Sergiu Ceausu, Head of the 3D Scanning Department at GISCAD, recently shared the fascinating details of a LiDAR cave mapping project in Romania. To delve deeper into his expertise and career, we invited him for an interview to discuss his background, experiences in the industry, technological insights, and his vision for the future of the field.
Career History & Experience
How did you get started in this field?
After finishing my studies, I was eager to start working, though I didn’t yet have a clear direction. For some people, myself included, there are moments when all the stars seem to align, and a unique opportunity presents itself. You can either seize it or let it pass.
For me, that opportunity was joining GISCAD, the exclusive distributor in Romania for Trimble Geospatial, NavVis, and Wingtra.
At GISCAD, I found patient and forward-thinking management, willing to invest in both people and technology. They didn’t just give me a job — they educated me, guided me, and helped shape me into the professional specialist that I am today.
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What are some highlights from your career journey in LiDAR and 3D mapping?
Successful Implementation of Trimble’s 3D Scanning Technology in Romania
One of the proudest moments in my career was successfully introducing and implementing Trimble’s 3D scanning portfolio in Romania. This involved not only the technical integration of state-of-the-art solutions but also educating the market, conducting demos, and supporting professionals across various industries.
High-Stakes Sewerage Mapping Project
A defining project in my journey was mapping a 200-meter-long sewerage system, located approximately 7 meters underground, with a diameter of 2.4 meters and flowing water conditions.
The goal: to precisely align the underground point cloud with surface data to determine whether a building had been illegally constructed over it.
The results: positioning precision of less than 1 cm at both ends — which confirmed the building’s illegal placement. The project’s accuracy and complexity led to Trimble featuring it in their global newsletter.
Here is the article Careful Planning Yields Accurate Sewer Scan Results in Romania
Most Challenging LiDAR Project – the Sewer Project
The sewer project had three major challenges:
1. Accurate Alignment of the Sewer with the Surface
Solved by placing Known coordinate GNSS points at both ends of the sewer.
2. Registering the Scanning Stations Underground
Used spray-painted reference points every 5 meters. Trimble X7’s Infield Registration helped verify accuracy on-site.
3. Placing the Scanner Safely Above Flowing Water
Used Trimble X7’s self-leveling feature for safe, accurate placement above water.
Final result: The entire sewer was placed accurately in national coordinates Stereo70 with under 1 cm precision.
How has your role evolved within the industry over the years?
I started my journey in 3D scanning by offering live scanning demonstrations for architects. The goal was to show them, in real time, the value and productivity gains the technology could offer — with the hope that seeing it in action would lead to adoption.
But in practice, it wasn’t that simple. Many architects didn’t have the IT infrastructure needed to work with large point cloud datasets and were reluctant to invest in high-performance workstations. This gap between what the technology could do and what the market was ready for created challenges for my department.
Everything began to change with the launch of the Trimble X7. This scanner was a breakthrough — not just globally, but especially for the Romanian market. Its ease of use and price point fit perfectly with our clients’ needs. At the same time, IT infrastructure was becoming more accessible and affordable, making it easier for companies to handle 3D data.
Since 2021, I’ve focused entirely on sales, leading the 3D Scanning Department at GISCAD. In 2023, we expanded even further by becoming the official distributor for NavVis, a global leader in SLAM-based scanning solutions.
Today, I’m working on building out a new portfolio of Trimble Field Systems, aimed at the building construction sector, as we continue to drive innovation and push the limits of what’s possible in digital construction workflows.
LiDAR Industry & Innovation
How do you see LiDAR evolving in cave mapping and underground exploration?
LiDAR’s ability to measure large quantities of data at high distances is ideal for monitoring underground environments like caves and salt mines — tracking deformations and movement over time.
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What advancements in LiDAR hardware or software have had the biggest impact on your work?
Being able to process data directly in the field — seeing registration and results on the spot — made implementation easier and more accessible.
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Will AI and automation change how LiDAR data is collected and analyzed?
Absolutely. AI, automation, and robotics will transform LiDAR workflows.
Soon we’ll see AI-driven robots scanning entire sites independently — using SLAM, making real-time decisions, and adapting on the fly.
In post-processing, I believe automatic 3D modeling from point clouds will reach 70% automation in the near future.
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Thank you to Sergiu and GISCAD!
