An assessment of 3D scanning methods in physical models

Abstract

The evaluation of damage progression caused by wave action on physical models of rubble-mound breakwaters can be accomplished through two types of methods: quantifying the movements and falls of the resistant armor elements by visual inspection (the traditional, classical method) or determining the eroded volumes and depths between consecutive surveys of armor layers using sensors and photogrammetric methods (3D scanning methods). Of the latter, one may use techniques such as the so-called "Kinect", "Photogrammetry" and "LiDAR". The end-product of these techniques is, among others, point clouds, which allow obtaining three-dimensional surface models. In this paper, four of the latter techniques (3D scanning methods) are briefly described, and a comparison is made between them regarding their usability in current tests, their advantages and disadvantages, among themselves for a study case of the physical 3D model of the Ericeira breakwater. In evaluating survey quality across the four methods, RMSE (root mean square error) was employed to align obtained point clouds with ground control points (GCP). Notably, Photogrammetry, Kinect, and Azure techniques showed excellent RMSE values. Conversely, the LiDAR-derived-method cloud, using a smartphone with LiDAR sensor and 3dScanner app, fails to yield acceptable and accurate results for the research objectives of this paper.