When does time matter in a drone mapping or inspection project? Well, you might say that all projects would benefit from a more time-efficient workflow.
However, there are situations where it REALLY matters, when actionable information is needed urgently, not the least for most Emergency Services. A good example is rescue operations after a landslide, which requires immediate understanding of the safety situation. This is supported by analyses of 3D models of the landslide, but what if the start of the operations is hampered by an inefficient 3D processing solution?
In other occasions, the information is not as critical as in rescue operations, but instant 3D information could lead to substantial savings in time and money. Analysing processed data when the drone is still in the air, or at least the drone pilot is still in the field, means that you can have remotely located experts in real-time contact with the pilot for adjustments of the flight path or data capture. It is the Geospatial equivalent of ‘Telemedicine’. Another example is when you benefit from checking the 3D quality already in the field, instead of finding out when you’re back in the office.
I-CONIC Vision develops Instant3D, software modules creating 3D models on-the-fly from video or stills. The technology is mostly based on traditional photogrammetry and computer vision, but with advanced mathematics special-made for GPU processing. It runs on inexpensive, standard computers with standard GPUs.
We are focusing on the real-time 3D processing modules, and we see them as a complement (not a competition) to existing video and image processing software packages. Or even for inclusion in ground stations used by drone pilots in the field. Contact us if you’re interested.
Real-time photogrammetry can also be used in a different way – when having video from two or several cameras pointing at the same area simultaneously, it is possible to create Live3D. This entails 3D models updated many times per second, which is very different from traditional static models. Live3D will be used to depict, or measure, an event rather than an area with fixed objects, and will give the Emergency Services, as well as the Entertainment industry new tools. Live3D is also being developed by I-CONIC, but that’s a subject for another post here.