Digital terrain mapping with GPS and laser system

This invention concerns digital terrain mapping, and in particular a method for producing digital terrain maps of the vicinity around large rotating machinery, such as draglines, shovels, excavators, wheel loaders or cranes. The method involves the following steps: Mounting a 2-Dimensions laser scanner and a high-accuracy RTK GPS system to an item of large rotating machinery, at a radial extremity of the machinery. Arranging the laser scanner to record radial lines of data representing the terrain below the extremity of the machinery. Rotating the machinery completely about its axis of rotation and generating data from both the laser scanner and GPS system that represents the terrain around the machinery. Wherein, a calibration is conducted by recording data from markers at known locations in the terrain below the extremity of the machinery to determine the relative positions of the laser scanner centre and the GPS antenna, the orientation of the laser scanner and the time lag between the data generated from both the laser scanner and the GPS system. In a further aspect the invention concerns equipment for use in the method and software.