Laser/Optical Scanning: Technology Overview From a User’s Perspective

Publication Details

Abstract

Laser and optical scanning technology has shown great progress over the past decade, with uses in applications such as manufacturing quality control, reverse engineering, recording historic sites, and more. Scanning equipment is readily available for capturing three dimensional (3D) geometry on a large scale (e.g., buildings, vehicles, and outdoor settings) as well as a small scale (e.g., machined or 3D-printed components with a length scale on the order of inches or feet). In this article, we compile the information on commercially available small-scale scanning systems. This snapshot of the current stateof-the-art can serve as a valuable reference for potential new users, as well as a valuation of the technology for possible new applications. We present case studies and applications of laser scanning which are unique to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) (Los Alamos, NM) and conduct technology assessments of specific metrology applications.