Evaluation of the laser response of Leica Nova multistation MS60 for 3D modelling and structural monitoring

The use of Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) is quite common for architectural surveys, however it requires to arrange special targets on the scanned object and to acquire several overlapping scans, which have to be aligned and edited externally. Recently, Leica released on the market a new kind of instrument, known as MultiStation (MS). It includes both the main characteristics of a TLS and of a Total Station (TS), meaning that no targets are required for the scan alignment, since the whole survey can be directly georeferenced. In this paper, some analyses about the use of this instrument for 3D modelling applications are discussed. First of all, the laser signal response is evaluated considering different materials, acquired using several combinations of distances and incidence angles. Then, the survey of the Casalbagliano Castle is presented and analyzed. All the performed tests show the great potentiality of the MS, allowing to reach accuracies of the order of few millimeters.