Equipment & accuracy
FARO Focus Premium 150 accuracy for plant documentation
DDG scans with a FARO Focus Premium 150. Here are FARO’s published figures, and how instrument accuracy carries through to the point cloud, model, and drawings you receive.
Published accuracy
Accuracy is best close to the scanner
FARO publishes 3D accuracy at 10 m and 25 m, and adds 0.1 mm/m of uncertainty beyond that, so setups are planned to keep critical equipment at short range. It also publishes range noise at three target reflectivities — which is where dark, weathered and polished plant surfaces show up as numbers rather than caveats.
3D accuracy
- 10 m≈ 33 ft
- 2 mm≈ 0.079 in
- 25 m≈ 82 ft
- 3.5 mm≈ 0.138 in
FARO publishes 10 m and 25 m only. For distances larger 25 m add 0.1 mm/m of uncertainty.
FARO states all accuracy specifications as standard deviations, after warm-up and within the operating temperature range. FARO publishes no confidence level and no target reflectivity for its accuracy figures. The accuracy figures are Focus Premium family figures, published once across FARO’s 350, 150 and 70 columns; only the range figures are specific to the 150.
At 10 m≈ 33 ft
At 25 m≈ 82 ft
Range noise, mm
FARO manufacturer specification. Range noise is the variation of distance samples from repeated measurements of a single point at 122,000 pts/s; some surfaces can lead to additional noise. Only the published ranges are shown; nothing is implied between or beyond them.
How to read the specification
- A standard deviation
- FARO states its accuracy figures as standard deviations, after warm-up and within the operating temperature range. It publishes no confidence level, so none is quoted here: turning a standard deviation into a confidence percentage would assume a distribution FARO never states.
- Reflectivity, not one test surface
- FARO ties reflectivity to range and range noise rather than to accuracy, and publishes three targets instead of one. At 10 m the noise runs from 0.1 mm on a 90% white target to 0.7 mm on a 2% black one — 7 times as much. Dark rubber, weathered steel and polished stainless sit at the far end of that range.
- Noise is not accuracy
- Range noise (0.1 mm @ 10 m on a white target) is the scatter of points on a surface. 3D accuracy (2 mm @ 10 m) is how close a point sits to its true position. A cloud can look crisp and still be offset.
Instrument vs. project
Instrument accuracy vs. project accuracy
FARO’s figures describe single measurements under test conditions, after warm-up and within the operating temperature range. What a finished point cloud, model, or drawing supports combines three sources of error, and conditions on site move all three.
The error budget
Instrument
The error in each measured point. FARO publishes it for test conditions.
Registration
How closely the separate setups are tied into one point cloud.
Modeling and interpretation
How points become geometry: what is modeled, at what level of detail, and assumptions such as pipe size under insulation.
Project accuracy
What the finished point cloud, model, or drawing can be relied on for. It is set by scope and site conditions, not by the scanner alone.
Independent random errors combine as a root-sum-square, so the total is always larger than the largest single term. Interpretation errors, such as modeling the wrong pipe size, are not random; an agreed modeling scope and review control them.
What moves it in the field
Range
Point accuracy is best close to the scanner; setups are spaced so critical areas are captured at short range.
Surface & angle
Dark, polished, or transparent surfaces (rubber, polished stainless, glass, wet pipe) and glancing angles return noisier or missing points and may need extra setups. FARO publishes seven times the range noise on a black target as on a white one at the same distance.
Registration
Scans are tied together in the field and refined in the office; registration is checked as part of quality control, and coverage limitations are documented in the coverage summary.
Site conditions
Vibration, heat shimmer, dust or steam, moving equipment, and access limits affect results and are noted in the coverage summary. FARO’s accuracy figures hold after warm-up and within the operating temperature range, which a plant that runs hot or cold can push.
Scan to model
How models and drawings relate to the scan
A point cloud is measured data. Models and drawings are interpretations of that data at an agreed level of detail, so modeled geometry is only as precise as the modeling scope specifies.
