Elevate Your Scanning with the Leica BLK2FLY’s New Autonomous Exploratory Scanning 

Ready to save time and effort on your next aerial scan? We invite you to use Exploratory mode on your Leica BLK2FLY. This new, cutting-edge scanning feature is now available for download for all BLK2FLY customers. 

What are 3D exploration scans? 

Exploratory Scanning allows you to launch your BLK2FLY to scan an object by defining the area containing the object, add height to that area, and you'll get a volume the BLK2FLY will explore and scan with autonomy.  

Picture this: You have a large building or a complex structure – indoors, outdoors, or both – and you need a comprehensive and complete aerial 3D laser scan of the entire thing. Depending on the kit used, this task required meticulous mission planning and expertise in UAV scanning or photogrammetry.  

Until now, you could plan a BLK2FLY mission by selecting an area on the side of a building or on a 2D map to scan the area from above. The BLK2FLY’s new Exploratory Scanning takes that simplicity of planning to the next level. 

It works like this: 

1. First, define the area with your object of interest in the 2D map in the BLK2FLY Live app on your iPad.  

   

    

2. Then, define the maximum height of the object you need to capture, to create a volume for the BLK2FLY to scan.

     

3. Now, hit that play button and relax while the BLK2FLY does its job. 

You will see what the BLK2FLY is scanning while it scans, and the BLK2FLY will be represented as an icon on your iPad as it moves through the volume. Using exploration mode, the scanner creates small sequential “blocks” to scan throughout the volume, one by one, showing how the BLK2FLY divides and conquers, scanning one small block at a time until the entire volume is scanned. 

 

Alternately for indoor scanning, you can choose a “BLK2FLY Centric” exploration where you simply define how far in each direction you want the sensor to explore and let it capture everything  – no map required.  

 

Autonomous navigation through sophisticated algorithms 

In many ways, this is an evolution of the autonomous vision for our flying laser scanner. This Exploratory Scan mode is designed to simplify and streamline the process of capturing detailed scans of buildings, structures, and other areas from the air. You tell it what to scan and it will capture it. 

 

This works through a fusion of onboard sensors including Leica BLK’s SLAM technology, and the sophisticated algorithms that power the BLK2FLY's autonomous navigation – which does the hard work for you. You'll observe real-time on your tablet with an icon showing where the BLK2FLY is and what it has scanned, helping you monitor scanning and flight progress and view data as it is captured (and we recommend you keep an eye on this). Using advanced obstacle avoidance combined with autonomous scanning, the BLK2FLY will only scan what it can reach 

Exploratory Scanning also means the BLK2FLY can independently adjust its flight patterns based on real-time data, ensuring coverage, efficiency, and data quality. Instead of putting all one’s attention into flying clear visualizations from exploration mode scans in the BLK2FLY Live app – coupled with the sensor’s advanced obstacle avoidance – help the pilot observe scans in progress for and make adjustments on the fly as needed, fine-tuning their scan missions in real-time by taking over with manual control or tap-to-fly as needed and then returning to the autonomous scan.  

Capture everything you need with complete autonomy 

So, what’s the result of Exploratory Scanning, and how does it get you closer to your deliverables? At the end of a scan using this new mode, you have a complete 3D dataset of everything you need, captured with autonomous navigation and scanning. All you had to do was tell the BLK2FLY where to go and what to scan. This gives you always the confidence and freedom to capture data from the air and to do it with minimal intervention during flight. 

Whether you're capturing facades and roofs of modern offices, the curves and angles of a medieval cathedral’s nave, the insides of sports arenas, or challenging networks of complex critical infrastructure, Exploratory Scanning will deliver the data you need with unprecedented ease. 

So why wait? If you own a BLK2FLY, start using the Exploratory Scanning today when you upgrade to the latest version of your BLK2FLY firmware from the BLK2FLY Live app.  

If you don’t have a BLK2FLY yet but would like to try out autonomous reality capture from the air, contact our specialists or purchase one here.