New features at TROIA AR: Visualize GIS data with augmented reality (AR)  

Augmented reality saw its record growth in 2019. Support for AR is positioned to be strong, with big tech names like Microsoft, that introduced HoloLens 2 glasses, which you can also try at TROIA (scroll to the bottom of the page). As of May 2019, the installed user base for AR-supporting mobile devices reached 1.5 billion. Industry players in the augmented reality world expect 2020 to be a year marked by an uptick in the pace of industry growth.

One of the main advantages of using AR (augmented reality) can be used in companies, which maintain a vast network of underground and above-ground infrastructure and where GIS is a necessity and one of the core systems for operations support. 

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)  

Creating maps using geographic information systems (GIS) began in the 1960s. It formed the backbone of geographic science including spatial analysis and visualization. A geographic information system (GIS) is designed to capture, manipulate, store, analyze, and manage data. It is an extension of cartography — the science of making maps — and allows individuals to visualize, analyze, question, and interpret data. Interested parties can use GIS to understand relationships, trends, and patterns better.  

GIS data, on the one hand, stores spatial and geometry components and technical attributes of elements and on the other, plays an important role by ingesting, storing, processing, and analyzing geospatial information relevant to the operation of the enterprise.  

Standardized GIS spatial data unites interoperability with other IT systems. For example, GIS should be closely integrated with EAM, and together, the two systems make the core asset repository.  While GIS keeps all spatial data, EAM has all technical attributes and serves as inventory data.   

Where does TROIA AR Platform come in? 

The traditional approach for locating company assets relies on »flat« GIS data on printed or digital maps. Field workers must rely on static printed maps or digital maps and try to correctly position infrastructure in the environment. This process is time-consuming and prone to human error, especially with underground infrastructure. The combination of complexity and inaccessibility leads to the high cost of any infrastructure-related initiative. Additionally, the inability of field workers to directly see underground assets occasionally leads to excavation damages.   

 

 

There are five (5) applications developed within TROIA AR Platform, one of them being GISMANAGER. GISMANAGER addresses a need that most field and infrastructure service enterprises have. It brings the map into the world of the field workers. The solution integrates with the existing GIS system and gets spatial data from GIS. TROIA AR platform then serves this data to field workers through AR-enabled devices, such as tablets and smartglasses. 

GISMANAGER transforms traditional »flat« GIS data and overcomes the barriers of two-dimensional mapping technology, bringing GIS data into the three-dimensional world. It increases situational awareness, by letting field workers see the underground infrastructure around them in the most natural way. Additionally, TROIA's GISMANAGER provides a user-friendly interface that puts the power of geographic information system (GIS) data in the hands of field crews and company technicians. Greater situational awareness and a greater understanding of one’s surroundings lead to higher productivity, a reduction in human errors, and a safer work environment.  

New features of TROIA GISMANAGER: 

• Possibility to display underground utility shaft 
• Managing AR visualization distance 
• 3D lines/'pipes' visualization  
• Precise distance measurement between objects on the field 
• GPS signal accuracy 
• GPS number of satellites 
• 2D mini-map / orthophoto map with user position and layer visualization (for better on-field orientation) 
• GPS battery level information 

 

The effect of the ground on the airport runway.

 

Want to know more about TROIA AR? Why not see it in person? 

Get your DEMO presentation with HoloLens 2 now! 

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