Things that you can scan with a Laser Scanner

Laser technology has advanced at a very great rate in recent years. Laser scanners have become an essential piece of equipment in many industries. They have made the lives of many people so much easier. Let’s take a look at some of areas where these types of scanners are used.

Bar Codes:

A barcode is an optical representation of data that is able to be read and understood by a machine. A barcode shows certain data on certain products. At first, barcodes symbolized data in the widths of lines and the spacing of parallel lines. Nowadays though, they also come in patterns of squares, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns.

Most shops have bar code scanners. The cahier or till operator will scan the barcode on the product being bought and the price will then come up electronically. This is a good example of the usage of a laser scanner.

Laser Rangefinders:

A laser rangefinder is a scanner that uses a laser beam to determine the distances of objects. The most used form of laser scanner rangefinder works on the” time of flight” principle. It sends a laser pulse in a fairly narrow beam towards the object in question and it measures the time taken by the pulse to be reflected off the target and returned back to its start point.

Average rangefinders can measure anywhere between 2Km and 25 Km away depending on the particular machine. The rangefinder has lots of applications. It is very widely used within the military to measure how far away certain objects, tanks, buildings and other such things may be.

3D Modelling:

Laser scanners are widely used to measure the contours of objects and products that are being manufactured. They can be used to determine the exact sizes of prototypes so that they can be improved or mass recreated. They can also check for faults and defects on any given object.

Structural Measurement and Surveying:

Laser scanners are fast becoming an alternative to tape measures as they give quick and accurate results. Builders, engineers and architects use them when designing and constructing building or any kinds of structures. It helps to give understanding to the sizes of the possible working area plus so much more.

So as you can see laser scanners have very broad applications and are not just specific to a particular industry. As time goes on these applications and industries they can be used in are sure to increase.

For more information see laser scanner