RCN Podcast 47: The Dawn of Reality Capture with John Brown

On episode 47 of the RCN Podcast, John Brown, Supervisor of Reality Capture at @GeneralMotors shared his personal history with reality capture technology as it evolved, the gravity of accessible education, and the importance of growth within the laser scanning profession. Episode Timeline: 2:32 John’s journey begins as a third-generation land surveyor 4:32 The transition from the field to the office, and what he instantly fell in love with 6:22 The dawn of modern reality capture, a laser scanner the size of a refrigerator, and the Detroit Sewer & Water Department 12:53 The “Wow!” factor in scanning that’s lasted 25 years 21:50 How John used laser scanners to separate himself from the rest of the pack, and how he put failure to good use 25:55 The first contact with General Motors 28:44 Education on scanning, and democratizing technology 32:00 Is there a saturation point, a ceiling, of reality capture work that’s able to be done? 39:55 Comparing John’s introduction to the industry to what the youth of today experience 42:22 John’s start at General Motors, and what he and his crew now engage in 49:48 The biggest challenge at GM, and a deep dive on what the team uses 55:50 Global work, the sharing of knowledge, and which continent has GM developing another reality capture team 1:03:20 Capturing reality for an enterprise-wide spectrum with a variety of tools 1:11:59 The spectrum of difficulty and complexity in scanning 1:15:50 The most frustrating aspect of the laser scanning industry 1:21:00 Does every project need intense survey control? 1:26:30 What would John say to his younger self? https://realitycapturenetwork.com/podcast/episode-47 #RealityCaptureNetwork #RCN #RCNPodcast #generalmotors #realitycapture