System and method of defining a path and scanning an environment

A method for measuring three-dimensional (3D) coordinate values of an environment, the method comprising:

• moving a scanner through the environment, the scanner being removeable from a mobile base unit, the mobile base unit comprising a unit controller, a 3D scanner being coupled to the unit controller, the scanner being couplable to the unit controller;
• generating a map of the environment using the scanner removed from the mobile base unit as the scanner is moved through the environment;
• defining a path through the environment based at least in part on the map with the scanner removed from the mobile base unit;
• defining 3D scan locations along the path based at least in part on the map;
• operably coupling the scanner to the mobile base unit at a first location, the unit controller being configured to receive the map from the scanner;
• moving the mobile base unit along the path based at least in part on the defined path;
• and
• measuring 3D coordinate values at the 3D scan locations with a 3D scanner, the 3D scanner being coupled to the mobile base unit at a second location different from the first location.

A system for measuring three-dimensional (3D) coordinate values of an environment, the system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a mobile base unit having a unit controller and a plurality of wheels, each of the plurality of wheels having an associated motor, the motors being operably coupled to the one or more processors;
• a 2D scanner removably coupled to the mobile base unit at a first location, the 2D scanner being sized and weighted to be carried by a single person, having a first light source and an image sensor, the first light source steers a beam of light within a first plane to illuminate object points in the environment, the image sensor is arranged to receive light reflected from the object points;
• a 3D scanner coupled to the base unit at a second location different from the first location, the 3D scanner being configured to measure a 3D coordinate values of point on surfaces in the environment, the 3D scanner being coupled to the unit controller, the 2D scanner being couplable to the unit controller;
• wherein the one or more processors are responsive to nontransitory executable instructions which when executed by the one or more processors to:
• generating a 2D map of the environment using the 2D scanner removed from the mobile base unit;
• defining a path through the environment based at least in part on the 2D map with the 2D scanner removed from the mobile base unit;
• defining 3D scan locations along the path based at least in part on the 2D map, the unit controller being configured to receive the 2D map from the 2D scanner;
• causing the mobile base unit to move along the path;
• causing the 3D scanner to measure 3D coordinate values at the 3D scan locations;
• and
• storing the 3D coordinate values in memory.