This "frugal" scanning method has led to incredible breakthroughs in museum collections. For instance:
The story of 3D scanning isn't limited to dusty ruins. Various methods are now solving modern problems in unexpected ways: 3D Scanning With a Mobile Phone and Other Methods
Imagine an archaeologist deep in the Guatemalan rainforest. For decades, the dense jungle canopy hid sprawling civilizations from view. Today, researchers use (Light Detection and Ranging) to "peel back" the vegetation, revealing over 60,000 previously unknown structures in the Maya Biosphere Reserve alone. This "frugal" scanning method has led to incredible