AyresView 360
Meanwhile , another geospatial tool is bringing the advantage of 360-degree imagery to better support key projects .
In one Wisconsin-based utility client ’ s world , getting “ boots on the ground ” at project sites and physically examining equipment and facilities is par for the course . Until recently , it wasn ’ t unusual to have teams of up to 20 driving to sites to review progress , take notes , and capture photos .
But how do you safely accomplish this important work during a global pandemic ? Like so much else these days , you go virtual .
Using 360-degree ground and aerial imagery , Ayres recently launched a virtual tour service that allows clients to “ see ” their project sites remotely and conduct business as usual , whenever possible .
“ The use of the 360-degree imagery at our company was borne out of the pandemic ,” said a senior land surveying specialist for the Wisconsinbased utility . “ As a company , we are adamant about getting people on the ground at these sites . Obviously , that ’ s not possible during a global pandemic , and we needed a tool to support those efforts . The 360-degree imagery that Ayres provides supported those efforts and helped our teams still be able to see our facilities .”
As a supplement to ongoing work , Ayres ’ surveyors , several of whom are FAA-certified UAS pilots , use a groundbased camera and a drone to provide a 360-degree view photo that can be shown in an online street-level viewer so that clients can document a site , document project progress over time , and go on a virtual walk-through .
One of the big things the imagery is being used for is what the client refers to as “ constructability reviews ,” a process where the project team reviews site conditions to determine if it ’ s suitable for construction . Multiple groups are looking at these images and try to come up with the best plan to access that location and complete the work .
The utility company has several projects in progress with Ayres that incorporate 360-degree imagery , one of those being a substation project in southeastern Wisconsin .
The substation project is located on almost 60 acres of land , and the work itself is quite labor-intensive . “ It ’ s very intensive survey ,” said the senior land surveying specialist . “ Every tool in the toolbox that Ayres has was applied to this project from imagery and 3D scanning to traditional surveying and UAS images . Everything was captured
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