3D Data Acquisition by Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Protection of Historical Buildings

With the development of information techniques and the need of digital earth and cyber city, the three dimensional (3D) information play much more important role in presentation and illustration of historical buildings. 3D modeling and virtual reality techniques have demonstrated the ability of visualizing the real world in three dimension space which provides a platform for better communication and understanding of historical buildings. This paper focuses on the acquisition of three dimensional data by using terrestrial laser scanners. Firstly, we review different approaches for acquiring 3D data and their advantages and disadvantages. Secondly we focus on a newly developed technology - terrestrial laser scanning. Thirdly, we present the practical use of a 3D laser scanning system: Riegl LMS-Z42W in a historical cultural heritage site, San Fan Qi Xiang, Fuzhou city, China. Finally, the testing results and the conclusions are provided.