What Is a Point Cloud?

What Is a Point Cloud? (Part I)

Digital processes are changing the way we do things to make our work easier, including in the industrial sector. This way, they contribute to faster and more efficient results, reducing costs and, ultimately, improving the quality of processes by reducing potential errors. The 3D point cloud makes it possible to achieve these goals. But what is a point cloud and what is it for?

At IDEA Ingeniería, we use this technology to provide our clients with technological breakthroughs that facilitate the production of as-built documents, the manufacture of parts, detailed topographical surveys for revamping, interference detection, reverse engineering, 3D printing, inspection and control of industrial facilities and high-rise infrastructures, etc. But…

A 3D point cloud is the first product resulting from laser scanning or digital photogrammetry. It is composed of millions of points positioned three-dimensionally in space, forming with millimetre accuracy a physical entity and representing its external surface. The 3D point cloud contains extensive metric information about the scanned surfaces, as well as information about their colour and material reflectivity.

What is a point cloud for?

As mentioned above, the main goal of creating a 3D point cloud is to simplify work across our different sectors, as well as to obtain fast products, reduce costs, reduce project drafting timesand obtain better quality results, with a high level of detail.

“Point Clouds are a key element in the digitalisation of industrial plants”

What technologies are used?

The 3D laser scanner is a mass data acquisition device that produces a three-dimensional point cloud generated by measuring angles and distances using a laser light beam.
Digital photogrammetry is that which uses multiple images of an object from different angles to generate a3D point cloudof the object withhigh-quality measurements.

In which sectors is it used?

The sectors in which point clouds are used are very varied. At IDEA Ingeniería, we use this tool in architecture as well as the industrial, oil & gas, mining, energy, and construction sectors.

The 3D point cloud is a highly valuable toolfor IDEA Ingeniería, as it helps us in the different aspects of our projects, helping us to improve the end products while reducing costs and time and, finally, obtainingbetter quality results for our clients.