Example: 3D Scans of Scotland’s Forth Bridge
A team of Scottish researchers undertook the task of laser scanning of Forth Bridge in 2014. The Forth Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a famous collection of bridges spanning the River Forth in Scotland. The project aimed to preserve Forth Bridge in digital form. For this, the Scottish government provided an initial £300,000 funding. The project employed advanced 3D laser scanning services.
The scanning project was a complete success. After completing the project, Transport Scotland announced a £425,000 grant to develop educational applications, augmented reality games, interactive virtual tours, and video fly-throughs based on the scans. Developing games and applications aimed to boost students’ engineering skills in Scottish educational institutions. The 3D scans with incredible detail are obtained thanks to modern 3D scanning services.
LIDAR was used to scan the historic site to preserve the Forth Bridge digitally, besides other 3D scanning services. LIDAR was performed by the Center for Digital Documentation and Visualization (CDDV), a collaboration between Historic Environment Scotland and The Glasgow School of Art. CDDV has previously scanned other historical sites such as Mount Rushmore in the US and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
A 13-member team used a modern scanning technique known as Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) to create a highly accurate 3D point cloud from 2600 scans of the two bridges. TLS, as the name implies, is a ground-level method that can generate a dense point cloud with numerous reference points, resulting in a highly detailed 3D laser scan. This technique is a part of modern 3D scanning services.
Other 3D Laser Scanning Applications
While education is the primary focus of applying the data obtained by the project, other applications are possible. These include the possibility that the bridges will be featured in the next big video game. It is only possible if the data is made commercially available. The success of the project manifests the power of cutting-edge 3D laser scanning services. And with the help of such projects, sophisticated educational technology that promotes students’ STEM skills can be produced.