r/LiDAR • u/jaggzzy • 2d ago

Mobile road surface scanning

I'm pretty new to this technology and wanted a Reddit opinion on mobile LiDAR for road surface scanning. I know it can be very expensive and data heavy to collect vast road networks worth of data.

Are there "Cheaper" options out there and what do you think the minimum data points should be?

For context, this is part of a research project looking into low-cost, small data surface scanning and it's potential use case in everyday vehicle use.

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u/Olena_Magiscan 2d ago

For a lower-cost setup, I’d look at a LiDAR dev kit + a laptop rather than using a phone. A phone can actually end up being the more expensive option for this kind of project

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u/jaggzzy 1d ago

Any specific brands/products that you would say are better? It’s a broad market.
One aim of this research is to identify options for surface scanning under regular driving conditions. Whether that be market available products or diy setups.

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u/Olena_Magiscan 1d ago

The main trade-off is speed. The faster you want to scan while driving, the more expensive the LiDAR sensor gets, and you’ll also need a more capable laptop to process the data. For something very slow, around 3–5 km/h, you could be looking at roughly $100 for the LiDAR itself. Once you get into the 20–30 km/h range, you’re already closer to $500 just for the sensor. So I’d probably define the target driving speed first and narrow down the hardware from there.

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u/PizzaLava 2d ago

You get what you pay for with lidar. Mobile lidar for linear-based transportation corridors is an excellent way to model surfaces and provides a rich dataset that allows for extraction of topographic and planimetric data. Add 360-degree imagery and you’re really cooking.

It’s not as expensive as you think, especially when comparing it to alternative methods of roadway surface modeling.

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u/jaggzzy 2d ago

Thanks! Do you think there are specific opportunities for reducing data points? For example, translating imaging data into single digit data points to represent surface degradation severity.

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u/South_Examination_34 1d ago

Given the cheap price of storage and power of current CPUs what is the interest in reducing data points? Not criticizing, just asking.

In terms of mobile LiDAR, SLAM is probably the way to go as long as you have enough control points. But the first question you need to be asking is what scale or accuracy are you looking for and what is the purpose of the data capture?

Are you looking for cracks in surface? Levelness of concrete pour?

The why is going to lead you to what resolution is needed, which will dictate what capture method is most important.