On a recent mobile mapping mission, KOREC employee Graham Beckford was lucky enough to pass not one, but two pre-historic jewels in England’s crown – Stonehenge and the Uffington White Horse.
Despite dull and grey conditions, there was no missing the new Professional Services vehicle as it drove up alongside the ancient stone circle – one of Europe’s most recognisable and oldest monuments built around 5,000 years ago.
Mounted on top of the car is the Trimble MX9, a LiDAR based mobile mapping solution which rapidly captures pointclouds and images for highway surveys. A mobile mapping device such as the MX9 can be driven at normal speeds to capture survey data without the disruption of road closures.
Inclement weather persisted for Graham’s mission as he passed from Wiltshire and into Oxfordshire, specifically the Vale of White Horse to photograph the 3,000 year old hill monument – just visible in the background of this photograph.
Have you been on any mobile mapping adventures recently? Why not submit your pictures to our monthly KOREC Photo Competition by emailing marketing@korecgroup.com.
If you’d like to find out more about mobile mapping, our professional services division or anything else do not hesitate to contact us.
How KOREC are powering a Guinness World Record breaking attempt
Ian Williams is a man on a mission. Over the weekend of 7-8th August, he’ll be attempting to smash the Guinness World Record for the furthest distance travelled in a go kart in 24 hours, at the Teesside Autodrome British 24hr Challenge.
The current record stands at 945 miles, while Ian hopes to smash through the 1,000 mile (1600km) barrier – as well as raising £15,000 for charity in the process.
So how do you go about planning such an exhausting mission? Well first things first, Ian (not to mention Guinness) needed to know the precise distance of the track to be driven – which is where KOREC come in.
Whilst the official track length is stated as 2.1km, Ian needed a precise measurement – both to satisfy the stringent demands of Guinness, and to pace his race.
Ian searched around local survey companies before he was advised that KOREC might be able to assist with obtaining an accurate track measurement. Never ones to shy away from a challenge, we immediately knew this was a job for the MX9 and the Professional Services team.
Flash forward to 1st July, and our team met with Ian trackside. It took a matter of minutes to drive the race-day circuit layout in the MX9 scanning vehicle, capturing millions of measurements of data points of both track position, and elevation.
The data was processed back in the office, producing a dense 3D point cloud of the circuit, allowing for a centre-line to be produced – which came in at 1.64km in distance – almost half a kilometre shorter than the stated distance.
0.5km may not seem much to you or me, but when you’re planning to drive over 1000 miles, it works out at an additional 214 laps of the circuit – knowledge that means the difference between success and failure.
As well as providing these crucial measurements, the Professional Services team have generated beautiful 3D visualisations of the circuit, which have been incorporated into Ian’s marketing video – a vital piece of promotion for his charity drive.
Ian is hoping that his record attempt will raise £5000 each for his three chosen charities – Shelter, Papyrus (prevention of young suicide) and the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.
So how is Ian gearing up over these final weeks for this massive challenge?
“I’ll be focussing on building up my stamina by taking part in track days. I’m also conditioning my neck muscles, as they’ll be coping with around 70 tonnes of pressure over the 24-hour period. I’ve also upped my water intake, ensuring I am well hydrated, and getting used to a liquid diet”
(Ian won’t be consuming food during the attempt)
Whilst this is a solo attempt, Ian is far from alone. Upwards of 100 other racers will be on the circuit, with Ian hoping his kart’s bright livery will help him stand out from the crowd. He’s also got the support of the Haase UK Kart team, who have learnt him the kart, and his very understanding partner Alyona!
All of us at KOREC wish Ian the very best of luck in his challenge!
If you’d like to support Ian’s chosen charities, you can do so via his Justgiving page; https://www.justgiving.com/team/British24hoursolo
Article Links
Teesside Autodrome – British 24hr Challenge
Guinness World Records – Current World Record
Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance
‘A’ road survey completed in safety, 20 times faster!
Out now, the July/August issue features a great story on how Anthony Lawton, Director at Academy Geomatics tackled a complex road survey using mobile mapping. KOREC Professional Services specialises in collecting and processing high quality data using the Trimble MX9 Mobile Mapping System.
or the full KOREC case study here
With 20 years of experience working with KOREC’s rail customers, our Rail and Monitoring Business Area Manager Matthew Lock, knows that one of the biggest drivers behind the take up of technology on rail projects is the need for productivity. Matthew uses this piece to run through the advantages that the different methods of scanning can bring:
I have been fortunate enough to work with rail customers for around 20 years now and one of their major focuses is on productivitybe it mobile or static, and at KOREC we are fortunate to be able to offer a variety of Trimble solutions, from the MX9 Mobile Mapping System and GEDO TMD to the TX8 3D Laser Scanner and SX10 Scanning Total Station.
