The Era of Generating Point Clouds Simply by Uploading to the Cloud | Latest Tool Usage Techniques On-Site Personnel Should Know

Table of Contents

• Challenges and limitations of traditional point cloud surveying

• Point cloud generation anyone can do by leveraging the cloud

• The latest 3D measurement tools that on-site personnel should utilize

• Main use cases for point cloud data

• Benefits to field operations from using point clouds

• Start a digital site with simple surveying using LRTK

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

In recent years, 3D scanning technologies using drones, terrestrial laser scanners, and smartphone-mounted LiDAR have become widespread, increasing opportunities to acquire and utilize point cloud data (an aggregation of countless three-dimensional point coordinates) at construction sites. In the civil engineering and construction fields, point clouds that can digitally capture entire site topography and structures are becoming an indispensable information resource for design, construction management, and quantity estimation. That said, many people may think, “Don’t you need expensive specialized equipment and special skills to obtain high-precision point clouds?” However, services have now emerged that can generate point clouds simply by uploading photos or scan data to the cloud, making it increasingly easy for anyone to obtain high-precision 3D surveying data. Tools that are easy for small and medium construction firms and surveying beginners to adopt — such as smartphone surveying using a smartphone combined with a small GNSS receiver — have appeared, accelerating the digital transformation (DX) of on-site operations across the industry.

In this article, while revisiting the challenges of traditional point cloud creation methods, we introduce the latest approaches that—by leveraging the cloud—allow on-site personnel themselves to easily generate and utilize point clouds. We explain the characteristics of the latest 3D measurement tools using smartphones and drones, concrete application scenarios for the obtained point cloud data, and the benefits of implementation, and at the end of the article we also touch on a new solution called simple surveying with LRTK. Please refer to these up-to-date techniques for using tools that directly improve field work efficiency.

Challenges and Limitations of Conventional Point Cloud Surveying

First, let’s look back at the challenges that conventional point cloud acquisition and use faced. Until relatively recently, obtaining precise point cloud data required specialized equipment and expert skills. For example, high-precision 3D laser scanners were extremely expensive and bulky, and their operation and setup required experienced personnel. Also, when conducting photogrammetry with drones, many images had to be analyzed with dedicated software after capture, making a high-performance PC and long processing times indispensable. Because of these hurdles, point cloud technology was limited to some large-scale projects and specialized departments, and it struggled to gain traction in small and medium sites or in everyday operations.

Furthermore, traditionally the burden of integrating and sharing point cloud data was also a major challenge. For example, to combine point clouds acquired by terrestrial laser scanning with those generated from drone imagery, it was necessary to align their respective coordinate systems, and CAD operators routinely adjusted them manually. In addition, point cloud files are massive in size, so even sharing them internally often required handing over hard drives or installing specialized viewers, meaning there were many cases where smooth information sharing between the field and the office was not possible. As a result, the detailed 3D data that had been captured could be used by only a limited number of people due to its unwieldiness, hindering immediate on-site decision-making and team-wide utilization.

Thus, advanced point cloud surveying was widely perceived as "something special that requires both time and effort," and it was not something site personnel could easily handle themselves. That situation is now changing dramatically.

Point cloud generation anyone can do using the cloud

Utilizing cloud technologies has dramatically simplified the generation and sharing of point cloud data. 3D analyses that used to take hours on in-house high-performance workstations can now be offloaded to cloud servers over the Internet. For example, if you upload a large number of photos taken by a drone to a cloud-based service, photogrammetric processing is executed automatically and a detailed 3D point cloud model on the order of tens of millions of points is generated. While processing runs, users can be doing other work and simply wait for a completion notification to obtain high-quality point cloud data.

Cloud-based point cloud generation offers many advantages. First, expensive hardware is not required. Because processing is performed on the cloud side, a standard laptop or even a tablet is sufficient on site. This eliminates the need to provide a latest-spec PC in the field office or to install software. Second, processing is fast. Cloud services perform parallel processing on servers with large amounts of memory and CPU/GPU resources, so even with the same volume of data, point cloud generation finishes in a fraction of the time compared with a local PC. Analyses that used to take an entire day can often be completed in a matter of tens of minutes on the cloud.

Using the cloud is also excellent for data shareability. Because the generated point cloud data is stored in the cloud, you can check the data directly from the field without returning to the office and share it with headquarters or partner companies. There are services that allow the latest 3D models to be viewed remotely simply by sharing a link, greatly reducing the hassle of handing over USB drives or transferring files. By managing point cloud data in the cloud, it is also possible to set up an environment where all stakeholders can view and measure on their own PCs or tablets without dedicated software. If you sync the data to the cloud immediately after scanning on site, real-time collaboration—where the office checks it instantly and issues instructions for additional measurements—is no longer a dream.

