ARIZONA DAILY STAR: Tues., Sept. 9, 2008
3-D scans give firm an edge
By Dan Sullivan
A local surveying company has seen its growth soar by giving clients a new way of looking at things — in three dimensions. Darling Environmental and Surveying Ltd., a family-owned company, boasts cutting-edge, 3-D laser scanning technology that has been put to work for NASA, Fortune 500 companies and locally at Mission San Xavier del Bac.
Mary Darling, who holds a wildlife biology degree and a law degree, and Richard Darling, a registered land surveyor, met at a firm in Nevada where they worked together before falling in love with Tucson and deciding to open their own firm. As the business has grown, the company has expanded to 25 employees, including son Ryan Darling, who heads the 3-D scanning division.
Though Darling is a full-service surveying and environmental-consulting firm, the state-of-the-art scanning technology is driving much of the company's recent growth.
Three-dimensional laser scanning is a process by which a three-dimensional, geometrically correct and measurable image is made with a laser. The laser scan is matched with known coordinates, such as GPS satellite data, in what is known as a control survey. The resulting images can be used to find defects or plan modifications, for example.
The technology is particularly useful because it is not intrusive, said Jason Moran, Darling's chief financial officer. Also, it allows for the scanning and mapping of a site without the site having to be taken out of service, he said. For example, the technology was used to measure the thickness of walls at San Xavier Mission; this process made it possible for surveying to be done without damaging the church's centuries-old walls.
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