Lidar Scanning with Navvis MLX and VLX3
This lesson is in development.
Navvis scanners are state-of-the-art mobile mapping systems designed to capture high-precision 3D spatial data for applications such as architecture, construction, facility management, and urban planning. They integrate advanced LiDAR technology, high-resolution cameras, and inertial measurement units (IMUs) to create accurate and detailed 3D point clouds and panoramic imagery of environments.
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Navvis Scanner Advantages
The Navvis VLX3 and MLX scanners are both advanced mobile mapping systems known for their high efficiency and precision in large-scale 3D scanning projects. Here are the key advantages:
- Wearable Design: The VLX3 and MLX are designed as a wearable mobile scanner, allowing operators to move freely through environments, capturing data with ease. This is particularly useful in complex spaces like construction sites, factories, or campuses.
- High-Speed Data Capture: The VLX3 and MLX are capable of rapid data collection, which is critical for time-sensitive projects. It can capture detailed 3D point clouds and panoramic imagery in real time.
- Indoor and Outdoor Capability: They both excels in both indoor and outdoor scanning, offering flexibility for a wide range of projects.
- Real-Time Localization: The VLX3 and MLX use real-time localization technology, helping to reduce post-processing time and ensuring precise alignment of the scanned data during the capture process.
- Efficiency: Their integration of LiDAR sensors, high-resolution cameras, and advanced inertial measurement units (IMUs) contributes to both efficiency and high-quality data capture.
Navvis Scanner Limitations
While Navvis scanners like the VLX3 and MLX are advanced systems with numerous advantages, they also come with certain limitations:
- Cost:
- High Initial Investment: Navvis scanners are premium devices, making them expensive to purchase, which might not be feasible for small businesses or hobbyists.
- Operational Costs: Maintenance, software subscriptions, and potential upgrades add to the total cost of ownership.
- Size and Mobility:
- Limited in Tight Spaces: While the VLX3 is wearable and portable, it might still face challenges in extremely confined or cluttered environments.
- Weight: The wearable design of the VLX3 can become cumbersome during prolonged usage, especially in large-scale projects.
- Environmental Limitations
- Lighting and Weather Sensitivity: While capable of outdoor scanning, performance may degrade in extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain, fog, or very bright sunlight.
- Surface Properties: Reflective, transparent, or absorptive surfaces can pose challenges for accurate data capture, requiring additional preprocessing or post-processing.
- Data Processing Requirements
- High Computational Demands: The large volumes of data captured necessitate powerful processing hardware, which can be an additional cost.
- Post-Processing Time: Despite real-time localization, the post-processing phase can still be time-consuming, especially for large or complex datasets.
- Range and Resolution Trade-Off
- Range Limitations: The effective range of Navvis scanners might not be sufficient for extremely large or expansive outdoor environments compared to drone-mounted or other terrestrial LiDAR systems.
- Resolution Trade-Offs: Capturing extremely fine details over a large area may require multiple passes, impacting efficiency.
- Limited Industry Interoperability
- File Format and Software: While Navvis scanners integrate well with certain software ecosystems, compatibility with non-standard or less common tools can require additional conversion or processing steps, especially when integrating panoramas and HDR fisheye imagery.
Understanding these limitations helps in planning and implementing strategies to mitigate their impact, ensuring successful use of Navvis scanners in diverse projects.
How to Overcome Limitations
The best way to overcome the limitations of the Navvis hardware is to compliment it with additional data capture from DSLRs and other lidar units. My favorite workflow method is to use the Navvis for fast coverage and other units like the BLK360 or RTC360 as well as additional photography for detail where required. This allows you to move quickly, get your base scan in and supplement the data as needed. Think of the Navvis data as the glue which holds all of the other datasets together.
Navvis and Reality Capture
Unfortunately, Reality Capture does not support all of the embedded panoramas in the e57 format. I am working towards a solution at this time and will share this information as it becomes available.