3D Laser Scanning Helps Restore Michigan Station
Making it look like it did 100 years ago
Technology has been prevalent in our lives, and we continue to see more and more being created and adopted by consumers and companies. 3D laser scanning has become so popular because it allows us to update our world in a way where it restores the original nature of something rather than changing it as a whole. This advanced technology has now come into the hands of those whose sole purpose is to restore Michigan Station.
If you have ever been to Michigan, there is a chance you went to see the massive train station that reminds you of the buildings throughout Europe. This building was built a long time ago but opened between 1912 and 1913. It had many active years running trains but closed in 1988 due to the expensive upkeep. Since then, it has passed through many owners, and now Ford Motor Company owns the station and is allowing a group of researchers to help restore the building.
Updating and restoring this old building will be tedious, time-consuming, and meticulous. Due to the extensive amount of work needed, Ford and CATI will be adopting 3D laser scanning to help get the job done quickly. It will take many years due to the immense space, but one day soon, the building will look like it did 100 years ago.
How does the process work
Someone must hold the handheld device and scan sections at a time. This will pick up every wall, corner, floor, and ceiling, creating an entire picture. The images will be processed in the system, and from there, they will be sent to an editing system.
The editing system will allow the engineers and researchers to see inside the rooms and the entire building entirely. It allows them to come up with an accurate plan on how to restore the building.
They can see step by step how everything would affect the building one step at a time. The best part about this technology is that it stores the information forever in the cloud. It can be used as a future reference. It can also be preserved digitally for future generations in case anything happens to the physical location.
How 3D laser scanning works
This technology is some of the most advanced equipment because it allows the developers to see more clearly than ever before. It combines technology in one tool, both of which pick up small and discrete details.
Lasers are projected over each wall and ceiling, picking up divots and holes. The lasers are being measured by the distance they travel. All at once, cameras are taking rapid pictures of the entire place, creating a full picture for the digital copy to look at.
Final thoughts
3D laser scanning is helping us update our world in a way we would never have imagined. Though this project will take years to complete, it would take much longer without this technology. It is a way to preserve the station digitally for future generations, and it is a way to restore it without causing any damage or harm to the surrounding area.