Technology Summary

This innovative technology uses augmented reality (AR) tools for imaging and mapping subsurface infrastructure. Digital 3-D information regarding the location and condition of subsurface urban infrastructure is emerging as a potential new paradigm for aiding in the assessment, construction, emergency response, management and planning for these vital assets.  AR tools provide a means of freely moving geophysical sensors, such as ground penetrating radars, while collecting data and then presenting 3-D data maps to users is tractable formats both on and off site.  

The innovation combines geophysical instruments, i.e. ground penetrating radars (GPRs) and acoustic pipe locators (APLs) with photogrammetric and AR tools to build 3-D subsurface infrastructure maps and then distribute them in a secure need to know basis.  The disruptions are the ability to move rapidly with geophysical instruments in freeform 3-D movements, guided with rapid AR and cognitive feedback, and to present the built maps in a multiuser AR format to personnel both on and off site. The AR tools allow for the collection, storage and retrieval of better information with better human user integration.

The unique technology in the integration of AR tools with geophysical instruments for both position localization and presentation of subsurface mapping information in tractable 3-D formats.