How To Use      
Didactic

The didactic material available on this website is designed to be used in either a Teacher-Student setting or by an individual in a Self-Training setting. Please read the following profiles and look at the suggestions provided:

Teacher-Student setting


A teacher can use the tutorial as a guide for organizing courses on terrestrial laser scanning. The theoretical part can be taught in oral lectures, using the tutorial as a manual. Each of the case studies can then be used as exercises. The text on the case studies contains 2 types of interactions: To Do and Question boxes. The To Do boxes are tasks that students should prepare (in ±10 minutes) after reading the text up to that point. These are often tasks that need a little preparation and do not always have a unique solution. Therefore, when the students are finished, the teacher can organize a discussion by letting 1 student explain his or her solution and let the other students provide comments. One possible solution to such a problem is given in the text directly after the To Do box. The Question boxes contain questions that have a unique solution. These questions let students analyze data and make informed decisions in the laser scanning process. The teacher can also use these questions to see if students understand the material, for instance when organizing a practical exam. Answers to the questions can be found in chapter 9.

Self-Teaching Setting


People that which to explore the field of terrestrial laser scanning can use this text for self-paced learning. People that only want information on how to practically use a laser scanner and how to process the data should first read chapter 3. After that, the case studies will explain the software used step-by-step, guiding you through the laser scanning process. The text on the case studies contains 2 types of interactions: To Do and Question boxes. The To Do boxes describe tasks that need some preparation and do not always have a unique solution. Please take the time to perform these tasks as they will give you a better understanding of things to cope with during the laser scanning process. One possible solution to such a problem is given in the text directly after the To Do box. The Question boxes contain questions that do have a unique solution. They let you analyze the data and make informed decisions in stead of blindly following the tutorial. Answers to the questions can be found in chapter 9.

General description of the didactic material
 


The theoretical part contains 4 chapters:

  • Chapter 1 serves as a general introduction to laser scanning and the applications for which it can be used.
  • Chapter 2 is a theoretical exposé of different laser scanner types and how they work. It also explains the different metrological aspects that need to be taken care when scanning and clarifies their origin.
  • Chapter 3 explains the process of performing a laser scanning job. Every step of the process is explained in detail providing tips and tricks based on expert experiences.
  • Chapter 4 provides a view on the problem of data management. Based on expert experiences, a set of meta-data tags is defined that are important for the dissemination and archiving of laser scanner data.


The second part of the tutorial contains 3 case studies, each chosen to illustrate certain problems, benefits, purposes and limitations of the used recording technique. Each of the case studies focuses on different aspects of the laser scanning process:

  • Heritage Case Study (St.James Church)
  • The heritage case focuses both on the registration phase and the post processing of the data. The scale of the church and the inside-outside relationship provide an excellent challenge for linking scans taken from different positions. On the other hand, the level of detail requested and the required deliverables ask for a time consuming post-processing phase using highly specialized software.
  • Industrial Case Study (FPSO vessel)
  • This case study explains the possibilities of using laser scanning in surveying hazardous  industrial sites. An extensive overview is given of possible uses of the processed data during the engineering phase.
  • It also tackles the actual scanning itself using a software tool that simulates a laser scanner, providing insight on how to setup the scanner and settings the correct parameters.
  • Civil Infrastructure Case Study (Hydroelectric Dam)
  • The civil infrastructure case study describes the use of laser scanning data for monitoring deformations over time. Since the scanner records surfaces in stead of single points, it provides a higher accuracy. Special focus is put on the determining the optimal laser scanning and target locations and on comparing different datasets for monitoring purposes.