DECEMBER 26--Iwane Laboratories (Tokyo, Japan) uses advanced computer graphics techniques to develop data-rich 3-D video geographical information systems (GISs). The company's Active Link Vision (ALV) solutions are used by organizations in land management and infrastructure and transportation industries, including the Japanese National Road Office of the Ministry of Land and Transport, which uses its camera vector image system to maintain more than 60% of its national roadways.
Traditional GIS systems collate information with geographic positions. For example, Internet map-based search tools typically collate addresses, business and service details, and routes and directions to build maps. The registration of high-precision aerial photography is also becoming common in these applications.
Video-based systems, a logical extension of traditional GIS systems, allow users to virtually travel along predefined routes associated with geographic locations. Using the Point Grey Ladybug2 camera, Iwane generates accurate 3-D environments that are collated with real-world positions. In addition to providing users with the flexibility to look in any direction, Iwane's Vector Image System also delivers the ability to do novel tasks such as simulating the effects of natural disasters such as flooding; taking accurate measurements, including the height or width of a building or the distance between two doors on the same block; and altering the environment by adding virtual objects or signs within the scene.
The Point Grey Ladybug2 spherical video camera provides high-resolution, 360° full-color video capture and compression. Iwane has converted the output from the Ladybug2 into a 3-D video map. Computer graphics add attribute details and create an accurate, highly interactive map of the target environment.
The Ladybug2 spherical video camera is used in many transportation applications, including systems designed to capture and monitor roadway activity, collect roadway information, control site access via license-plate recognition, and provide guidance systems for unmanned vehicles.