The HiScan-C is a lightweight vehicle-mobile 3D laser measurement system developed by Hi-Target Surveying Instrument, integrating a custom laser scanner with GNSS satellite positioning, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an odometer, a 360° panoramic camera, and an onboard control computer in a single factory-calibrated assembly. The system mounts on cars, motorcycles, boats, and rail vehicles via a quick-release bracket — no vehicle-specific calibration is required after installation. It captures high-density 3D point clouds with simultaneous georeferenced panoramic imagery at highway speeds, converting a driven corridor into a survey-grade digital twin in a single pass.

How does the HiScan-C achieve 5 cm system accuracy at 100 metres?

The accuracy chain starts at the laser rangefinder, which delivers 5 mm single-point precision at 40 m on a 90% reflective target. Angular resolution of 0.0088° (approximately 1.5 mm lateral spacing at 10 m) ensures dense cross-track sampling. The GNSS receiver tracks GPS, BDS, GLONASS, and Galileo constellations for continuous absolute positioning of the platform, while the IMU bridges GNSS outages in tunnels, underpasses, and urban canyons. The odometer provides an independent velocity constraint that bounds IMU drift during extended signal loss. All sensor streams are time-synchronized and fused in post-processing to produce a georeferenced point cloud with 5 cm overall accuracy at 100 m — sufficient for engineering-grade topographic surveys and pavement condition assessment.

Single vs dual-scanner configuration

The HiScan-C is available in two configurations. The SU1 uses a single scanner head, weighs approximately 13 kg, and is suited to general road corridor mapping, street-view data collection, and urban asset inventory where one side-looking perspective combined with forward motion provides adequate coverage. The SU2 adds a second scanner head, doubling the laser pulse rate to 1,000,000 points per second and capturing both sides of the vehicle path simultaneously — essential for full-right-of-way surveys, intersection mapping, and railway corridor projects where structures on both sides must be captured in a single pass. The SU2 weighs approximately 36 kg and requires a correspondingly sturdier mounting platform.

Applications: from digital cities to coastal surveys

• HD mapping and digital cities: 3D road corridor models with 360° imagery for autonomous driving basemaps and urban digital twin platforms.
• Highway engineering: As-built surveys for road widening, resurfacing, and intersection redesign — capturing pavement geometry, signage, barriers, and drainage in one drive.
• Utility and asset inventory: Pole, manhole, and streetlight location with georeferenced imagery for municipal GIS databases.
• Waterway and coastal survey: Boat-mounted operation for riverbank, embankment, and coastal zone mapping where terrestrial access is impractical.
• Mining and forestry: Haul road monitoring, stockpile measurement, and forest corridor mapping from vehicle or rail platforms.