SLAM: large facilities scanned in hours
SLAM stands for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. The scanner maps its surroundings while keeping track of where it is itself, which means it can be carried through a building at normal walking pace instead of being moved between tripod setups.
What it does to the schedule
A facility that previously required several days of static scanning can be covered in a few hours. Operations rarely need to stop and staff do not need to be moved out of the way. That makes it realistic to rescan the same environment several times during a project.
When it fits, and when it does not
SLAM is strongest where areas are large, geometry varied and time short. For millimetre precision on a single detail, facade ornamentation, complex machinery, static scanning is still superior. On many projects we combine the two: SLAM for the whole, static for the points that demand it.