Editing Laser rangefinder (section)

===3D modelling===
[[Image:Lidar P1270901.jpg|thumb|This [[LIDAR]] scanner may be used to scan buildings, rock formations, etc., to produce a 3D model. The LIDAR can aim its laser beam in a wide range: its head rotates horizontally, a mirror flips vertically. The laser beam is used to measure the distance to the first object on its path.]]

Laser rangefinders are used extensively in [[3D object recognition]], 3D object modelling, and a wide variety of [[computer vision]]-related fields. This technology constitutes the heart of the so-called ''time-of-flight'' [[3D scanner]]s. In contrast to the military instruments, laser rangefinders offer high-precision scanning abilities, with either single-face or 360-degree scanning modes.

A number of algorithms have been developed to merge the range data retrieved from multiple angles of a single object to produce complete 3D models with as little error as possible. One of the advantages offered by laser rangefinders over other methods of computer vision is in not needing to correlate features from two images in order to determine depth-information like [[stereoscopic]] methods do.

Laser rangefinders used in computer vision applications often have depth resolutions of 0.1 mm or less. This can be achieved by using triangulation or refraction measurement techniques unlike to the time of flight techniques used in [[LIDAR]].