Fig. 2Measured data
Tier 1 · Point cloud
Registered scan points, as captured. How well they hold depends on the instrument, registration, and site conditions above.
Fig. 3Interpreted at agreed detail
Tiers 2–4 · Models and drawings
Building and process models (Tier 3 shown) and CAD drawings, built from the points at the level of detail the proposal specifies.
Figs. 2 and 3 are illustrations of a simulated example plant, not project records.
Fabrication-critical tie-ins, flange locations, anchor bolts, and tight-clearance dimensions need separate verification before fabrication or installation, quoted separately. Verification rule
Manufacturer specifications
Full specification sheet
Every value is from FARO’s published Focus Premium 150 specification sheet, or from the FARO Knowledge Base article the row names. Only the three range figures are published for the 150 specifically; the rest are Focus Premium family figures. Imperial values are rounded conversions, marked ≈.
- Focus Premium 150
- FARO
- 2023-05-10
- 2026-10-13
FARO Focus Premium 150
- 2 mm @ 10 m≈ 0.079 in @ 33 ftStandard deviation, after warm-up and within the operating temperature range
- Up to 2 MPts/sec360° horizontal × 300° vertical field of view
- 0.5 – 150 m≈ 1.6 – 492 ftWhite target, 90% reflectivity; 0.5 – 50 m on black, 2% reflectivity
- Up to 266 MPxFrom the integrated 13 MPx HDR camera, mounted co-axially with the laser
Published by FARO for the Focus Premium family. The full schedules are below.
Field features
On-site registration
Scans stream to the FARO Stream app and register as each one finishes, by automatic top view and cloud-to-cloud matching. Coverage and alignment are checked on site, not discovered back at the office.
Published noise on dark surfaces
FARO publishes range noise at three target reflectivities, so what dark rubber, weathered steel and polished stainless cost you is a number rather than a guess: 0.1 mm on a white target at 10 m against 0.7 mm on a black one. Setups are planned around it.
HDR color imagery
The camera sits co-axially with the laser, so color lands on the points with minimal parallax, and bracketed exposures handle dim interiors and bright openings in one image. The PanoCam adds a 360° frame in about a second when speed matters more than resolution.
Fast setups
With the PanoCam fitted, FARO puts a color scan at under 1:15 from start until the scanner can be moved, and a Flash scan at under 30 seconds. More setups per day means shorter ranges to critical equipment and fewer gaps behind congested piping.
Accuracy
| Specification | Manufacturer value |
|---|---|
| 3D accuracy | 2 mm @ 10 m≈ 0.079 in @ ≈ 33 ft3.5 mm @ 25 m≈ 0.138 in @ ≈ 82 ftFARO publishes these two distances only. Beyond 25 m FARO adds 0.1 mm/m of uncertainty. Standard deviation, after warm-up and within the operating temperature range |
| Ranging error | ±1 mm≈ ±0.039 inA systematic distance error at around 10 m and 25 m: a one-dimensional figure, not a 3D accuracy |
| Angular accuracy | 19″Arc-seconds; carries FARO’s document-wide standard-deviation note only |
| Range noise — white, 90% reflectivity | 0.1 mm @ 10 m≈ 0.004 in @ ≈ 33 ft0.2 mm @ 25 m≈ 0.008 in @ ≈ 82 ftVariation of distance samples from repeated measurements of a single point at 122,000 pts/s |
| Range noise — dark-grey, 10% reflectivity | 0.3 mm @ 10 m≈ 0.012 in @ ≈ 33 ft0.4 mm @ 25 m≈ 0.016 in @ ≈ 82 ftSame basis; some surfaces can lead to additional noise |
| Range noise — black, 2% reflectivity | 0.7 mm @ 10 m≈ 0.028 in @ ≈ 33 ft1.2 mm @ 25 m≈ 0.047 in @ ≈ 82 ftSame basis; seven times the white-target noise at 10 m |
Scanning
| Specification | Manufacturer value |
|---|---|
