SLAM SYSTEMS

[smacl]

Dear all,

for the sake of "completeness": Viametris, Kaarta and Optech.

Cheers

Daniel

Also Foxtech and Stonex at the cheaper, lower accuracy end of things.

[landmeterbeuckx]

Touché Landmeter Beuckx : ) Even though I thought they use GeoSLAM scanners (or was that one of their competitors?) and focus on developing the drone control based on the point cloud as a product. This is not my bread and butter, so please educate me.

Don't know much about them but you can use the device on a drone but also handheld to do Geoslam style mapping. All without color.

Not sure that Emesent are using Geoslam scanners on the latest iteration of their hardware, the Hovermap STx, but would need to check. Was looking at some backpack mounted STx data for a client earlier this week and it is pretty good and a significant improvement on the previous Hovermap ST. See small extract from a street survey below. Georeferenced images aren't currently embedded into E57s but talking to the guys at Emesent, they're available externally. No idea whether you can observe external control for registration and QA purposes. That aside, looks like a nice piece of kit.

Not sure what the story is with color, seems like it should be there if they have properly geo-referenced images. If not, may just add this as an option in SCC...

I meant geoslam style. The same kinda setup, not geoslam scanners itself.

[VXGrid]

Emesent is focused on full autonomous drone flights, but you can use it in handheld or backpack mode.
GeoSLAM is focused on hand held mode, but has things for drones (and other gadgets).

They are competitors. Hardware might look similar, but the SLAM is different.

[max72]

I have a Geoslam Horizon, and I'm happy with it.
I also have a Faro TLS, and I still use it when necessary.
While the main advantage of speed is quite intuitive, I think there are some other positives aspects, that make it almost an allrounder.
I'll try to give my personal impressions, I have not used other SLAM scanners.
Please consider I mainly use Pointcab, so some considerations are related to my workflow.
I recently purchased a couple of upgrades (Vision and Locate) to improve some aspects, but they are recent purchases, so it's early for a feeback.
Drift really depends on the environment, with interiors you have so many features (at least in my typical buildings) that drift is not an issue.
You can have drift in featureless areas (typically exteriors in my case), but you can create a net of control points and adapt your survey to control points. Registering a control point is very easy (you simply place the instrument on the point for a few seconds). With HUB you then associate the logged points with your control points. The newer Connect should detect the constellation of points (I seldom use control points, I have yet to try). You can also force a rigid transformation, useful to check the points and the drift before doing the non rigid one.
Geoslam offers a solution (Locate) to adapt and adjust using a GPS.

Noise in my case is not a big issue, mainly because using Pointcab you create your slices, and while the section lines are thicker there is no problem in getting the center, and at this point the results are comparable to a TLS.
I started filtering my data, but I realised with Pointcab I didn't need it.
I still filter the cloud if my client is asking for the pointcloud. The cleaned cloud in my opinion is quite nice.

I recently purchased the vision to have bubble views (and not colouring), at the moment I'm happy with it, but I have yet to push it.

I still prefer the older tool (HUB), mainly because could registration was generally good, the new Connect has other options, but manual align is not good.
Connect can register clouds not only with control points but also with reflective targets: I have a roll of reflective paper and I'll test this feature when possible.

Other aspects:
intensity cloud is darker than the one of my faro and some things are not easy to spot (manholes for instance). On the other hand aerial wires are grabbed much better with my Horizon.

Massimo

[sim.herrod]

Emesent is focused on full autonomous drone flights, but you can use it in handheld or backpack mode.

We have used Hovermap on several jobs now, and not used it on a UAV or autonomously once.

It can also be mounted on a ground based vehicle for Mobile Mapping.

Emesent uses the Wildcat SLAM algorithm, developed by CSIRO

[gsisman]

Emesent is focused on full autonomous drone flights, but you can use it in handheld or backpack mode.

We have used Hovermap on several jobs now, and not used it on a UAV or autonomously once.

