AEC TECH NEWS: Leica Geosystems selects Bentleys Acute3D reality modeling software to enhance airborne imaging solutions

Exton, Pa. — Bentley Systems, Incorporated announced that Leica Geosystems will incorporate Bentley’s Acute3D reality modeling software into its advanced oblique airborne imaging solutions for both unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and piloted aircraft. Leica Geosystems, a provider of geospatial data acquisition and mapping products, selected Acute3D software to generate full 3D “reality mesh” representations from its airborne photogrammetric imagery. This combination of software and hardware advancements will enable users to take full advantage of integrated 3D surveying and mapping.

Through reality modeling, observations of existing conditions are processed into representations for contextual alignment – for instance, within design modeling and construction modeling environments, in addition to mapping. Rather than generating a voluminous cloud of discrete points, Acute3D produces a 3D reality mesh, readily aligning the real-world context in mapping and infrastructure applications.

“Acute3D’s breakthrough capabilities make it possible to now produce true 3D models, even in engineering formats, directly from digital photography, with unlimited scalability,” Styli Camateros, Bentley Systems senior vice president, said. “Doing so through Leica Geosystems’ new oblique imagery acquisition systems provides the market with a uniquely advantageous platform, precision-engineered from flight to model!”

John Welter, president, Geospatial Solutions Division, Leica Geosystems, said, “We strive to offer customers a highly integrated geospatial workflow solution, and with Bentley’s Acute3D technology, we are continuing to do that with intrinsic, reconstructed 3D models.”

Bentley Systems acquired France-based Acute3D in January 2015. Acute3D technology produces scalable 3D meshes from mere digital photographs to directly “contextualize” design modeling, construction modeling, and asset performance modeling for advancing infrastructure. With Acute3D technology and UAVs, surveying and inspection can become continuous.