Efficient mapping of Danish highways

The Danish Road Directorate (Vejdirektoratet) contracted Getmapping after a tendering process to survey the road state network. High-density terrestrial point cloud data and matching high-resolution panoramic imagery would be collected using the state-of-the-art Leica Pegasus:Two Mobile Mapping Ultimate equipment.

With more than 20 years experience in the capture and delivery of high-resolution aerial imagery, LiDAR, digital mapping and web-based services across Europe and Africa, Getmapping PLC is a leading global provider of geospatial data and survey solutions. Its goal is to facilitate the timely and cost-effective provision of geospatial data, creating digital replicas of the world. Getmapping collects, transforms, stores and delivers scalable geospatial data, mapping and modelling solutions to enable better decision making and to empower customers and partners to solve challenges businesses and the planet face.

Vejdirektoratet, or the Danish Road Directorate, is responsible for the national road network of Denmark, which comprises motorways, several main roads and many of the country’s bridges. Balancing mobility, the environment and road safety, it develops, plans and constructs Denmark’s infrastructure to create coherence for road users.

About the project

The goal of Vejdirektoratet was to scan the 11,000 kilometres of road networks across the country using the Leica Pegasus:Two Mobile Mapping Ultimate solution, enabling it to collect high-density terrestrial point cloud data and matching high resolution panoramic imagery.

“This is an exciting project for Getmapping. Denmark is a new market for us and expands our presence as the leading supplier of aerial and mobile mapping services across North-West Europe,” says Gavin Sullivan, deputy head of Europe at Getmapping.

Challenges

The mobile mapping project was one of the largest Getmapping had ever undertaken. In addition, it required extensive data processing and classification, including image anonymisation and four LiDAR classifications. Within six months of the contract award, Getmapping was scheduled to have delivered a fully processed data set of 3D laser point clouds and 360-degree photos to the Danish Road Directorate, covering all state roads and their immediate surroundings.

“The biggest challenge for this project was the tight deadline to capture, process and classify such a large amount of data in such a short amount of time: something that has never been done before! The project was made possible by identifying the duration and dependence of each task and dedicating adequate team management to each one of them,” says Alexandre Alves, European operations manager at Getmapping.

Despite the challenges, Getmapping delivered to the client’s expectations:

• Highly efficient data capture meant it only had to capture the data once to meet the project specifications.
• Hundreds of line kilometres captured per day ensured all mapping was completed within three months of the project start date.
• The mobile mapping data, including classifications was processed and delivered in phases, providing usable and relevant information for immediate analysis.
• The full data set was delivered within the six-month deadline.

Mobile Mapping Solution

Thanks to the Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate mobile mapping solution, Getmapping was able to use the laser scanners in combination with GNSS receivers, inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a distance measurement instrument (DMI), acquiring accurate and precise spatial data with cameras mounted on its vehicle.

The innovative mobile sensor platform captured the required point cloud and imaging data. The multisensor approach allowed Getmapping to increase its ROI by collecting more data in one pass, decreasing the time in the field and generating higher results with the same resources. The reality capture solution is completely vehicle-independent, making it a competent solution across multiple applications without limiting users to road and rail.

Getmapping only needed to capture the data once and surpassed the project specifications with respect to point density and expected data accuracy. The Pegasus:Two captured the full 360-degree spherical view imaging and LiDAR together, which meant that Getmapping did not have to return to a specific project site once the data had been captured.

By connecting the field and the office, Hexagon solutions enabled the Vejdirektoratet employees to carry out visual inspections from the safety of their office rather than amid hazardous conditions on site. By providing high-quality, easy-to-understand access to data, our solutions supported the customer's collaborative and consultative approach.

A view to the future

The Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate was the best option for the project. Because of this mobile mapping system, it took less time and was more cost effective than any other surveying method to achieve this level of detail and accuracy. The data also drove operational efficiencies, enabling the Vejdirektoratet employees to carry out visual inspections and measurements from the office, mitigating the health and safety risks of site visits. The new data will also allow the Vejdirektoratet to develop completely new methods and applications in a wide range of areas.

“Getmapping have a strong focus on collaboration. For projects like this, the benefits of this consultative approach went beyond the provision of best-of-breed technology, to how we collectively provided our customer with high quality business insights, effectively and efficiently,” says Helen Wattie, European sales manager at Getmapping.

Getmapping are now actively marketing for other bespoke survey opportunities using the Pegasus:Two, and this project showcases the extent of the surveying that it can provide.

It works with a rapidly increasing number of customers who are looking for a faster, safer and cost-effective alternative to traditional topographical survey techniques. Its mobile mapping solution is used in a variety of new and innovative ways, including highways planning, asset management, change monitoring, parking apps and 3D modelling.