Error Models and Propagation in Directly Georeferenced Terrestrial Laser Scanner Networks
Publication: Journal of Surveying Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 4
Abstract
Cultural heritage recording and engineering surveying are prime applications for terrestrial laser scanners (TLSs) because of the high spatial resolution, high accuracy, and fast data capture rates this technology offers. To date, insufficient attention has been given to the many error sources contributing to the uncertainty of scanner datasets. A full error budget for directly georeferenced terrestrial laser scanner networks that considers both relevant error sources fundamental to surveying and those unique to sampled laser scanner systems is derived. In the case of the latter, new probabilistic models are proposed for angular positional uncertainty due to laser beamwidth and centroid-based target pointing. Analysis of a cultural heritage-recording project in Ayutthaya, Thailand, highlights the disparity between “expected” precision and the more realistic precision indicated by the error budget and demonstrates that the beamwidth error can be a significant factor. The causes and effects of several systematic errors inherent to TLS datasets are also discussed.
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Acknowledgements
Thanks are extended to the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center in Thailand for gaining access to the Ayutthaya site and to Jochen Franke, a research associate at Curtin University, for performing some of the laser scanner surveying. The authors are also grateful for the time spent by the anonymous reviewers on their paper.
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© 2005 ASCE.
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Received: Jun 23, 2004
Accepted: Dec 29, 2004
Published online: Nov 1, 2005
Published in print: Nov 2005
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