Dr Elliot Duff: Developing 'Zebedee' - a handheld 3D laser scanner

The best bits of science fiction are coming true for CSIRO’s Dr Elliot Duff and his ‘Zebedee Team’ who are the first to patent a lightweight, handheld 3D laser mapping device affectionately known as Zebedee.

Zebedee is mounted on a spring and has the ability to map terrain which is otherwise impossible to map using GPS. It gives us knowledge of previously unknown environments such as caves, mines, factories and public buildings, with future possibilities extending to the novelty of virtual tourism – where we can experience a place without actually going there. 


Not only can the device produce detailed images of cultural heritage sites which will help preserve buildings such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but it can also create 3D maps of entire buildings in less than an hour, which would be useful in forensic investigations or emergency situations.

Dr Duff’s nod to the geological tricoder that appears in Star Trek is evident inspiration for the Zebedee team, which received a 2013 ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology.

Dr Duff delighted a receptive audience at ANSTO’s Lucas Heights campus today for the distinguished lecture series.  


Delivered as 40min to an hour presentations, the lecture series offers insights into some of the latest scientific breakthroughs presented by leading local and international researchers.
  

Published: 29/01/2014

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