Just over a week ago I got to use the new Leica Geosystem’s BLK360 laser scanner on a project. After having used other laser scanners in the past, and some being not only very expensive but also heavy and cumbersome on project sites, this BLK360 was an absolute delight to use. It was about the weight of a large mug of coffee plus a light tripod and then the iPad to run Autodesk ReCap Pro for mobile app.
I had been anxious to use the scanner since we announced it last year at Autodesk University. Leica + Autodesk = a Reality Capture Game Changer | ReCap Blog
The BLK360 was seriously fast to power on and ready to scan and then almost a one button operation all controlled from your iPad. Seriously, this is one high tech laser scanner that anyone could operate with very little training. The scan takes about 3 minutes then you move it to the next location all while it is actively transferring the scan to the iPad and registering the scans in the background. After the first registration you can start to view the data on the iPad while you are waiting for the next scan to complete. It is nice that you can monitor where in the scan progress you are at from the remote iPad instead of peeking around the corner, only to be captured in the scan data or photos.
Imagine placing everything needed to laser scan a building in your laptop bag instead of multiple big cases. I am still nursing my lower back issues after lugging other laser scanners up and down ladders on a big project last fall. I had hoped someone would develop a laser scanner that was modern, produced good data, all wile being light and portable like the BLK360.
With a 60 meter scan range and a price point around $16k that includes a 1 year ReCap Pro subscription (which includes ReCap Pro for mobile app), this is great deal and reality capture game changer.
How does the point cloud data look? Fantastic.
I can’t wait to use the scanner on future projects!
-Shaan