It can also be mounted on a ground based vehicle for Mobile Mapping.

Emesent uses the Wildcat SLAM algorithm, developed by CSIRO

We'll be getting a Hovermap Demo this Thursday in conjunction with our police force. Hopefully I can get the latest info and a Dataset from the demo. Not sure whether this will be drone based or not, but will include autonomous, so maybe..

[LPaulCook]

I have and use the FARO SWIFT system for the past year +. I purchased it because I already owned 2 FARO scanners and the results are clean and very accurate data.

The slam scans made while moving are discarded. Anchor scans and static scans are used for c2c registration used. Georeferenced static scans 1.5 mins at 3 or more positions in a job site .Anchor scans can be set from 10 to 30 seconds depending on your needs for more or less detail.

In all, this system saves me many hours of field data collection and registration time and no targets other than 3 or so control targets to georeference the scans.

Stairs are handled by simply detaching the graphite tripod from the 3 wheeled cart and cary it up the stairs and taking scans as needed to see the next floor then reconnect to the cart on the next level.

[smacl]

We'll be getting a Hovermap Demo this Thursday in conjunction with our police force. Hopefully I can get the latest info and a Dataset from the demo. Not sure whether this will be drone based or not, but will include autonomous, so maybe..

Doing some work with the Horvermap STX interface in SCC at the moment. Looks like it supports flat images via the GoPro camera which can also be used for colourization. Point cloud seems reasonably crisp with decent intensity returns, overall a pretty good option if you're looking for a solution that can be used on multiple platforms (e.g. backpack, drone, vehicle). I'd be interested to hear how you get on with it,

[Justin Richards]

Hi All,

So we are looking to introduce SLAM based system into our daily field work and workflows.

The question's are as follows:

What are people using daily if at all?

From my research there seems to be three main units:
Leica BLK2G0 - have seen the data and not that impressed, units seem fragile and wouldn't standup to day to day usage
Navvis - Love the body mount style, seems robust, nice sample data sets, big negative is the fact that NAVVIS processes the data on a cloud based system
FARO SWIFT - like the idea of having another scanner that we could use as a normal terrestrial unit, how do you traverse stairs?
Others - GeoSLAM, TerrusM.....

Positives for the SLAM systems - rapid data capture, simpler in the field
Negatives for the SLAM systems - Accuracy, not able to QA individual scans like normal terrestrial unit. Price (could easily get another X7 for the price maybe even 2 units)

Would love to hear other options and experience in this field of mass rapid data capture.

Thank you

HYPA360

I was not impressed with the BLK2Go either, It's improved a lot but still has a way to go. They also killed the value by not trying to adapt the same device for multiple applications (like the drone)

I've only watched videos and I've demoed it at a trade show, but the VLX2 seems nice but we don't use SLAM enough to justify. At the time (Autodesk University 2022) they told me it was 8 hours to register 1 hour of scanning. From what I've seen the data is pretty impressive for SLAM and being able to grab control by setting the device on it in the field is nice. Just keep in mind that it is a extremely interesting looking device, it's going to get a lot of interest from others even compared to the others.

FARO SWIFT is EOL, It's been replaced with Flash. Both systems allow for stationary scans, which are needed for inclinometer readings and connecting sessions (and stairs). SWIFT captured points all the time but it didn't use the mobile data in the end product, just your 10 second scans and stationary. With Flash, it doesn't capture data when moving, it allows you to take 30 second color scans but having used both the Flash is way better plus you will have a TLS device and Panocam.

GeoSLAM device is nice but it does get a little heavy if you are going to be scanning for a while.

[smacl]

GeoSLAM device is nice but it does get a little heavy if you are going to be scanning for a while.

In my opinion, backpack is the way to go for any outdoor scanning. Less tiring and a more stable platform for the scanner. Handheld only really adds value where you're trying to scan confined spaces.