The Zebedee system includes a lightweight laser scanner mounted on a simple spring mechanism. As the operator moves through an environment the scanner loosely oscillates about the spring producing a rotation that converts 2D measurements into 3D fields of view. Its ability to self-localise makes Zebedee ideally suited for use indoors, underground and other covered environments, such as dense forest and urban canyons, where traditional solutions that utilise GPS don’t function well.
“The research team, from CSIRO’s Autonomous Systems Laboratory, have taken their world leading robotics localisation technology and cleverly adapted it to enable hand held, real-time laser scanning in full 3D”, Dr Oppermann said. “This technology will open up new areas for scanning such as difficult to access and complex cultural heritage places.”