Panasonic (TYO:6752) has developed a portable 3D laser scanner that creates detailed maps of buildings simply by walking through them, Nikkei reported Thursday.

The device, called the @mapper, will go on sale in February at about 2 million yen through Panasonic Advanced Technologies. The company said it costs about a fifth of conventional systems and can map large spaces in a fraction of the time, with a range of up to 60 meters, according to the report.

Panasonic sees demand from factories seeking accurate digital layouts to support plant upgrades, automation and the use of autonomous robots, with potential applications also in preservation, tourism and entertainment, the report said.

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