Quantapoint, Inc. is a technology and services company that develops and uses patentedPatents Web Page
3D

laser scanning Laser scanning is the controlled deflection of laser beams, visible or invisible. Scanned laser beams are used in some 3-D printers, in rapid prototyping, in machines for material processing, in laser engraving machines, in ophthalmological la ...

hardware and software. Quantapoint creates a Digital Facility using 3D laser scanning and then provides visualization, analysis, quality control, decision support and documentation servicesServices Web Page
for

buildings A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and funct ...

, museums,

refineries A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value. Types of refineries Different types of refineries ar ...

chemical plant A chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures (or otherwise processes) chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transform ...

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: *Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space * Nuclear ...

and fossil-fuel power plants, offshore platforms and other structures.Industries Web Page

History

Quantapoint was founded as ''K²T'', Inc (or ''K2T'') in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1991 by Eric Hoffman, Pradeep Khosla, Takeo Kanade and other

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

faculty members. ''K²T'' focused on creating custom robotics and 3D range-finding imaging systems to help them navigate complex environments. The most notable are the laser range-finding system created in 1992 for the DANTE walking robot that explored Mount Erebus in Antarctica as part of a NASA sponsored competition Exploring Mount Erebus by Walking Robot
/ref> and the 360-degree phase-based 3D laser scanner named SceneModeler created in 1997. The company name was changed to Quantapoint in 1999 to reflect the focus on 3D laser scanning hardware, software and services. Initially, Quantapoint focused on using 3D laser scanning to "digitize" buildings and create 2D drawings,

3D models In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based representation of any surface of an object (inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized software by manipulating edges, vertices, an ...

and/or other animations or visualizations for renovations, additions or historic preservation. Notable projects include the Museum of Modern Art, the Theban Mapping Project in the Valley of the Kings, MonticelloMonticello Explorer attracts users, praise
and the Guggenheim Museum. Since 2002, Quantapoint has served the chemical, petroleum and power industries both globally and within the United States. Quantapoint has also worked with the United States

General Services Administration (GSA) The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. gover ...

. Quantapoint has received several patents and awardsAwards Web Page
/ref> for the 3D laser scanner hardware and 3D laser scanning data software that it has developed.

3D laser scanner hardware

Quantapoint uses both its own 3D laser scanner hardware, the SceneModeler 5 and SceneModeler 9, and the Photon from Faro Systems. Quantapoint has a fleet of more than twenty (20) 3D laser scanners.

Digital facility

The Quantapoint Digital Facility consists of the following: *Laser Models: Quantapoint technology that integrates all 3D laser scanning data to provide detailed, high-definition 3D solid "models" of a facility.Advancements in the usability of laser scan data
Quantapoint avoids using the term "point cloud" or "cloud of points".Laser Models vs. "Point Clouds" Web Page
*Laser Images: Photo-realistic, perspective-corrected panoramic images of individual 3D laser scans.

3D laser scanning data software

Quantapoint provides the following software for using the 3D laser scanning data in the Digital Facility: *PRISM 3D: View and interact with Laser Images and Laser Models directly. *CAD Conversion Option for PRISM 3D: Import 3D CAD models into PRISM 3D to view with or clash against Laser Models. *QuantaCAD: View and interact Laser Images and Laser Models within 3D

computer-aided design Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...

(CAD) software, including AutoCAD, AutoPlant, AVEVA Review, MicroStation XM, PDS,

PDMS PDMS may refer to: * Palm Desert Middle School, a middle school in Palm Desert, California * Plant Design Management System * Plasma desorption mass spectrometry * Point-Defence Missile System * Polydimethylsiloxane, a silicon-based organic polymer ...

, Revit, SmartMarine 3D, SmartPlant Review and SmartPlant 3D. *AccessPoint: View and interact Laser Images and Laser Models via the Internet and integrate with facility information.

Alliances/software development relationships

Quantapoint has alliances or software development relationships to integrate laser data with software from Autodesk, AVEVA,

Bentley Systems Bentley Systems, Incorporated is an American-based software development company that develops, manufactures, licenses, sells and supports computer software and services for the design, construction, and operation of infrastructure. The company's ...

and Intergraph.Alliances Web Page
/ref>

Locations

Quantapoint has locations within the United States ( Pittsburgh, Houston, Los Angeles), England, Scotland and Nigeria. Quantapoint also uses representatives in various countries, such as Mexico, Venezuela, South Africa, Malaysia and Brazil.Locations Web Page
/ref>

Patents

Quantapoint has been issued the following patents in the United States and has filed for similar patents in the EU, Canada and Japan:Patents Web Page
*360-degree 3D Laser Scanning: 6,034,803,
/ref> 6,373,612,[https://archive.today/20121214125123/http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,373,612.PN.&OS=PN/6,373,612&RS=PN/6,373,612 Patent: Method and apparatus for directing energy based range detection sensors] 6,906,837Patent: Method and apparatus for directing energy based range detection sensors
/ref> and 7,365,891.
/ref> *3D Laser Scan Registration: 7,180,072.[https://archive.today/20121214083534/http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,180,072.PN.&OS=PN/7,180,072&RS=PN/7,180,072 Patent: Method and apparatus for creating a registration network of a scene] *Creating Layout from 3D Laser Scan Data: 6,446,030Patent: Method and apparatus for establishing the layout of a building
/ref> and 7,127,378.
/ref>

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.quantapoint.com Building information modeling Electronics companies established in 1991 Companies based in Pittsburgh GIS companies Software companies based in Pennsylvania Laser companies 1991 establishments in Pennsylvania Defunct software companies of the United States Defunct electronics companies of the United States