Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) has all the streets of the university city photographed with a special camera system. The resulting images make SWG's work much easier.
It's that time again: if the weather cooperates, the car with the unmissable camera construction on the roof and the striking red and white striped bonnet will be rolling through Giessen from Tuesday, 4 June. In this fourth run after 2012, 2015 and 2017, the aim is to take up-to-date 360-degree images of all the streets. The specialists from the Dutch company Cyclomedia were commissioned by Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG).
In principle, the images from the 360-degree camera are similar to those from Google Streetview. However, unlike the internet giant, Cyclomedia does not make the data freely available to everyone. On the contrary. Only a few people at SWG have access to the images that have been specially created for the company. And for good reason. After all, the panoramic views are a highly professional application that offers its users advantages in many areas. For example, the images that can be viewed on the monitor make work much more efficient. "Since we started using Cycloramas - as the company calls its special images - we have been able to save a lot of journeys and on-site inspections," explains Stefan Holl, who is responsible for the project at SWG. "For example, to provide us with an overview for setting up a construction site. Or to find an alternative location for a distribution box."
Now also in neighbouring municipalities
Unlike the citizens of Giessen, who may have already seen a Google or Cyclomedia vehicle in action, most people from the neighbouring communities have probably rarely come into contact with modern camera technology. But the chances of this happening will soon increase. Because: "Due to the positive experience in Giessen, we have decided to have the other towns in which we operate photographed as well," adds Stefan Holl. The 360-degree photographers will therefore begin their work in the neighbouring municipalities from mid-June. The Cyclomedia car will be travelling around Giessen until mid-July. The municipalities that are travelled through and photographed could also benefit from the informative images. "Good partners support each other," says Ina Weller, company spokesperson for SWG, describing the idea behind it. "If there is a need, those responsible in the town halls are welcome to contact us."
Much more possible
The savings effect of the panoramic images for SWG is already enormous - even though the energy experts are not yet utilising all the possibilities. The cameras developed by Cyclomedia specifically for this purpose, now in their tenth generation, deliver extremely detailed images. This allows them to be easily integrated into SWG's geographical information system (GIS). In this digital plan, SWG documents all its lines and systems - whether above or below ground. "But only in schematic form," Stefan Holl adds. Combined with the images, which depict the entire situation realistically and in detail, the engineers would have an even more powerful tool at their disposal. "It is not yet clear if and when we will merge the images with our GIS. But we have already laid the foundations for this," says Stefan Holl.
Privacy preserved
It goes without saying that Cyclomedia meticulously complies with all data protection regulations. Because the images are not freely accessible, facades do not have to be made unrecognisable - unlike with Google. However, the Dutch specialists pixelate faces and car licence plates as standard and with absolute reliability. The data is stored on servers that fulfil the highest security requirements.