In short, the new workflow of "Point cloud generation simply by uploading to the cloud" has made 3D point cloud creation, which was previously the domain of specialists, accessible to general field staff. By enabling 3D data capture without relying on heavy equipment or software, the groundwork has been laid to streamline all measurement and recording tasks that occur on-site.

The Latest 3D Measurement Tools Field Personnel Should Use

To fully leverage cloud processing, it is also necessary to update on-site data acquisition methods. Fortunately, the latest tools that make it considerably easier than before to capture on-site 3D data are now available. Here, we will introduce representative measurement methods that are easy for field personnel to use.

• Point cloud measurement with smartphones: Recent smartphones (especially higher-end iPhone and iPad Pro models) are equipped with LiDAR (light-based distance measurement) sensors, and by simply pointing the device and scanning the surroundings you can obtain point cloud data within a range of several meters (several ft). By combining this with a compact RTK-GNSS receiver, the smartphone turns into a full-fledged surveying instrument. RTK-GNSS is a technology that corrects satellite positioning to achieve centimeter-level accuracy (half-inch accuracy), and a receiver connected to the smartphone provides high-precision real-time position to the phone. In other words, accurate positional coordinates (latitude, longitude, elevation) can be automatically assigned to each point obtained by the smartphone's LiDAR. With this method, you can high-precision 3D scan large areas just by walking around holding the device. Standalone smartphone scans typically suffered from distorted data and unknown absolute coordinates, but RTK position correction resolves these issues. Using a dedicated app, the point cloud being acquired is displayed on the smartphone screen in real time, allowing you to proceed while checking for any missed areas. Another attractive convenience is that immediately after scanning you can measure the distance between any two points on the smartphone or calculate the area or volume of an enclosed region. You no longer need to bring a laptop or drawings to the site; you can complete everything from surveying to various calculations on the spot. A "pocket-sized 3D surveying device"—just a smartphone plus receiver weighing several hundred grams and easy to carry—can truly be called a tool that overturns conventional site practices. An era has arrived when field personnel themselves can quickly acquire and use point clouds as needed, without renting expensive laser scanners or hiring surveying teams.

• Large-scale Point Cloud Surveying by Drone: Drones, which can quickly capture an entire site from above, are powerful for surveying wide-area terrain and understanding construction sites. In recent years, drone-mounted small LiDAR scanners have appeared in addition to photography, but in any case, if the acquired data is uploaded to the cloud, a high-density point cloud model can be generated automatically. In particular, when a drone is equipped with high-precision GNSS (RTK), the point clouds generated from the captured images are assigned accurate coordinates from the start. This greatly reduces the need to set control points or perform later alignment work. Because analysis is completed in the cloud, on-site you only need to send the photos from a tablet. Previously, processing hundreds of photos on an in-house PC required an enormous amount of time, but on the cloud, high-performance servers speed up processing by tens of times, and large-scale point cloud data can be produced in a short time. For example, even when point clouds covering tens of hectares are required at once, such as for forests or large development sites, they can be obtained relatively easily with drone plus cloud analysis. Furthermore, because point cloud data accumulated in the cloud can be automatically merged and unified at the push of a button, it is also easy to overlay wide-area point clouds acquired by drone with detailed point clouds obtained by the aforementioned smartphone scans in the same coordinate system. It is also smooth to use smartphone scans to complement parts that drones could not capture under trees or in the shadows of structures on the overhead terrain model. The ability to integrate and process these multi-source point cloud data is another strength unique to cloud services.

By leveraging these kinds of state‑of‑the‑art measurement tools, you can quickly collect the necessary 3D data by switching between "pinpoint measurements with a smartphone" and "wide‑area measurements with a drone" according to site conditions. And by simply uploading that data to the cloud, you can obtain a high‑resolution point cloud model and various measurement results. If on‑site personnel themselves can master these tools, they can perform current‑condition assessment and as‑built verification in‑house without relying on a specialized surveying department, which can be expected to deliver significant improvements in operational efficiency and speed.

Main Use Cases of Point Cloud Data

So, in practice, when are the generated 3D point cloud data useful? Here we introduce several representative point cloud use cases on construction and civil engineering sites.

• As‑is surveying (3D terrain recording): You can record the current condition of a site's topography and earth‑works before construction starts as point cloud data in a short time. Traditionally, many survey points were measured manually to capture fine undulations, but with point clouds the land's irregularities can be digitally preserved without omission. For example, even on a small residential development site, smartphone surveying can convert the landform after grading by a backhoe into 3D data on the spot. The acquired terrain point cloud can later be overlaid with the planned ground level in the design drawings to serve as a basis for decisions such as which areas and how much should be reworked.

