Using a two-dimensional scanner to speed registration of three-dimensional scan data

A measurement system having a three-dimensional (3D) measurement device, the system being movable from a first position to a second position, the system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a position and orientation sensor;
• a 2D laser scanner operably coupled to the 3D measurement device, the position and orientation sensor, and the one or more processors, the 2D laser scanner being configured to emit light over a predetermined angular range in a plane;
• wherein the one or more processors responsive to executable instructions which when executed by the processor system is operable to:
• cause the laser scanner to emit light in a plane;
• obtain a plurality of 2D scan sets as at least a portion of the system is moved from the first position to the second position, the each of the plurality of 2D scan sets being a set of 2D coordinates of points on an object surface collected by the laser scanner at a different position relative to the first position;
• determine a first translation value, a second translation value, and a first rotation value based at least in part on a fitting of the plurality of 2D scan sets, the fitting based at least in part on measurements by the position and orientation sensor as the system is moved from the first position and the second position;
• identifying a correspondence between 3D coordinates measured by the 3D measurement device in the first position and the second position based at least in part on the first translation value, the second translation value, and the first rotation value;
• and
• registering the 3D coordinates measured in the first position and the second position based on the correspondence.