US Patent 10109104 Generation of 3D models of an environment

Generating a 3D reconstruction of an environment around a monitoring-unit as that monitoring-unit is moved through the environment: a) providing at least a camera and a LIDAR sensor, each being controlled by independent clocks; b) using the camera to determine the trajectory of the monitoring-unit and determining a first time series using the clock of the camera, where the first time series details when the monitoring-unit was at predetermined points of the trajectory; c) recording the returns from the LIDAR sensor and determining a second time series using the clock of the LIDAR sensor, where the second time series details when each scan from the LIDAR was taken; d) using a timer to relate the first and second series in order to match the return from the LIDAR sensor to the point on the trajectory at which the return was received; and e) creating the 3D reconstruction based upon the LIDAR returns using information from the two time series.