Where is the line? Augmented perception of utilities with AR and GNSS

Author: Renata Barradas Gutiérrez

Efficiently distributing electricity and natural gas through a network of 10,794.6 kilometres of overhead lines and underground cables and more than 2,000 kilometres of natural gas pipeline systems is a colossal endeavour.Vorarlberger Energienetze GmbH(vorarlberg netz), is the electricity and natural gas network grid operator maintaining this network with a high level of supply reliability and excellent service quality in Vorarlberg, the westernmost state of Austria.

Beyond the extension of the network, some of the challenges the company faces are the terrain, with two thirds of the land area in mountainous regions, and not being able to visualise the lines, as 94% of the electricity cables are underground.

“Knowing the position of these lines plays an important role in ensuring an uninterruptible supply. What sounds simple in theory often leads to challenges in practice. After completion of construction, power cables and pipelines aren’t visible on the surface. And after some time, even the most experienced employees can no longer answer the question of ‘where is the line?’”explains Sebastian Drexel, GIS administrator and developer at vorarlberg netz. “这是对每行进行了调查并在公司的GI系统中进行集中保存的主要原因之一。到目前为止，自然界中的恢复线一直是特殊训练的员工执行的一项耗时的任务。”

Visualising utilities with survey-grade accuracy in 3D

为了使恢复线的任务更容易，Vorarlberg Netz使用了最新的增强现实（AR）和GNSS。AR技术将数字信息叠加在提供可行的信息以解决问题或特定任务的环境上。与GNS相结合，用户可以以调查级准确性可视化和定位实用程序。

Digitally visualising georeferenced utilities in 3D allows vorarlberg netz field staff to intuitively experience in real-time the underground supply infrastructure and enhance natural environments via smart devices. “我们的服务技术人员对通过增强现实的简单和直观可视化充满热情，” says Drexel.

vorarlberg netz used theLeica GG04 plus smart antennain combination withvGIS公用事业，专为市政当局和公用事业公司设计的ESRI ARCGIS的公用级AR系统。GG04 Plus Smart天线可以实时收集高准确的地理空间数据，即使在最苛刻的位置也无需移动数据连接。天线还与所有现有的莉卡·泽诺（Leica Zeno）手持式和各种Android，iOS或Windows®智能设备。

精确地将公用事业定位，团队使用GG04 PlusHxGN SmartNet, the world’s largest reference network, for open-standard correction service. The integration between vGIS and GG04 plus smart antenna enables access to NMEA metadata and survey-grade, few centimetre positioning. The vorarlberg netz team quickly and easily configured the GG04 plus GNSS smart antenna to be used with vGIS on a smartphone, tablet or Microsoft HoloLens.

“我们选择了Leica GG04加天线，因为它相对较低，小巧，方便，可以与移动设备结合使用。这些要点中的最后一个至关重要，因为AR软件在Android或iOS平板电脑或智能手机上运行，​​”explains Drexel. “The combination of vGIS and GG04 plus is recommended due to the simple setup, the connection to the mobile device, reliability and the high accuracy of the products compared to the competition.”

Applications and benefits of AR and georeferenced utilities

VGI与GNSS配对，允许用户通过地面实时“查看” GIS实用程序。这可以提高情境意识，帮助您更快地以更少的错误和安全的方式定位公用事业。Vorarlberg Netz目前正在试点阶段使用AR来开发专有技术，搜索，验证和介绍实际应用。目前，该公司从四个不同的应用程序中受益最多：

1. Inspection of supply routes for constructions or plant coverings and location of faults along lines.
2. Restoration of lines in nature before construction activities.
3. 不容易看到的资源的位置，例如被碎石或雪覆盖的关闭设备。
4. Coordination and clarification of construction activities to external companies.

Vorarlberg Netz还寻求将地理参考实用程序的可视化与3D模型相结合。电力和天然气网络网格操作员使用列卡地理系统的陆地激光扫描单元来捕获现有基础架构的点云数据，该数据可以进一步转换为BIM模型。这些信息将成为设施管理的基础，负责维护例如建筑物或变压器站。

“The use of modern BIM technologies in our company requires, in addition to the planning of new objects, the collection of inventory data using a laser scanner. In combination with 3D GIS data, this opens up new possibilities in the area of facility management and the visualisation of the digital twin with Augmented Reality,”says Andreas Mätzler, head of geoinformatics at vorarlberg netz.

Benefits of AR with GNSS for utilities include:

• Visualise GIS data in 3D on the fly to locate and find underground utilities.
• 更快地发现地面GIS数据位置问题，降低收集成本。
• 改善路线控制，以使人满为患，犯规和沿电缆路线的故障位置。
• Simplify stakeout of cables by surveyors.
• Search and locate resources and subterranean infrastructure that are not readily visible, such as shut-off devices covered by gravel or snow.
• Improve site coordination and clarification of grave work.

Providing multiple services to transport energy and natural gas

Despite the transport of electrical energy and natural gas from the feed-in points of the transmission network by vorarlberg netz, the parent companyillwerke vkw AG还可以进行一般技术调查，海床调查和工程测量工程，以进行隧道前进。对于这些努力，该公司还使用Leica Geosystems解决方案，包括：

• Tachymeters
• GNSS接收器
• 平整仪器
• 激光扫描仪

“We use Leica Geosystems products for surveying electric and gas lines as well as part of GIS services for external customers,”explains Marco Ess, head of grid- and geoinformation at vorarlberg netz.