• As-Built Control (Post-Construction Shape Verification): If you capture the post-construction shapes—such as road embankments and cuts or foundation excavations—using point cloud measurement, you can intuitively verify whether they have been finished according to the design. For example, if you scan a completed embankment slope with a smartphone and overlay that point cloud with the design's as-built model in the cloud, excess or deficiency of soil volume and deviations in height become immediately apparent. Because point clouds can reliably capture subtle undulations that conventional cross-sections alone might miss, they are also useful as evidence data of the as-built condition. As reporting materials for supervisors and inspectors, plan and cross-sectional drawings can be automatically generated from the point cloud data and presented. As-built surveying and reporting that used to take a long time will become speedy, which should lead to faster inspection approvals.

• Earth volume calculation and quantity management: Measuring the volume of soil and materials is one of the standard applications of point cloud utilization. For example, if you want to know the volume of embankments produced by land development work or piles of rubble from demolition work, simply scanning around the target allows you to calculate the earth volume immediately. The amounts of fill and cut can be automatically calculated from elevation differences relative to a reference surface, enabling on-site, instant decisions such as how many additional dump-truck loads need to be hauled away. Traditionally there was a time lag because survey data had to be taken back to the office for calculation, but if point clouds are acquired on site you can determine quantities on the spot and reflect them in construction planning. Even on small sites, daily excavation and backfill volumes can be easily measured in-house and used in daily reports and progress/quantity management.

• Construction record-keeping and maintenance management: Point cloud scanning is useful for record-keeping during construction and after completion, as well as for infrastructure maintenance. For example, in buried-pipe work, if you scan the trench (ditch) shape and pipe locations before backfilling, you can record in 3D details that cannot be captured in drawings. If those point clouds are referenced when excavating in the future, the exact positions of buried items can be identified, leading to safer construction. Also, for periodic inspections of bridges and tunnels, converting the entire structure into point clouds can be used to check displacement, deflection, and the presence of cracks. There are systems that link actual photographic images with point clouds and store them in the cloud, allowing areas of concern to be recorded with high-resolution images. In this way, point cloud data can be accumulated as a site's digital archive and serve as valuable material for future maintenance planning and repair design.

By now, you should understand that point cloud data can be effectively utilized in a variety of scenarios. These are all tasks that, traditionally, required considerable time and effort to survey and record. These can be dramatically streamlined by introducing point cloud technology, directly leading to improved on-site productivity and higher levels of quality control.

Benefits of Utilizing Point Clouds for On-site Operations

The combination of cloud-based point cloud generation and easy-to-use 3D measurement tools brings immeasurable benefits to on-site operations. Finally, let's summarize the main benefits.

• Time savings and rapid decision-making: 3D scanning and automated cloud processing enable surveying work and data analysis that previously took several days to be completed the same day. Because the latest site conditions can be digitized on-site immediately, you can make construction decisions on the spot and respond quickly to design changes. Eliminating time lags also contributes to shortening the overall project schedule.

• Cost reduction and labor savings: Because surveying and recording can be performed by in-house staff using general-purpose devices without relying on expensive equipment or outsourcing, significant cost savings can be expected. In addition, a single point cloud measurement can comprehensively capture all dimensional information, reducing the need for additional surveys and rework. Because a small team can cover a wide area, this also contributes to reducing the burden on personnel.

• Improved safety: Aerial drone photography and long-range LiDAR allow non-contact surveying of hazardous slopes and areas that are difficult to access. Because data can be collected without personnel entering those areas directly, they reduce the risks associated with surveying at height or on roadways. Moreover, reducing the number of on-site measurements, together with shortened work times, contributes to improved workplace safety.

• Improved accuracy and comprehensiveness: Point clouds can capture an object's shape at high density, so they contain orders of magnitude more information than traditional single-point measurements. Measurement omissions and human error are reduced, allowing construction management and quality assessment to be conducted based on highly accurate data. By recording the "current state of the site" in three dimensions without omission, you can avoid situations where you later find yourself thinking, "We didn't measure that..."

• Data sharing and collaboration: By consolidating point cloud data in the cloud, all stakeholders—on-site personnel, designers, and clients—can share the same 3D information. If you set up an environment where data can be viewed and measured in a browser without specialized software, anyone can intuitively grasp the on-site situation. Because information can be coordinated in real time with remote members, collaboration across departments and between companies becomes smoother. These are precisely the goals of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's i-Construction (ICT construction) initiative, and point cloud data can be said to hold the key.

In this way, the introduction of cloud-based point cloud technology strongly supports on-site DX. For on-site personnel, mastering the latest technologies themselves not only streamlines operations but also leads to skill improvement, allowing them to grow into the professionals required at future construction sites.

