Abstract
LIght Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) scanning can be used to safely and remotely provide intelligence on the interior of dangerous structures for use by first responders that need to enter these structures. By scanning into structures through windows and other openings or moving the LIDAR scanning into the structure, in both cases carried by a remote controlled robotic crawler, the presence of dangerous items or personnel can be confi rmed or denied. Entry and egress pathways can be determined in advance, and potential hiding/ambush locations identifi ed. This paper describes an integrated system of a robotic crawler and LIDAR scanner. Both the scanner and the robot are wirelessly remote controlled from a single laptop computer. This includes navigation of the crawler with real-time video, self-leveling of the LIDAR platform, and the ability to raise the scanner up to heights of 2.5 m. Multiple scans can be taken from different angles to fi ll in detail and provide more complete coverage. These scans can quickly be registered to each other using user defi ned 'pick points', creating a single point cloud from multiple scans. Software has been developed to deconstruct the point clouds, and identify specifi c objects in the interior of the structure from the point cloud. Software has been developed to interactively visualize and walk through the modeled structures. Floor plans are automatically generated and a data export facility has been developed. Tests have been conducted on multiple structures, simulating many of the contingencies that a fi rst responder would face.
Recommended Citation
N. H. Maerz et al., "Visualizing and Modeling Interior Spaces of Dangerous Structures using Lidar," International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 330 - 350, WITPress, Jan 2012.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.2495/SAFE-V2-N4-330-350
Department(s)
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
Hazards; Laser Scanning; Lidar; Model; Segmentation; C (Programming Language); Image Segmentation; Laptop Computers; Remote Control; Robotics; Robots; Automatically Generated; Complete Coverages; Dangerous Structures; Integrated Systems; Light Detection And Ranging; Multiple Structures; Real Time Videos; Optical Radar
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2041-9031
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2012 WITPress, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2012
