Three Dimensional Laser Point Cloud Slicing Method for Calculating Irregular Volume

Abstract

Volume parameter is the basic content of a spatial body object morphology analysis. However, the challenge lies in the volume calculation of irregular objects. The point cloud slicing method proposed in this study effectively works in calculating the volume of the point cloud of the spatial object obtained through three-dimensional laser scanning (3DLS). In this method, a uniformly spaced sequent slicing process is first conducted in a specific direction on the point cloud of the spatial object obtained through 3DLS. A series of discrete point cloud slices corresponding to the point cloud bodies are then obtained. Subsequently, the outline boundary polygon of the point cloud slicing is searched one by one in accordance with the slicing sequence and areas of the polygon. The point cloud slice is also calculated. Finally, the individual point cloud section volume is calculated through the slicing areas and the adjacent slicing gap. Thus, the total volume of the scanned spatial object can be calculated by summing up the individual volumes. According to the results and analysis of the calculated examples, the slice-based volume-calculating method for the point cloud of irregular objects obtained through 3DLS is correct, concise in process, reliable in results, efficient in calculation methods, and controllable on accuracy. This method comes as a good solution to the volume calculation of irregular objects.

Keywords

• |3dls|point cloud volume calculation|point cloud slicing method|point cloud segmenting method|outline boundary polygon|bidirectional search of the closest approach|amplification effect|morphological distortion