534 
USING OF NON-EXPENSIVE 3D SCANNING INSTRUMENTS 
FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE DOCUMENTATION 
‘Karel Pavelka, 2 Tomas Dolansky 
'Head of Laboratory of Photogrammetry, Tel.:+420224354951, Fax:+420224310774, E-mail: pavelka@fsv.cvut.cz 
2 Dept. Mapping and Cartography,Tel.:+420224354605, Fax:+420224310774, E-mail: dolansky@fsv.cvut.cz 
Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil Engineering, 
Dept. Mapping and Cartography, Thäkurova 7, 166 29, Prague 6, Czech Republic 
KEY WORDS: 3D documentation, laser scanning 
ABSTRACT: 
In the framework of co-operation between the Laboratory of Photogrammetry of the Department of Mapping and Cartography, the 
Department of Special Geodesy and the Laboratory of Quantitative Methods of Monuments Research (Faculty of Nuclear Physics 
and Physical Engineering), new methods of 3D objects documentation are tested on school level. There are two types of 3D scanners 
under development: the first type uses triangulation method: the laser is used only as a point or profile marker (rotating platform 
system) and the system with 2 cameras and image projector as a structured light source. The second type uses a pure laser technology 
“time of flight”. Three small devices for 3D object co-ordinates capturing are being developed at present at the CTU in Prague. The 
aim of this research is to develop a small inexpensive device for special purposes of 3D documentation. A combination of several 
electronic parts such as CCD camera, laser marker, computer and distance measuring device and laser sensor head (time of flight) 
has been used for the instrument development. 
1. NEW DEVICES FOR 3D OBJECT MEASURING 
In the framework of co-operation between the Laboratory of 
Photogrammetry and the Laboratory of Quantitative Methods of 
Monuments Research (Faculty of Nuclear Physics and Physical 
Engineering), new methods of 3D objects documentation as a 
part of the project are tested. Two devices for 3D object co 
ordinates capturing are being developed at present. The aim of 
the project is to develop a small inexpensive device for special 
purposes of 3D documentation. By combining several electronic 
parts such as CCD camera, laser marker, computer and distance 
measuring device, a new laser sensor has been developed. There 
are only few possibilities how to construct laser based 3D 
sensors. The principle of these devices is the same: the laser 
beam is used as an object point marker (single point or line on 
object) and the laser track is recorded by using of a small CCD 
camera. The camera and laser position are convergent to the 
object, 3D co-ordinates can be computed from laser-camera 
basis. 
marked object points the real 3D co-ordinates are computed. 
The scanning process is demonstrated on Fig.3. 
Figure 1. The rotating platform and laser 
2. LASER SYSTEM WITH CCD CAMERA AND 
ROTATING PLATFORM 
For small objects such as small sculptures, vessels or models a 
system with rotating platform has been constructed. A laser 
beam optically modified to a thin line on the object is recorded 
from a basis with CCD camera. A maximum of 25 frames per 
second can be used. The measured object is situated on a 
rotating platform with a possibility to change the rotating 
velocity. All the images are stored on a PC and processed by 
using of special software. From the image co-ordinates of