| Range — white, 90% reflectivity150 | 0.5 – 150 m≈ 1.6 – 492 ftThe 150’s headline range |
| Range — dark-grey, 10% reflectivity150 | 0.5 – 150 m≈ 1.6 – 492 ftMatches the white-target figure because 150 m is this model’s ceiling |
| Range — black, 2% reflectivity150 | 0.5 – 50 m≈ 1.6 – 164 ft |
| Max speed | Up to 2 MPts/secTwo million points per second. Not the rate at which the range-noise figures are measured |
| Unambiguity interval | 614 m up to 0.5 MPts/sec≈ 2,014 ft307 m at 1 MPts/sec≈ 1,007 ft153 m at 2 MPts/sec≈ 502 ft |
| Field of view | 300° vertical × 360° horizontal2 × 150° vertical; homogeneous point spacing is not guaranteed |
| Step size | 0.009° vertical and horizontal40,960 points on 360°. One step size, not a list of selectable scan resolutions |
| Max. scan speed | 97 Hz vertical |
| Laser class | Laser Class 1FARO cites no IEC standard for the class |
| Wavelength | 1553.5 nm |
| Beam divergence | 0.3 mrad (1/e) |
| Beam diameter at exit | 2.12 mm (1/e)≈ 0.083 in |
Imaging
| Specification | Manufacturer value |
|---|---|
| Color resolution | Up to 266 MPx colorBuilt up per scan by the integrated camera |
| Raw color resolution | 867 MPx"Raw" is FARO’s word: raw sensor data, not deliverable image resolution |
| HDR camera | 13 MPx — 2×, 3×, 5× bracketsPer FARO’s Knowledge Base the internal camera runs at 8 MPx in normal use; only the High Resolution setting uses 13 MPx |
| Parallax | Minimized due to co-axial design |
| PanoCam (optional; fitted on this scanner) | Ricoh Theta Z1 on a FARO PanoCam mount, item ACCS-0016; 23 MP (6720 × 3360) 360° imageFARO: it "expedites the scanning process by capturing colorized 360° photos in a second." Lower resolution than the scanner’s own stitched color, so it buys speed rather than image quality. Not IP rated and not recommended for wet environments. Required for Flash. Per FARO Knowledge Base |
Scan times
| Specification | Manufacturer value |
|---|---|
| Typical scan time, from start until the scanner can be moved | Gray scale < 1 minHDR color < 1:15color Flash scan < 30 sFARO states all three for its Accelerated profile with the PanoCam fitted, which this scanner has. The Flash figure additionally requires Hybrid Reality Capture: a PanoCam extension, firmware 7.2.1 or later, a FARO Sphere workspace and SCENE 2023 or later |
Registration & field checks
| Specification | Manufacturer value |
|---|---|
| On-site registration | FARO Stream app: real-time scan streaming, registration, overview map and FARO Sphere uploadThe app registers each scan after it is taken, by automatic top view and cloud-to-cloud matching. It does not track the scanner between setups. Per FARO Knowledge Base |
| On-site compensation | Creates current quality report and improves compensation automaticallyFARO recommends it if the unit is exposed to exceptional temperature or mechanical stress |
| Dual axis compensator | Levels each scan to an accuracy of 19″ within ±2°An additional feature, separate from the angular accuracy figure; the ±2° window belongs to this row only |
| Moving objects | Filtered in FARO SCENE by the Moving Objects Filter (SCENE 2019 and later)A processing-stage filter, not a scanner function. Per FARO Knowledge Base |
| Height sensor | An electronic barometer records height relative to a fixed point and adds it to a scanNo accuracy figure published |
| Compass | An electronic compass gives the scan an orientationFARO: ferromagnetic objects can disturb the earth’s magnetic field and lead to inaccurate measurements. No accuracy figure published |
| GNSS | Integrated GPS and GLONASSNo positional accuracy figure published |
| Inverse mounting | YesFARO publishes no inclination window for it |
| Calibration | Recommended annually |
