Development of terrestrial laser scanning simulator

Abstract

Within the project VRscan3D, funded by DAAD, a terrestrial laser scanner simulator has been developed as educational tool for learning and teaching laser scanning processes. The main goal of the VirScan3D project is to cover engineering digitisation and will be solved through the development of a virtual system that allows users to create realistic data in the absence of a real measuring device in a modelled real-life environment (digital twin). The implementation of the virtual laser scanner is realised within a game engine, which allows for fast and easy 3D visualisation and navigation. Real-life buildings and urban surroundings can be digitised, modelled and integrated into the simulator, thus creating a digital copy of a real-world environment. This article describes the technical realization of the simulator and its evaluation as well as usability testing results conducted by independent users from university courses.