The all new Leica BLK360 is a next generation fast, lightweight imaging laser scanner that creates visually stunning, accurate and realistic digital twins within seconds

First introduced in 2016, the original BLK360, now known as BLK360 G1, was a Core77 award winner. It fuses innovative form and function and redefined the laser scanner industry with a portable product for reality capture. The all new BLK360 reflects the market demand for an even faster, smaller and more powerful way to comprehensively capture a space in the simplest and fastest way possible without compromising accuracy. With simple push-button operation, it is designed for users of any skill level to operate.

The BLK360 is an ideal sensor for any application requiring fast, up-to-date scanning. It enables users to move quickly about any environment without interruption, viewing and sharing the data during the capture process to provide real-time access to updated digital twins. The BLK360 encourages users to introduce reality capture to new industries and markets due to its speed, portability, and ease of use.

This product has been a primary driver in the democratization of reality capture technology. As the newest version of the product was released in 2022, it ensures new-to-LiDAR users can easily capture spaces and understand the point clouds it produces for an accurate, visual depiction of an area.

As a next generation product, the BLK360 captures an area at a speed seven times faster than the original version. Other upgrades include higher quality images, sharp and better-looking point clouds, and location tracking that pre-aligns scans using a patented VIS system. Whether conducting a survey or scouting a movie location, this new version of the product puts serious scanning power in the palm of a user's hand.

Along with being easy to use, the product saves significant time, labor and materials when constructing, reconstruction, renovating and measuring buildings, spaces and areas. Specifically, the BLK360 has been used in a variety of industry and applications, introducing reality capture to an even wider audience.

For example, the BLK360 has been used to design new hospital wings during COVID-19; identify natural sources of underground water for a climate change research project; create digital records of Frank Lloyd Wright's landmark properties; build production sets and VFX workflows for TV and feature films; capture the inside of an ambulance for virtual training of emergency responders; and capture underground caves in Pompeii.

Below are more examples of how the BLK360 is used across a variety of industries.

Architecture/Engineering/Construction: Quickly and accurately capture spaces without having to return to the site to correct inaccurate measurements or hire additional staff to travel and ship reality capture products to the site.

Public Safety: Document crime scenes and locations of manmade or natural disasters.

Property Management and Real Estate: Get accurate dimensions and panoramic images for space planning, property valuations and sales.

Media and Entertainment: For location scouting and building 3D models of sets and creating workflows for visual effects (VFX).

Cultural Heritage: Archive historical spaces for preservation, learning and restoration.

In terms of specific features and functions, the new Leica BLK360 includes the following:

• Knows where it is and what has already been scanned

• Automatically combines scans for faster workflows

• Accuracy of .024 inches at 10 yard distance and .31 inches at 22 yards.

• Live video and data stream during scans via a dedicated BLK Live App

• Immersive and enhanced high dynamic range provides more immersive photospheres and colorized point clouds, even in the most challenging lighting conditions and environments.

• Storage for up to 1500 setups

• Rechargeable battery – good for 70 setups.

• 3D scanner with integrated high-speed HDR spherical imaging system and Visual Inertial System (VIS) for real-time pre-registration

• Four scan settings capture data in 7, 13, 30, or 75 seconds at 680,000 points per second

• Takes only 20 seconds for a full-dome scan with photospheres

• Visual Inertial System (VIS) automatically pre-registers scans in the field

• High-speed data transfer via USB-C and Wi-Fi

• Designed for indoor and outdoor use

• A full scan is complete in only 20 seconds

• 4 user selectable resolution settings (6/12/25/50 mm @ 10 m)

• At 6 inches long and 3 inches wide, and weighing 1.7 pounds, the new BLK360 is the size of a smartphone, making it easier to carry, use and store.

• With USB-C and WLAN data transfer, users can immediately and securely transfer and upload scan data to share with colleagues.

• Live video and data stream: Users see what the device captures in real-time during data capture process.