Terrestrial Laser Scanning
Ground-based 3D laser scanning where a scanner on a tripod captures a dense point cloud of its surroundings from a fixed position — the standard method for interior heritage documentation.
Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) is the use of a ground-based laser scanner — typically mounted on a tripod — to capture a dense three-dimensional point cloud of the surrounding environment. The scanner rotates through 360° (or a defined arc), emitting thousands of laser pulses per second and recording the distance and angle to each surface point.
A single TLS scan captures everything visible from one position. To document a complete building, multiple scans from different positions are required. These scans are then aligned and merged through a process called scan registration, using either common targets placed in the scene or automated algorithms that identify overlapping features.
Leading TLS instruments for heritage work include the Faro Focus series (150 m range, compact), Leica RTC360 (130 m range, very fast at 2 million points/second), Leica BLK360 G2 (compact, simplified workflow), and Z+F IMAGER series (long range, high accuracy).