Technology that sees underground

11 April 2001 News

The difficult task of finding underground pipes and cables in need of repair could be made easier by virtual-reality technology.

Engineers in the UK are working to produce novel equipment that uses the latest advances in satellite-based technology, combined with virtual-reality techniques to 'see' under the ground.

Called augmented reality (AR), the technology can use information stored in computers about what lies below ground, overlaying a graphic of this on to what the person can see on site. This person can see where many features are positioned, from water pipes to electricity cables and even areas of contaminated land.

The system is being developed by the School of Chemical Environmental and Mining Engineering (SchEME) and the Institute of Engineering Surveying and Space Geodesy at the University of Nottingham in the English Midlands.

For further information contact Professor Bryan Denby, tel: (0944) 115 951 4097, [email protected]

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