Zebedee

January 9th, 2013

Zebedee is a handheld 3D mapping system, which consists of a lightweight laser scanner with 15–30m maximum range (dependent on surface reflectivity and environmental conditions) and an industrial-grade MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU) mounted on a simple spring mechanism.

As an operator holding the device moves through the environment, the scanner loosely oscillates about the spring, thereby producing rotational motion that converts the laser’s inherent 2D scanning plane into a local 3D field of view.

With the use of proprietary software, the six degree of freedom sensor trajectory can be accurately and continuously calculated from the laser and inertial measurements in real-time, and the range measurements can be projected into a common coordinate frame to generate a 3D point cloud. Zebedee has evolved from (and alongside) general research into 3D localization and mapping for autonomous robots.

Applications

3D Mapping of Questacon

The Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre, is located on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, Australia. It is a large centre with more than 200 interactive exhibits relating to science and technology. Here are the results of a scan conducted in September 2012 acquired during a 14min walk inside and around the centre. The data was downloaded and processed in less than 30min.

ANZAC Square

ANZAC Square is a public square in Brisbane, Australia that includes a memorial to the men and women who have represented Australia and New Zealand in overseas armed conflict. The site is heritage-listed and contains the Shrine of Remembrance, which houses an Eternal Flame.

3D mapping of Forest

3D mapping of Fores

Forests and Trees

Zebedee has been used to map a variety of forest environments around the world. With Zebedee, forest environments can be captured relatively quickly by walking through them while continuously scanning.

HMQS Gayundah

The HMQS Gayundah first entered service in 1884 as a gunboat for the Queensland Maritime Defense Force as one of the first two ships commissioned for defence against a perceived Russian threat. She later served in the Royal Australian Navy as HMAS Gayundah before being decommissioned and sold for civilian use. The Gayundah was beached in 1958 as a breakwater at Woody Point in Redcliffe, Queensland.

Opéra-Théâtre de Clermont-Ferrand

The Opera-Theatre of Clermont-Ferrand, France was built between 1891 and 1894. It hosts music, dance, and theatrical performances, including the Orchestre d’Auvergne. The facility reopened in 2013 after a 7-year renovation project and currently seats 600 people.

HMAS J3 WWI Submarine

HMAS J3 is one of six J-class submarines that served in WWI and subsequently gifted by the British Royal Navy to the Royal Australian Navy after the war. After a refit, it saw limited use in Australia and was scuttled as a breakwater in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria in 1926.

Awards

2014 CSIRO Medal for Scientific Excellence – Zebedee
2013 ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology – Zebedee
2013 iAwards National – Zebedee Research and Development
2013 iAwards QLD – Zebedee Research and Development

Commercialisation

Zebedee device

Commercial Zebedee Device

The Zebedee system was developed by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and has been licensed to GeoSLAM (a UK-based startup company) who manufacture the units.

The commercial version of Zebedee is called ZEB1 and its sister devices, the ZEB REVO and ZEB HORIZON are now available from several distributors worldwide.

If you are interested in using or purchasing the ZEB family, then please contact GeoSLAM or your regional distributor. Otherwise, contact us.

Media Coverage

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Paper: Zebedee: Design of a Spring-Mounted 3-D Range Sensor with Application to Mobile Mapping

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