| Rescanning of distant targets | Defined areas recaptured in higher resolution at a greater distance |
| Retake photos | Select individual photographs with unwanted objects and retake them |
| Digital hash function | Scans are cryptographically hashed and signed by the scannerFARO names no algorithm and no certification |
Field
| Specification | Manufacturer value |
|---|---|
| Ingress protection (IP) rating class | 54FARO prints the bare class number under this heading and cites no IEC standard. FARO publishes no wet-weather or rain-use claim for this scanner |
| Humidity | Non-condensingNo percentage range published |
| Operating temperature | +5 °C to +40 °C41 °F to 104 °F |
| Extended operating temperature | −10 °C to +55 °C14 °F to 131 °FNot available unqualified: the low end requires powering on with internal temperature at or above 15 °C (59 °F), and the high end requires FARO’s optional Thermal Cover. A later edition of the same brochure prints −20 °C, so this figure is the cited document’s |
| Storage temperature | −10 °C to +60 °C14 °F to 140 °F |
| Hot surfaces | FARO does not recommend scanning objects hotter than 500 °C932 °FResults above that are unpredictable; FARO states no reason. Per FARO Knowledge Base |
Physical & power
| Specification | Manufacturer value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 4.4 kg (including battery)≈ 9.7 lbFARO publishes no dry weight |
| Dimensions | 230 × 183 × 103 mm≈ 9.1 × 7.2 × 4.1 inFARO gives no axis labels |
| Power supply | 19 V external supply14.4 V internal battery |
| Typical power consumption | 19 W idle32 W scanning72 W charging |
| Typical battery operation time | About 4 hoursFARO publishes no cell count and no chemistry |
| Data storage | SATA 3.0 SSD 128 GB and SDXC V30 64 GB SD cardSD 3.0, UHS-I / SDXC / SDHC, max. 512 GB: that limit is the SD card’s, not the SSD’s |
| Scanner control | Touch screen and WLAN; FARO Stream app (iOS and Android) or a mobile browser with HTML5 |
| WLAN | IEEE 802.11 ac/a/b/g/n 2×2 MIMO, 2.4 and 5 GHzAs an access point, or as a client on an existing network |
| USB | USB 3 port |
Basis of accuracy figures
- FARO states all accuracy specifications as standard deviations, after warm-up and within the operating temperature range.
- FARO publishes no confidence level and no target reflectivity for its accuracy figures.
- Reflectivity is stated only for range and range noise: 90% (white), 10% (dark-grey) and 2% (black).
- Range noise is the variation of distance samples from repeated measurements of a single point at 122,000 pts/s; some surfaces can lead to additional noise.
- The accuracy figures are Focus Premium family figures, published once across FARO’s 350, 150 and 70 columns; only the range figures are specific to the 150.
Source
- FARO Focus Premium specification sheet, AEC English (PDF, FARO; "Revised: 5/10/2023")
- FARO Focus Premium specification sheet, Public Safety edition (PDF, FARO; "Revised: 5/24/2023"; cross-check)
- Technical Specification Sheet for the Focus Laser Scanner (FARO Knowledge Base)
- Laser Scanner Best Practices (FARO Knowledge Base)
- PanoCam Installation and Setup for the Focus Laser Scanner (FARO Knowledge Base)
- Setup and Usage of FARO Flash (FARO Knowledge Base)
Values checked against the published specification sheet on October 13, 2026. FARO prints no document number on it; its only version marker is “Revised: 5/10/2023”.
Specifications per FARO Technologies, Inc. published data; performance varies with site conditions.
Need to know if scan data fits your tolerances?
Send the facility type, approximate area, and the dimensions that matter most. The written proposal states the scope, the deliverables, and any separate verification.