Devices for recording a 3-d snapshot of a scene are commercially available, and evolving rapidly. These devices can simultaneously collect surface shape and color information, enabling subsequent analysis of a variety of questions. As recognized in both prior and ongoing work, these devices have the potential to make significant contributions to international safeguards. Applications include analysis of facility equipment, 3-d change detection, and documentation of critical measurement locations. However, multiple technologies are available, which employ different principles of sensor operation. These sensor differences may have a significant effect on their usefulness for safeguards applications. This paper compares three distinct sensor technologies: laser scanning, structured light, and photogrammetry, with a specific focus on safeguards applications. We use an instrument of each type to measure equipment representative of what might be encountered in a nuclear facility, and compare the robustness, clarity, and accuracy of the resulting data. We summarize these results, comment on their implications for safeguards applications, and then discuss the conditions and application domains for which each sensor is well-suited.
展开▼
