Pix4D Adds Augmented Reality for 3D Site Scanning in Mobile App

Pix4D, a Swiss provider of drone and terrestrial mapping and photogrammetry products, has launched a new version of their terrestrial scanning iOS mobile app that the company says adds professional augmented reality (AR) and compatibility with RTK devices.

It’s called PIX4Dcatch and the company says it’s a mobile 3D scanning and AR visualization tool for architecture, engineering, and construction professionals that uses “a combination of photogrammetry and LiDAR technology and enhanced with RTK positioning for precision and accuracy.”

Scanning a site with the app generates 3D models which enable precise measurement of distances and volumes. The scans facilitate documentation and visualization of existing site conditions and as-built measurements, which can be inspected and exported to CAD/GIS, the company says.

With the 2.0 update, the app gains “professional-grade AR features that enable interaction with a site in real time.” Using augmented reality, plans can be overlaid on-site and visualized for approval during project design, construction, and post-construction inspections. 

Annotations and field notes can be sent from the office to the site where they can be viewed, and scans and 3D models of underground utilities can be visualized with AR, including after closure.

It can be purchased on the Pix4D website, through a selection of resellers, or as an in-app purchase in the App Store.