TESTING THE ACCURACY OF POLYCAM 3D SCANNING SOFTWARE ON LIDAR AND OPTICAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY DEVICES IN FIELD RESEARCH

Modern mobile applications in data capture and 3D modeling have significant uses in field research. Polycam is a mobile application that uses high-resolution photogrammetry and LiDAR to scan and render 3D models. Polycam uses the best available camera on a mobile device and is able to scan and render images using a LiDAR camera or strictly photogrammetry using the device's optical camera. This project investigates the accuracy of Polycam’s built-in measuring system between optical photogrammetry and LiDAR-supported devices in different field environments.

To test the LiDAR camera scans, an iPad Pro 5th generation 12.9-inch tablet was used. An iPhone 12 was used for the optical camera photogrammetry scans. Testing was conducted on measured geologic sections and Silurian-aged knoll reefs in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at various outcrops in Hiawatha National Forest. These images expand from only a few meters to tens of meters and test the accuracy of the rendered images at different scanning distances. Scans were captured while stationary and while moving to test the scanning ability of the software. Macroscale images will be used to determine if the resolution and accuracy is reliable to identify megafossils and stratigraphy solely from the 3D scans.