Leica Pegasus:Backpack Becomes Industry First in Wearable Reality Capture

(Las Vegas,USA /Heerbrugg, Switzerland, 4 June 2015) – Leica Geosystems announced the industry’s first commercially available wearable reality-capture technology with the Pegasus:Backpack this week at HxGN LIVE.
                           
Combining five high-dynamic cameras, which work in a variety of light conditions, and a LiDAR profiler with an ultra-light and ergonomic carbon fiber chassis, this mobile mapping solution creates a 3D view indoors or outdoors for engineering or professional documentation creation at the highest level of authority yet.

Mapping indoors for 4D or 6D BIM, Outdoors for construction quality management
For Building Information Modeling, or BIM, or simply for capturing 2D square foot updates to a large building, the Leica Pegasus:Backpack creates the most realistic view by capturing synchronised imagery and point cloud data. Accurate positioning is achieved in GNSS-restricted areas using Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, or SLAM, technology. Together with a high precision inertial measurement unit, the Leica Pegasus:Backpack is the first position-agnostic solution.

This new technology is designed to enable weekly data capture efficiently and cost effectively for changing building construction sites. For the first time, this enables the creation of a full starting document for authoritative 6D management of a building or simply to provide an authoritative hand-off dataset to a new building owner. By capturing weekly during a building’s construction, an “x-ray” view of the building is created. As the Backpack clearly logs position and time with the advanced measurement of LiDAR, change orders in the construction process can now offer a complete new level of authority for quality construction while scheduled milestones are achieved.

With full 360-spherical views and LiDAR together plus a hardware light sensor, all images are usable while other functions are verifiable and adjustable over the operator’s tablet device. The system uses multiple hot-swappable batteries, making even long captures possible.

“With the Leica Pegasus:Backpack, limited-access outdoor areas or underground infrastructures are no longer limited in professional data collection,” said Stuart Woods, Geospatial Solutions Division vice-president. “Users will never again forget any aspect of any job nor need to return to a project site. They can capture everything by simply arriving on site wearing the technology, capture and leave, rest assured they have everything they need to complete the job on time and on budget.”

Fully-integrated workflow
Working with images and point clouds together, data is captured into a single platform and workflow – from the operator interface to a single-click post-processing to feature Meta tagging. Leveraging Leica’s Mapfactory extension, features can be extracted and datasets can be exported to CAD or BIM specific software solutions. More effective decision making is finally achieved with 3D spatial models that allow for true life cycle building planning, enabling 6D BIM.

Availability
The Leica Pegasus:Backpack will be available in September with ordering beginning today. Ordering information and details are available from all authorized Leica Geosystems representatives.

Further information about the Leica Pegasus:Backpack can be found at http://www.leica-geosystems.com/Pegasus_Backpack.
                 
Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
Revolutionising the world of measurement and survey for nearly 200 years, Leica Geosystems creates complete solutions for professionals across the planet. Known for premium products and innovative solution development, professionals in a diverse mix of industries, such as aerospace and defence, safety and security, construction, and manufacturing, trust Leica Geosystems for all their geospatial needs. With precise and accurate instruments, sophisticated software, and dependable services, Leica Geosystems delivers value every day to those shaping the future of our world. Leica Geosystems is a brand within Hexagon Geosystems, the complete reality-capture solutions provider. With a sharp focus on information technologies that capture, measure, and visualise data, Hexagon Geosystems’ high-quality products and solutions create real digital worlds. Leica Geosystems is part of Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B; hexagon.com), a leading global provider of information technologies that drive quality and productivity improvements across geospatial and industrial enterprise applications.