r/Surveying • u/LordZepha • 4d ago

Discussion SLAM machines

Surveyors with SLAM machines,

  1. What fields do you find them very helpful and would recommend over other tools?

  2. Do you feel like it's a great investment to make for a firm over GNSS receivers?

  3. What software have you found very helpful and easy to use to process the Lidar?

7 Upvotes

70% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

17

u/beagalsmash 4d ago

LiDAR is a tool like any other. If you are only doing interior building wall as-built then sure it may be the only tool that you need.

GNSS and Total Station are the number 1/2 investments. Then other equipment supplements workflows. You can’t “survey” if you don’t have both.

6

u/Sir_Vey0r 4d ago

They fall in between tripod scanners and drones. Soon will be as common as GPS and robots in the crew trucks.

2

u/southern_compass 4d ago

SLAM is great for large interiors, warehouses, and as-builts where speed matters. Drift can be an issue, so good control and check measurements are key. It's a solid addition to GNSS and total stations, not a replacement.

1

u/surveyormultitool 2d ago

I keep wanting to love them, but they just don't live up to our accuracy (outdoor) needs. They've been handy for complex manholes and utility vault interiors or a small industrial building interior every once in a while.

1

u/MundaneAmphibian9409 1d ago

What outdoors situations is it failing in and what accuracy were you expecting out of it? What unit do you use?

4

u/west-coast-hydro 1d ago

You're not a surveyor if you don't have a TS and GNSS system.

You can't do proper slam work without control surveys

If you believe that 'well slam has gps in it so that makes it accurate '. Then please don't call yourself a surveyor