The MX9 clearly offers huge productivity benefits as it can collect data at the maximum permissible railroad vehicle RV speed, or even potentially be train mounted. Using static scan data offers the highest levels of accuracy, but the GEDO Track Measuring Device using the optional Inertial Measurement Unit offers very high quality pointcloud data at walking pace, meaning 2,000 metres per hour is possible.
Collecting the data is great, but customer deliverables are key and this is where Trimble software, particularly Gedo Scan Office shine. Processing the data from the GEDO TMD is very efficient and there are a number of smart algorithms to help generate the information the customer needs, meaning the office work is as productive as the field work. The pointcloud can be used to automatically generate linear data like rail tracks, platforms and cable troughing by using the track detection and shape tracing tools, which analyse the pointcloud and fit the specified template through it.
The clearance around the railway can also be analysed in more detail using Gedo Scan Office. We can animate the path of a train along the track and can check if there are any areas of concern which become automatically highlighted. This algorithm can also take into account the 3D elements of the wagon if known, rather than using a simple cross-section to create a more accurate clearance model.
We also have the ability to create any rail vehicle as a custom wagon, perfect if you need to check a new piece of rolling stock or plant will fit on to your particular section of infrastructure – will it damage a bridge or tunnel and how is vegetation affecting rolling stock clearance?
The newest algorithm is the OLE detector tool which enables the overhead lines to be generated with the click of a mouse.
Within just a few minutes hundreds of metres of wires can be automatically generated and exported as 3D CAD lines. Not only that, but the heights and staggers (relationship between the wire and rail geometry) are also automatically generated as part of the detection process and can then be exported as text files or spreadsheets.
All this functionality is focused on letting our rail customers deliver the data their clients need as efficiently as possible. Best of all, data from the MX9, GEDO TMD, TX8 and SX10 can all be integrated into Gedo Scan Office, so you an gain the functionality you need from the best hardware for the job.
It’s been a busy first half of the year for KOREC and so much has happened that we’ve published an extra issue of Mensura this year. Welcome to the July newsletter!
Key topics include:
Case study – ‘Business in a box’
KOREC support – why we’ve upped the game
Introducing our new Trimble MX9 Mobile Mapping system (right)
Product news – the TSC7
…and much much more.
If you’d like to regularly receive a hard copy of Mensura in the post, then please sign up here.
Combining high-quality performance, simple installation and easy operation.
KOREC, Trimble’s leading distributor in the UK and Ireland, has taken delivery of Trimble’s ‘New Generation’ MX9 Mobile Mapping System.
The MX9 will be available to KOREC customers either through purchase or as KOREC’s preferred system for undertaking large-scale scanning and mapping surveys on behalf of its clients through its services company, Professional Services (KPS).
The Trimble MX9 is a complete field-to-finish mobile mapping solution and has been developed to deliver survey-grade data and detail in an easy to use and install design.
Performance
The MX9 combines a vehicle-mounted mobile lidar system, multi-camera imaging and field software for efficient, precise and high-volume data capture, delivering up to 500scans/second. The end result is data of unrivalled accuracy, density and repeatability.
Ease of Use
The system weighs just 37kg and can be easily mounted on a range of vehicles in less than 12 minutes. Operation is through intuitive browser-based field software, accessible via most tablets or any notebook.
As a Service
KOREC Professional Services means every company can offer their clients mobile mapping surveys without a large capital outlay and staff training. Specialising in tailor-made mapping surveys for a wide range of applications including topographic, engineering, and asset management surveys for whole city centres and boroughs or smaller projects, KPS combines expertise with the highest quality of mobile mapping data achievable.
Mark Reid, Professional Services Director said, “Our aim is to expand our customer’s business by offering clients mobile mapping surveys, and all their benefits, without the need for a hefty capital outlay or training costs. KOREC’s acquisition of the MX9 means that we are equipped to offer the very best in precise, high-volume data capture, faster than ever before.”
Alan Browne, KOREC CEO said, “As a company that has already invested heavily in mobile mapping systems, the purchase of a Trimble MX9 was an easy decision to make because simply it places KOREC and K-SERVICES customers, at the cutting edge of mobile mapping technology – the potential is tremendous.”
For a sample dataset or to discuss a Professional Services project, please contact Mark Reid, KOREC Professional Services Director on 07423628529 or by email at mark.reid@korecgroup.com
For sales enquiries, please contact your regional KOREC sales consultant.
ENDS
