In modern engineering, the term laser scanning is used with two related, but separate meanings. The first, more general, meaning is the controlled deflection of laser beams, visible or invisible.^[1] Scanned laser beams are used in some 3-D printers, in rapid prototyping, in machines for material processing, in laser engraving machines, in ophtalmological laser systems for the treatment of presbyopia, in confocal microscopy, in laser printers, in laser shows, in Laser TV, in LIDAR, and in barcode scanners.

The second, more specific, meaning is the controlled steering of laser beams followed by a distance measurement at every pointing direction. This method, often called 3D object scanning or 3D laser scanning, is used to rapidly capture shapes of objects, buildings and landscapes. A laser rangefinder is a device which uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object.

This article focuses on the general meaning, i.e., on the methods and applications of scanned laser beams.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_scanning

[NUS UAV] Indoor autonomous quadrotor with laser scanner, NUSLion

A full working solution for indoor navigation, NUSLion, utilizes laser scanners for localization and mapping. NUSLion is also the winning aircraft of the SAFMC 2013 in Category D2.

3D Indoor Exploration with a Computationally Constrained MAV

We present a methodology that enables a quadrotor aerial robot to autonomously explore single- or multi- floor indoor environments without any human interaction.

The quadrotor is purchased from ascending technologies. It comes with an IMU and low level attitude stabilization. We outfitted the robot with a laser scanner, Microsoft Kinect sensor, and deflective mirrors to create a fully autonomous platform. We developed a navigation system that enables realtime localization, mapping, planning and control of the robot in confined indoor environments. All computations are done onboard the 1.6GHz atom processor with no requirements of external infrastructure. The exploration algorithm interacts with the planner and controller and provides continuous guidance to the robot.

Autonomous Aerial Navigation in Confined Indoor Environments

This video presents experimental results of autonomous navigation in confined indoor environments using an aerial robot.

The robot is equipped with an IMU, camera, and laser scanner with deflective mirrors. All computations are performed onboard using a 1.6GHz atom processor. The robot is able to navigate autonomously in indoor or outdoor, GPS-denied environments. 

A SLAM module with vision based loop closure allows the robot to map large-scale, multi-floor environments.

A sparse 3D map is generated on the robot based on sensor data, enabling high-level planning and visualization.

An RRT* based planner provides an anytime planning solution that fits the computational constraints of the robot. This planner also enables online re-planning and obstacle avoidance.

An LQR optimal controller with external force compensation enables reliable autonomous flight in highly constrained environments, such as hallways, doors, and windows. The robot is able to track the high-level plans accurately.

FARO Laser Scanner Focus3D X Series

http://scan-copter.4d-it.com/

Indoor 3D Navigation and Control of a Quadrotor using a Laser scanner and an IMU

Indoor 3D Navigation and Control of a Quadrotor using a Laser scanner and an IMU : Monte Carlo Localization in Octree Grid Map

Sungsik Huh and David Hyunchul Shim

Robust Aerial Navigation in GPS-Denied Enivronments

This helicopter was developed at CSAIL at MIT, under Nick Roy. This vehicle has fully autonomous capabilities in GPS-denied environments.
This video was submitted to the 2010 ICRA video contest.

R2000 - The Powerful 2D Laser Scanner

http://www.pepperl-fuchs.com/r2000
The 360° R2000 laser scanner impresses with its extremely accurate distance and angle readings. With its high scan rate, it is now an extremely powerful measurement device.
For the user, the most striking feature of this laser scanner is the display integrated into the scanning surface. In addition to entering basic settings during commissioning, the display also provides information about the current application. For example, this is where the interface language can be set or an image of the scanned environment displayed.

http://www.pepperl-fuchs.biz/campaigns/R2000-Detection_en/?utm_source=Landing_Page&utm_medium=direct&utm_term=R2000Detection_EN&utm_campaign=Landing_Page_FA