1. Engineering | Architecture | Design-Build | Surveying | GeoSpatial Solutions
Tackling “Big Data”
February 24, 2015
Mobile LiDAR Transportation
Project Use Case

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Presenter Bio – Josh Beck
• Sr. Geomatics Consultant for the Geospatial Solutions
(GSS) team
• Geospatial professional since 1990 with experience in
solutions consulting; software consulting; technical
marketing and production workflow management.
• Employed by Merrick’s Geomatics team since March 2008.

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The New 3D Reality:
Leveraging Video Gaming Technology to
Address Geospatial Data Access Issues

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New 3D Data EXPECTATIONS!
 INSTANT access / navigation for all geospatial data assets (ex. LiDAR,
optically-derived 3D points), no matter the size of the model!
 Secret: Users don’t care how hard it is  get it done!
 DATA COMPRESSION – Geospatial data (points + pixels) need to be
stored / served in a compressed format to reduce data footprint
 Users require NO decompression lag!
 DATA DISTRIBUTION – Users assume that they will be able to see every
point / pixel in the delivered dataset; most users expect a spatial data
STREAM over a network or the Internet (just like the new Xbox One!)
 NO HARDWARE DEPENDENCY – Organizations & users do NOT like to
be reliant on expensive, high-end hardware

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3D / Geospatial Market Drivers
 Sensor hardware is improving faster than our ability to
manage, process, analyze & exploit remotely sensed data!
 Software improvements and technical innovation leveraging
photogrammetric techniques and automated terrain
extraction
 Variety of new sensor platforms is driving technical
innovation for efficient data visualization capabilities that
can support a wide variety of commercial applications
 Bottom Line: The geospatial community needs to leverage
innovative gaming technologies to support data visualization
and drive new applications

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Unlimited Detail (UD) Technology

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“Next-Gen” 3D Visualization Features
Complete 3D Data Freedom
 Fully immersive data rendering and navigation at video game speed  between 30 – 35
frames per second; no patience for ‘thinned’ data renderings
Real-time 3D Data Access
 Users demand instant access to full resolution data from a web browser or a thin client;
data access via local drive, network drive or Internet utilizing two revolutionary
techniques:
 Advanced 3D, octree-based spatial index
 Intelligent search algorithm to rapidly search and display just the data needed  at most, one
point per screen pixel for every display device
3D Data Management
 New, innovative rendering techniques allow users to manipulate the actual 3D data, not
just the derivative products (ex. DEMs, topo, etc.)
 No need to grid (interpolate) LiDAR data, which loses critical 3D information (ex.
intensity values, classification, etc.)
 No need to keep features separated by data types (ex. point cloud, vector, raster, etc.)

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Streaming LiDAR over the Internet
 3D models can be streamed over the Internet, providing
unlimited “multi-player” worldwide data access from a
single location!
 Thick client
 Web browser (plug-in not necessary)
 No need for multiple local storage points of 3D models if
the an Internet connection is available
 Centralized data access dramatically decreases data
storage requirements, hardware costs, and IT complexities
 Version Control - if changes to the data are made, updates
are applied directly to the source data

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Serving More Than Just LiDAR!!
3D Data
 RGB fused LiDAR
 3D Ortho – interpolated LiDAR at the resolution of imagery
 Colorized 3D point clouds derived from stereo pairs using dense
matching techniques (i.e. semi-global matching or multi-ray
photogrammetry)
 3D models from multi-angled oblique imagery
 More groundbreaking possibilities in the works
3D Models
 3D solid CAD models can be utilized for visualization with point cloud
data, vector information and imagery to provide a single rendering
interface

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Summary
“BIG (geospatial) DATA” easily accessible and
even portable!
Real-time 3D data rendering at full resolution /
detail is a default project requirement
Centralized spatial data repositories needed to
serve large, multi-player enterprises where data
access is paramount (ex. utilities NERC data)
Rip off the rearview mirror! Look forward for
technologies that can solve business challenges!!

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Contact Information
Merrick & Company  www.merrick.com
Geoverse Info  www.Merrick.com/Geoverse
Josh Beck - Sr. Geomatics Consultant
 E-mail: josh.beck@merrick.com
 Tel: (303) 353-3715
 Twitter: @Merrick_Geo