilities of SLAM technology can enable health officials across the globe to quickly and safely assess potential hospital buildings. Around the world we have seen unprecedented efforts to increase capacity in stretched health systems as a result of the spread of coronavirus. In Wuhan, China, the epicentre for the virus, the 269,000 sq ft, thousand-bed Huoshenshan Hospital, was built from scratch in... (read more)

2020-07-28 10:34:01

Connected Construction: Shaping a Digital Future

Despite forecasts revealing that growth in the construction sector will rise by a staggering 70% across the world by 2025, it’s fair to say that compared to other industry sectors, the construction and engineering industry has been slower to embrace digital technology. With only a few AEC companies using digital as a tool to create new business opportunities and improve margins, many are missing out on innovative approaches to driving down costs and improving project execution. But this is about to change. The significant benefits that digital technologies bring to the way we design, construct and maintain our infrastructure can... (read more)

2020-02-18 04:27:42