Technology
GeoAutomation™ has developed a mobile-mapping system that enables the capture of efficient and accurate measurements that can be imported directly into GIS systems. To do this GeoAutomation™ uses a recording system, mounted on top of a vehicle or other platform.
The key to Geoautomation´s innovation lies in pixel recognition, a technology developed by the researchers of the University of Leuven, who joined forces with a Belgian surveying company to create this exciting new innovation. The process from capturing the images to processing and surveying from them consists of the following steps:
Select a technology below to learn more
On the road
Every project begins with the recording, using a GeoAutomation mapping vehicle. The vehicles are equipped with high accuracy cameras, specialist computers, powerful servers, a GPS system and a triggering system for recording the images. In 2011, we added the ability to drive/record at traffic speed, which enables us to record up to 500 kilometres per day.
Indoor/underground – The GeoAutomation portable system with reduced dimensions can easily be used indoors; the system is set up on another vehicle, while the technology stays the same. Cameras all around give you the possibility to view, measure and reconstruct your complete indoor infrastructure. We can also add extra cameras to give additional views. The portable system we use indoors is also very effective for mapping small alleyways, bike paths, and also for construction sites, venues and other places not accessible by car.
In 2011, we added the ability to drive/record at traffic speed, which enables us to record up to 500 kilometres per day.
Image capture
We use 14 2-megapixel cameras for each trigger position. This results in a stunning 28 megapixels every metre. With our camera constellation, the ground resolution of the images is better than 3 mm if close to the vehicle. Our high trigger frequency ensures that this ground resolution is achieved for every point on the street surface and its surroundings. At 5 metres from the cameras, resolution is still better than 4mm.
This frequency also ensures that every building can be viewed from multiple angles, even if buildings are located close to the road.
We use 14 2-megapixel cameras for each trigger position. This results in a stunning 28 megapixels every metre.
Image processing
The GeoAutomation™ system is unique because it is completely vision based. The high number of cameras and the high-trigger frequency gives us images with the amount of pixels needed to automatically build a point cloud and reconstruct a 3D environment around the vehicle. By doing this the system calculates the position and orientation of the vehicle, relative to its environment.
Our image based technology means every trigger moment is known within the 3D environment with a very high relative accuracy. Because the system is always 'inside' the 3D environment we achieve a very stable and consistent result. This eliminates the need for IMU.
Point Clouds and Wireframes
GeoAutomation technology transforms 2D digital images into 3D point clouds or wireframes, depending on your needs.
A point cloud is a set of vertices in a three-dimensional coordinate system. These vertices are usually defined by X, Y, and Z coordinates, and are typically intended to be representative of the external surface of an object.
A 3D wireframe is a geometric visual presentation of an object or area like a blue print, that represents the skeleton frame. Using a wire frame model allows visualization of the underlying design structure of a 3D model. GeoAutomation create wireframes by specifying each edge of a physical object where two mathematically continuous smooth surfaces meet, or by connecting an object's constituent vertices using straight lines or curves. Texture and design can be added on top of wireframes to create “life-like” appearance.
Point clouds and wireframes can be used for many purposes, including the creation of 3D models for measuring and surveying, urban planning, quality inspection, and many other visualization applications such as animation and rendering.
Because the system is always 'inside' the 3D environment we achieve a very stable and consistent result. This eliminates the need for IMU.
Geo-referencing
In addition to very high accuracy relative to the vehicles environment, GeoAutomation technology offers the highest absolute accuracy in the industry today. GeoAutomation links Ground Control Points (GCP) to the captured 3D environment and through advanced bundle adjustment, the system captures both the 3D environment as well as the geographic positions and orientations in the coordinate system of the GCPs. Coordinate systems can be either international (World Geodetic System) or national. The accuracy of our 3D reconstruction is also such that we can easily identify outliers in the GCP dataset, thus enhancing the accuracy of the final result.
As a result of our advanced system, GeoAutomation is totally independent of GPS during the data captation. However, a high accuracy GPS antenna is easily integrated with the system and can be used to compute geo-referenced solutions without GCPs where necessary.
Difficult roads - When relative positioning is completed using hardware devices like IMUs and odometers, the state of the road is very important for the resulting accuracy. Slippery roads, dirt tracks, bumpy or degraded roads are very detrimental for these devices. The GeoAutomation system is based on the images from the surroundings, the road condition therefore has no negative influence on our results.
In actual fact, a degraded road often gives a lot of recognizable points for our reconstruction software, which will only enhance the final result.
The GeoAutomation system is based on the images from the surroundings, the road condition therefore has no negative influence on our results.
Surveying & measuring
The high accurate calibration of each camera gives you the possibility to measure everything you see in the images with ease and precision.
The overlap between the images allows us to automate this job: the operator clicks the point he wants to measure in one image, and our software will track the same point in neighboring images to give you the resulting 3D coordinates automatically. Manually measuring is still possible, just as measuring in a horizontal or vertical plane like a building façade.
Relative accuracy (within the vehicles’ environment) is less than 1 cm, absolute accuracy (geographic positioning) is available at less than 2 cm.
GeotoMap Plug-in
The GeotoMap software is your perfect tool to explore the images. It integrates all the tools to view, navigate through the images, and take measurements directly on the images from within your existing GIS or CAD environment. The main features of the software include:
Drive and navigate through the images; move in all directions, switch cameras, etc. Your map environment will follow all your moves.
Get images for a certain location; select your location in your map environment, GeotoMap shows you the images for this location.
Project mapping data on the images. This is a perfect way to validate your current mapping data. By visualizing your data in the images, you can compare your map with the real world situation.
Measure in the images: measure distances, heights, surfaces, … directly in the images.
Collect new data: every point/object you see in the images can be measured. The resulting coordinates are sent automatically to your map, where they are added to your active layer or command.
For all data you collect, GeotoMap saves your measurement. In this way every mapped object is linked to its own images.
Currently, GeotoMap is linked to Microstation™, Autocad™, ArcGIS™, OpenJump
Relative accuracy (within the vehicles’ environment) is less than 1 cm, absolute accuracy (geographic positioning) is available at less than 2 cm.
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