Infrastructure Acquisition and 3D Virtual Integrati on
Gerd Hesina, Bernd Leitner, Stephan Mantler · 2009
1 ABSTRACT Large and widespread infrastructures today are most ly monitored from only a few centralized locations. In events of crisis or catastrophe, command and contro l staff members need a comprehensive and precise overview of a site, its surroundings, and any other information that may be available. This is especia lly important if complex situations arise and measures have to be taken on short notice in order to save l ives or to avert further damage. Numerous critical decision s have to be made within the first few minutes afte r a catastrophic event, including resource planning, se lection of access routes, and the evaluation of add itional risks and hazards. Otherwise, these vitally importa nt first minutes will be lost and never be made up for. A virtual model of a location, which is comparable to historic military sandbox games, but enriched wi th additional visualizations of all visible and invisi ble surrounding realities (ducts, conduits, roads, population density, and so on), including interaction with the model (e.g. taking measurements), allows command and control to immediately take the right measures in o rder to efficiently support and prepare all units e ven before reaching the site of accident or catastrophe . The virtual site model therefore helps to use the decisive first minutes following an incident and take the ri ght measures, to save lives in the best possible wa ys, and to avert harm from human beings as well as goods, or t o at least minimize them. In order to create such a virtual site model, it is necessary to acquire the necessary data, process i t for fast access and rendering, and to provide interactive re ndering methods for using the model in an emergency. This paper will showcase the creation of such a mod el based on very high resolution laser scan data fr om railroad infrastructure, on very high resolution ae rial images, and on GIS data. Finally, the interact ive use and rendering of such a model will be demonstrated, which serves as a basis for the visualization part of an emergency command system.