- 104 - 
It is not impossible however to foresee a level of development 
where a hybrid approach such as Thealasermetry is made al 
most redundant by improvements in the laser scanner package. 
It should be technically possible to achieve the following im 
provements: 
A) Upgrade the laser scanner’s level of precision at both data 
collection and restitution stages in order to produce accu 
rate lines and outlines; 
B) Up grade the laser scanner’s built-in digital camera to a 
high-resolution capability minimum 5 megapixels but ide 
ally 12,000 x 16,000 pixels; 
C) Build-in u theodolite total station function into the same 
box as the laser scanner rendering it a hybrid machine - 
and thus integrating the hybrid approach into the very de 
sign of the system; 
D) Developing targets which can be used by all three sys 
tems; 
E) Develop the post-acquisition restitution software with a 
more refined algorithm capable of handling large ob 
jects/sites consisting of over 100 million points while at 
the same time having an advanced pattem/form- 
recognition function (possibly using an extensive library) 
which would permit automatic identification of fprms at 
the consolidation stage. 
These developments should be technically (and economically) 
within reach over the next 5-10 years and would result in a sin 
gle portable package which would enable the laser scanner cum 
high-reolution camera cum theodolite to supplant photogram- 
metry in most but not necessarily all cases of on-site documen 
tation in the cultural heritage sector. 
Acknowledgements 
The authors wish to thank all staff within MCR’s Documenta 
tion Division without whose hard work and commitment the 
results published in this paper would not have been possible. 
Anastasia Anastasi, Ivann Borg and Marcia Young of 3DID 
were instrumental in devising parts of new solutions Likewise 
MCR’s partners and service providers, MENSI of France and 
Photarc of the UK collaborated extensively in the work which 
led to the successful integration of laser scanning data with 
digital photogrammetry vector outlines 
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