Heritage site

Large open spaces like ice rinks can be deceptively difficult to digitize. They may appear simple, but overhead steel framework, lighting rigs, and ventilation ducts create a dense web of geometry that ground-based scanners can barely see, let alone capture accurately. That’s why Artec Jet was deployed to document these overhead structures without any need for scaffolding, lifts, or time-consuming tripod-based capture.

Mounting Jet to a drone meant that it took just 15 minutes to scan the entire area. Flying to the underside of the roof meant that overhead steelwork could be captured in high detail. Despite the variation in surfaces, including painted steel, smooth ice, and bare concrete, there was no degradation in data quality. Every bolt, plate, and fixture was faithfully recorded in 3D format.

Ground-based solutions would’ve faced line-of-sight issues. But Artec Jet was able to navigate with full freedom of movement, documenting the scene in its entirety. For engineers and architects, this kind of dataset provides comprehensive, floor-to-ceiling documentation, which normally takes days to compile. With Artec Jet, it took less than half an hour.

Power lines are physically large, stretching across open terrain, while also featuring narrow elements like cables that are just 2 mm in thickness. Add into the mix the restrictions involved in working at height, and you’ve got quite a challenge on your hands!

Rather than scaling these 60-meter-tall towers, our operator scanned from the ground. Artec Jet features a 300-meter scanning range, so it was possible to deploy in handheld mode, walking the length of the scene while capturing pylons, cables, and surrounding terrain. In less than an hour, they’d completed three laps of the area – enough to maximize point cloud density.

In the resulting dataset, thin, suspended wires that would normally appear as scattered noise or vanish altogether are rendered as continuous lines between pylons. This level of detail is all the more impressive given that it was captured from ground level. The lattice steelwork of pylons is equally well defined, with individual cross-members and connection plates clearly visible.

Artec Jet scans support infrastructure mapping and cable analysis (e.g. sag evaluation), providing valuable data for inspection and maintenance. This kind of result also shows how reliable, comprehensive power line scanning no longer requires complex operations or special flight permits. A single operator with Artec Jet can capture survey-grade data in short order.

Captured deep underground in an iron mine, this dataset demonstrates how SLAM-based LiDAR mapping can be used to scan in environments where GPS navigation is unavailable. The irregular geometry, narrow passages, and dusty spaces make this a challenging scenario for most scanning technologies. Usually, operating in light-restricted environments also makes it difficult to identify and capture dark surfaces, but this was no problem for Artec Jet.

Deployed in handheld mode, the device could be carried through this scene in minutes. No preparation was required – Artec Jet simply powered up, locked onto surrounding geometry, and began building a coherent picture in real time. The scanner transitioned from open chambers to tight passages without missing a beat, maintaining high accuracy throughout.

As you can see in the resulting dataset, rock faces, support timber, tool marks, and the subtle curvature of hand-carved tunnels are all faithfully recorded. This kind of rich point cloud allows for accurate as-built documentation, deviation analysis, and spatial measurements, supporting applications like structural assessment, maintenance planning, and ongoing monitoring.

This dataset demonstrates the capability of SLAM LiDAR to accurately capture large objects with complex geometric detail in a short amount of time. Working in handheld mode allowed for rapid, flexible data acquisition. The craft itself is also made from glossy, tricky-to-scan fiberglass, but as you can see, Artec Jet managed to achieve full scan coverage.

The resulting point cloud supports detailed inspection, dimensional analysis, and reverse engineering workflows. Other potential use cases include maintenance planning, deformation checks, and the digital archiving of classic designs.