Starting a Digital Construction Site with Simple Surveying Using LRTK

LRTK is an advanced suite of tools that provides the aforementioned combination of cloud-based point cloud generation and smartphone and drone measurements. It was developed with the concept of "simple surveying," enabling anyone on site to easily perform 3D surveying and utilize point clouds, and to acquire and use high-precision point cloud data without special equipment or advanced knowledge.

LRTK offers a platform that provides end-to-end support from on-site measurement to data processing and sharing, including an ultra-compact RTK-GNSS receiver that attaches to smartphones (LRTK Phone), a cloud system that automatically analyzes photos taken by drones (LRTK Drone), and functions to centrally manage site photos taken with 360-degree cameras. For example, using a smartphone and the LRTK receiver makes it possible to perform point-cloud scans with centimeter-level accuracy (half-inch accuracy) while walking on site, and simply uploading the photos to the cloud immediately after shooting automatically saves and processes the data. On the cloud, one-touch merging of acquired point clouds, measurement of distance, area, and volume, and overlay display with drawing data can also be performed, enabling smooth workflows that bridge the field and the office.

Simplified surveying with LRTK makes it easy for even small and medium-sized sites to start adopting 3D point clouds today. Without relying on heavy dedicated equipment, you can obtain precise point cloud models simply by "attaching a device to a smartphone and uploading," so trades that previously outsourced surveying can now carry out digital surveying in-house. LRTK, which turns that ideal into reality—allowing site personnel to quickly take measurements when needed and immediately share data—can be considered a reliable ally for on-site DX. If you’re interested in leveraging point clouds but have felt it’s a hurdle, why not use a tool like LRTK as a starting point and begin digital site operations?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. How much equipment and cost are required to get started? A1. You don't need to purchase any special large-scale equipment. Essentially, you can start with smartphones and commercially available drones, which are relatively easy to obtain. If high accuracy is required, it is a good idea to prepare an RTK-GNSS receiver for smartphones or an RTK-compatible drone. Cloud point-cloud processing services are often available via subscription or pay-as-you-go pricing, making them significantly lower cost than acquiring traditional surveying instruments. One advantage of using the cloud is that you can keep the initial investment low and try it on a small scale.

Q2. 専門知識や経験がなくても扱えますか？ A2. Yes, the latest tools are designed for intuitive operation. Scanning with a smartphone can be done much like taking a photo with a camera, and the app displays guides so even beginners can take measurements without confusion. Cloud-based analysis is automated, so users only need to upload the captured data. Of course, having basic surveying knowledge will broaden how you can use the tools, but the tools themselves are designed so they can be used effectively even by non-professional surveyors. Service providers also offer manuals and support, so anyone can start with confidence.

Q3. Is the accuracy of automatically generated point cloud data sufficient? A3. Even point cloud data automatically generated by cloud services can achieve high accuracy if measured appropriately. Smartphone surveys using RTK-GNSS and drone surveys often result in errors of several centimeters (a few in) in both horizontal and vertical directions, which is sufficient to meet the standards for general civil engineering surveying and as-built management. Of course, accuracy is influenced by capture methods and the environment, but service providers apply proprietary algorithms for error correction and noise removal, so they can be used for field measurements with confidence. The important thing is to follow basic procedures such as ensuring sufficient coverage (photo overlap) during capture and moving slowly during LiDAR scanning to avoid missing points. If you adhere to these, automatically generated point clouds will provide quality that is practically problem-free for use in the field.

Q4. How long does data processing take? A4. Processing time depends on the amount of data, but with cloud processing even large datasets can be completed in a relatively short time. For example, even when generating point clouds from a few hundred drone photos, parallel processing on cloud servers often yields results in tens of minutes to about 1–2 hours. Compared with running the same process on a conventional PC, which can take half a day to a day or more, this is overwhelmingly faster. Also, because you can continue fieldwork or other tasks while processing is running, the waiting time can be used effectively. In situations that require real-time performance, point clouds captured on a smartphone can be analyzed immediately on the device, which can calculate distances, volumes, and so on in a matter of a few seconds to a few minutes. By choosing between cloud processing and on-device processing according to the use case, you can obtain the necessary data with almost no time lag.

Q5. How can the generated point cloud data be utilized? A5. Point cloud data can be used directly for measurements and cross-sectional views in a cloud-based viewer, or exported to common formats for use in in-house CAD software. Many services allow downloading point clouds and 3D models in LAS, PLY, and OBJ formats, among others. Importing these into civil engineering design CAD or BIM software enables comparison with design data and the creation of drawings. Also, because cloud platforms often provide functions to add dimension markers and comments to point clouds and share them, they are convenient as information-sharing tools among stakeholders. In short, you can preserve the acquired point cloud as a three-dimensional record, while converting it into 2D drawings or numerical data as needed, making it useful across a wide range from site records to design, construction, and maintenance management.