Optimized-coverage selective laser ablation systems and methods

A method of laser ablation surface preparation of a three-dimensional surface, the method comprising:

• receiving a 3D virtual model of a surface to be ablated;
• generating a series of waypoints to form a preliminary ablation path across the surface, wherein each of the waypoints is associated with a waypoint location on the surface and includes a laser head position, a laser sheet orientation, and a scan width;
• optimizing the preliminary ablation path to produce an adapted ablation path based upon the laser head position, the laser sheet orientation, and the scan width of each waypoint;
• and
• ablating the surface according to the adapted ablation path with a laser head;
• and
• adjusting the scan width of the laser head during the ablating to match the scan width of each of the waypoints of the adapted ablation path, and independently varying one or more of a scan speed and a traverse speed of the laser head to maintain one or more of a laser fluence and a laser irradiance to within a desired range.