Validation of Portable Mobile Mapping System for Inspection Tasks in Thermal and Fluid–Mechanical Facilities

Abstract

The three-dimensional registration of industrial facilities has a great importance for maintenance, inspection, and safety tasks and it is a starting point for new improvements and expansions in the industrial facilities context. In this paper, a comparison between the results obtained using a novel portable mobile mapping system (PMMS) and a static terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), widely used for 3D reconstruction in civil and industrial scenarios, is carried out. This comparison is performed in the context of industrial inspection tasks, specifically in the thermal and fluid-mechanics facilities in a hospital. The comparison addresses the general reconstruction of a machine room, focusing on the quantitative and qualitative analysis of different elements (e.g., valves, regulation systems, burner systems and tanks, etc.). The validation of the PMMS is provided considering the TLS as ground truth and applying a robust statistical analysis. Results come to confirm the suitability of the PMMS to perform inspection tasks in industrial facilities.