System and method of scanning an environment and generating two dimensional images of the environment

A system for scanning an environment and generating an annotated two-dimensional (2D) map, the system comprising:

• a 2D scanner having a light source, an image sensor and a first controller, the light source steers a beam of light within the first plane to illuminate object points in the environment, the image sensor is arranged to receive light reflected from the object points, the first controller being operable to determine a distance value to at least one of the object points, the 2D scanner further having an inertial measurement unit, the inertial measurement unit generating a signal in response a change in position or orientation of the 2D scanner, the 2D scanner being sized and weighted to be carried and operated by a single person;
• a 360° camera having a movable platform, the 360° camera having a plurality of cameras and a second controller, the second controller being operable to merge the images acquired by the plurality of cameras to generate an image having a 360° view in a horizontal plane;
• and
• one or more processors operably coupled to the 2D scanner and the 360° camera, the one or more processors being responsive to non-transient executable instructions for generating a 2D map of the environment in response to an activation signal from an operator and based at least in part on the distance value and the signal, the one or more processors being further responsive for acquiring the 360° image and integrating the 360°image at a location on the 2D map that corresponds to the location where the image was acquired, wherein the one or more processors are further responsive to generating a point cloud based at least in part on the acquisition of at least two 360° images.

A method for generating a two-dimensional (2D) image of an environment, the method comprising:

• scanning the environment with a 2D scanner having a light source, an image sensor, and an inertial measurement unit, the light source steers a beam of light within the first plane to illuminate object points in the environment, the image sensor is arranged to receive light reflected from the object points, the 2D scanner being sized and weighted to be carried and operated by a single person;
• determine a distance value to at least one of the object point with the 2D scanner;
• determining a change in position or orientation of the 2D scanner with the inertial measurement unit;
• acquiring a plurality of images with a 360° camera, the 360° camera being coupled to movable platform and having a plurality of cameras, each of the plurality of images being acquired by one of the plurality of cameras;
• merging the plurality of images to generate an image having a 360° view in a horizontal plane;
• generating a 2D map of the environment in response to an activation signal from an operator and based at least in part on the distance value and the signal;
• and
• integrating the 360° image at a location on the 2D map that corresponds to the location where the plurality of images were acquired.