3D Laser Scanners Help Preserve Our Planet

As our planet becomes more populated, as historical figures start crumbling, researchers are finding ways to preserve the past and our planet. A new project that will be put in place has a goal of protecting the world’s natural and manmade treasures by using 3D scanners to scan our world. This would change the way future generations learn about the world, our cultures, and the environment.

3D laser scanners have changed the way we interact with the past, and now it will help future generations visualize exactly what earth looked like before their time. This technology has advanced far beyond what anyone believed was possible and is no longer just for high-end tech companies. These scanners have been known to replicate ancient artifacts, as well as scan historical figures and create a virtual reality of famous monuments.

It has now spread in so many different fields, the potential for 3D laser scanners has been multiplying in uses. For instance, students can download these scanners to use as study aids. Construction managers can use these to rebuild sturdier roads. Architects can use these to create better and more robust homes.

How it works

3D laser scanners take rapid pictures at every angle to capture every microscopic detail. This technology saves all of its information in the cloud. This information can then be turned into a 2D model on the computer, 3D physical replica, or virtual reality.

This technology was originally created in the 1960s, however it did not gain adoption till later. Around the 1990s 3D laser scanners really started to emerge in technology. Today it is one of most rapidly growing industries in the technological world.

Climate Crisis

Professor Chris Fisher is also an archaeologist from Colorado State University created a project because of the earth climate crisis. He named this project Earth Archive, and for this project to preserve the history of the earth, he wishes to use LIDAR on an aircraft. The pulses from the 3D laser scanner on the aircraft would be measured, and this would allow researchers to figure out the exact distance an object is from the scanner.

“We are going to lose a significant amount of both cultural patrimony – so archaeological sites and landscapes – but also ecological patrimony – plants and animals, entire landscapes, geology, hydrology, We really have a limit time to record those things before the Earth fundamentally changes.” States Fisher.

The very first areas this project will focus on are ones that are currently under threat, like the Amazon rainforest. This project will contain information for future generations. As well as other archeologists, geologists, and conservationists.

3D laser scanners are shaping the way we preserve history. It will pave the way we teach history to the future generation, and it will continue to grow in uses because of its versatility. One day when our kids’ kid asks about what the Amazon rainforest looked like before their time, we will be able to accurately show them. They may even be able to walk into it.