3D Laser Scanning - Time to Invest?

Okay, I admit it, I'm an early adopter. As some of us have learned - the hard way - it's not necessarily the best character trait for the owner of a surveying and mapping business. Early adopters can take a lot of heat for their decisions to invest in the next breakthrough technology, and as surveyors we've had no shortage of opportunities. Recently I read that the surveying and mapping profession has perhaps been one of the most heavily impacted by advances in digital technology. I can't disagree. Looking back over nearly 40 years in the surveying and mapping business, it seems that I have always been attracted to the next technological breakthrough. Starting in the mid-70s with the HP handheld and desktop computers, EDMs, total stations, PCs, early CAD systems, GIS, GPS, data collectors, digital map data, satellite imagery, remote sensing, and now 3D laser scanning - it has been exciting to be directly involved in the early development and ramp-up of a number of these incredible technologies (see technology timeline).