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Mobile Scanning a Rail Line

This is a very informative video featuring the Riegl VMX – 250 mobile laser scanning system. The clearance envelope feature is a great visual.

3 Comments

  • I can’t wait for google street view or the bing equivalent to have point clouds like this. I suppose google and the Thrun team are already collecting similar data for their autonomous car effort with Velodyne scanners, but it’s not clear they realize the usefulness of it for their web maps.

    • Actually google streetview has been made with a mobile scanner system (topcon ip-s2), but they don’t make visible the cloud points (and I don’t see any reason to do it for their purposes).

  • I never understood the need for an investment in a hy-rail. This approach solves two big hurdles in rail mapping. 1.) GAMS and (Boresighting if you have a LYNX) these still have to be done by “exciting” the IMU. using your own vehicle for this prior to engaging rail is the way to go. 2.) Access, it’s always been easier to work directly with the rail carrier or one of it’s already certified vendors. Our LiDAR systems are mobile and moving from one project to another felxibility is the key. Dragging your system around on a vehicle equipped for rail is at a minumum not very “Green”:-). Here is the US I don’t know of any Mobile LiDAR operators doing enough rail work to justify a hy-rail.

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