Evaluation of the Metrological Performance of a Handheld 3D Laser Scanner Using a Pseudo-3D Ball-Lattice Artifact

This paper proposes the use of a pseudo-3D ball-lattice artifact to characterize a handheld laser scanner from a metrological standpoint. The artifact allows the computation of local and global errors in measurement by using the reference-frame-independent parameters of size, form, and distance within the measuring volume of the scanner, and in a single point cloud, without the need for registration. A set of tests was performed using the whole measuring volume, and three acquisition parameters, namely the orientation of the sweeps during the scans, the exposure time, and the distance to the scanner were analyzed for their effects on the accuracy of the scan data. A composite error including the errors in measuring size, form, and distance was used as a single figure of merit to characterize the performance of the scanner in relation to the data-acquisition parameters. The orientation of sweeps did not have a considerable effect on the errors. The accuracy of the scan data was strongly affected by exposure time and its interaction with the distance at which the artifact was scanned. The errors followed a quadratic trend with respect to the distance of the artifact to the scanner. The tested scanner performed best at its manufacturer’s recommended stand-off distance.