Once it became clear that 3D laser scanners could offer a variety of solutions to a variety of industries that depended on the collection of the precise spatial data of various objects and environments, 3D scanning services-also known as laser scanning providers-began to crop up worldwide. Today, most of those companies are still in business and thriving, as the need for laser scanners has only grown. However, there are still companies that could benefit from laser scanning, if they realized the applicability of laser scanning to their needs.

Since their introduction on a commercial basis, laser scanners have typically been associated with the engineering, manufacturing, and construction industries, as each one demonstrates a clear need for capturing the spatial data of objects and/or environments, with engineering and manufacturing firms needing the data of design models for engineering and the data of existing products for reverse engineering, and construction companies needing the data of various terrains, objects and structures that surround proposed building sites. But 3D scanning services have also extended their reach to endeavors as diverse and crime scene investigation and historical preservation.

In all cases, the benefit of laser scanning to those who use it, is its provision of highly accurate spatial data, which can be expressed in three basic data models that encompass more specific sub models: polygon mesh models, which are relatively un-editable and are commonly used for design conception; surface models, which are editable at their surface and are commonly used to model organic objects and determine surface coatings; and solid CAD models, which are fully editable and can incorporate design intent, meaning that a computerized CAD model can be directly manufactured from.

While the application of the above models may sound narrow, it’s important to remember that their general applications contain specific sub applications that serve a variety of industries. For example, police departments use laser scanners to scan crime scenes in order to judge bullet trajectory, collect physical information that initially seems unimportant, and to create crime scene animations that, based on hard data, show how a crime likely occurred-an application that can pay dividends in terms of jury persuasion.