Ordnance Survey has used StreetMapper 360 to help create an incredibly detailed and accurate 3D map of Bournemouth. The UK's national mapping agency captured every square metre of the town centre using a combination of land based laser scanning and aerial laser surveying. 3D Laser Mapping's StreetMapper 360 uses vehicle-mounted lasers offering a 360-degree field of view for high precision mapping to a range of 300 metres to 1cm accuracy. The Bournemouth 3D map was created from 700 million individual laser point measurements and could represent the future of mapping using laser scanning technology.
"Three-dimensional maps in themselves aren't new, but what we've achieved
in Bournemouth is a level of accuracy and detail that's never been done
before. This combination of technology, including the contribution from
StreetMapper, could change the way we map the country and also have a massive
impact on things like personal navigation, tourism, the planning processes and
town centre management as well as aiding architects and the emergency and
security services, " commented Glen Hart, Head of Research at Ordnance
Survey.
StreetMapper 360, which is a joint development between 3D Laser Mapping
and German guidance and navigation specialist IGI, has been specifically
designed for the rapid 3D mapping of highways, runways, railways,
infrastructure and buildings. Travelling at speeds of up to 70 kmph StreetMapper can
capture every detail along the highway corridor including barriers, gulleys,
overhead wires and building facades, helping surveyors to create highly
accurate 3D computer models for planning, maintenance and incident management.
"The inclusion of StreetMapper data within this project is a tremendous
accolade," commented Dr Graham Hunter, Managing Director of Nottingham based
3D Laser Mapping. "It reinforces StreetMapper's position at forefront of
mobile mapping and builds on the successes to date achieving sub centimetre
accurate measurements in real world projects around the globe."
Ordnance Survey already maintains the most widely used mapping in Britain,
OS MasterMap, through a combination of GPS ground survey and high-quality
aerial photography. It makes on average 5,000 changes a day to that
database, but it remains a two-dimensional representation. OS says that it will be continuing with trials to help perfect the technology, but detailed mapping in three dimensions could be a reality within the next five years.