3D laser scanning makes your decorations even more fun
All aboard! The Navy, that is. The Navy is all aboard the idea of using 3D laser scanning to serve our great nation. Just recently, the USS George Washington was overhauled using 3D laser scanning to detect all those tight and hard to access areas. The end result was a ton of money saved. The whole project costed about $50,000, and they ended up saving about 2 million dollars. That’s a whole lot of tax dollars saved. And that means that money can now be used for other projects to defend the land of the free. This project has opened eyes to the possibility of using 3D laser scanning for other Naval projects. Of these possibilities are using it for maintenance and training.
3D laser scanning used for maintenance
The navy is considering using 3D laser scanning for ship maintenance. This use of 3D scanning would save a lot of time and money for part replacement. A 3D scanner can be brought onto a ship and take a 3D image of the actual layout. A 3D scanner can give exact measurements of everything. This is important because the actual layout and measurements are not always the same as what is displayed on a blueprint. This means that if a replacement part is ordered according to the blueprint, it may not fit. Using 3D laser scanning to determine the size and shape of replacement parts will guarantee a perfect fit, and this will save a lot of time and money. Although the hourly cost of laser scanning can be pricey, the job can be done quickly. For example, the cost for the laser scanning is $200 per hour, but it only takes about a half an hour to do a room. So, in the end, it won’t be that expensive, considering how much can be done.
Video: “USS George Washington: On board aircraft carrier – bbc news”
Potential for maintenance training
The second potential use for 3D laser scanning is for maintenance training. Virtual Reality is becoming a very powerful tool for training purposes. The Navy has to train all of its technicians and engineers to respond to every situation on the ship. With 3D laser scanning and VR technologies, the possibilities for getting service men and women ready for real-life situations is huge. On-ship experience of course is the most preferred, but off-site training through VR can be a big help by giving maintenance practice even before they board the ship. Having been pre-familiarized will be helpful when dangerous and life-threatening situations arise. For example, if a fire were to break out, and the passageways were filled with smoke, then being able to navigate quickly through the ship would be crucial. It would also help save money from mistakes and accidents by having some experience before boarding the ship.
There is no doubt that there would be hoops and hurdles to jump before this can all happen. All of these ideas have to be well-thought through and well presented to committees for approval, but once the legal issues and safety concerns are all dealt with, I am sure that 3D laser scanning will be put to good work by our Naval forces.
