Equipment

Choice of camera

Using a 360 camera will provide a good balance of scan quality and ease of use. We support the use of stitched 360 panoramic video (equirectangular), or unstitched ( .insv or mp4) files from Insta360, Ricoh Theta, and Kandao cameras. Supported 360 cameras include the Insta360 OneRS, X2, X4, X5, Ricoh Theta X or Z1, and Kandao Qoocam 3 ultra.

Alternatively, you may use other cameras that support the capture of high bitrate video with a fisheye lens. The Z Cam E2-M4 and E2 with the Astrhori or Meike 6.5mm f/2 fisheye lens (MFT mount) are good choices.

360 Camera Settings

To get the best results with Insta360 cameras, we recommend using the highest resolution video setting at 24/30 frames per second.

For Ricoh Theta X1 or Z, the maximum resolution video mode is the best choice, but you may also use a lower framerate timelapse mode to save data size.

For the Kandao Qoocam 3 Ultra, the 3 fps timelapse mode is the best choice.

Pre-stitched equirectangular video at 24/30 frames per second is also supported, but will generally result in lower accuracy than using supported unstitched data.

Smartphone App

Sensori provides an Android companion app for Insta360 cameras. This app is available on request and can be used to approximately georeference your captures and allows for easy submission of data for processing.

Monopod

We recommend using a monopod or selfie stick to keep the 360 camera overhead for better visibility. Longer monopods (3m) are suggested for capturing ceiling voids or similar difficult to reach areas. Helmet mounted cameras can also be used, but will degrade accuracy and make it difficult to bring the camera close to any targets that are used.

Extra lighting

Sensori capture requires good illumination to be able to generate high quality geometry. When working at night with no other lighting, or in dark environments such as ceiling voids, a light should be fitted to the camera. The Bushman Halo light is a good choice.

Scanning targets

Sensori capture uses a standard set of targets for defining scale and registering against a control network. They are available to order from us, but you may also print your own.

Origin plate and scale plates are available to download here. These should be printed at the original print size of the file. The distance between the centres of the target patterns is exactly 200mm and must be printed accurately. We recommend printing these on aluminium composite or other rigid material to reduce the risk of movement during outdoor captures.

The pdf scale plate designs can be printed on a standard A4 printer and should always be used. The origin plate must be printed on an A3 printer or larger, but is optional when using a supported 360 camera.

Control point markers for use with survey points can be downloaded here. We recommend printing these on 3mm foam. Our standard size for these is 12cm across, but they may be used at any print size. The centre can be cut out as shown below.