Conference highlights 3D imaging technology

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS — The 7th Annual SPAR 2010 Conference & Exhibition will be held Feb. 8-10, 2010, at The Woodlands Waterway Marriot Hotel & Conference Center in The Woodlands (Houston), Texas. The conference provides the latest information about applying 3D imaging technology to mitigate risk, boost efficiency, and improve safety.

Aimed at private-sector design, construction, and asset owner firms, as well as public-sector mapping, security planning, and criminal investigation organizations, SPAR 2010 offers many tracks from which to choose throughout the expanded six-day event, with pre- and post-conference activities. A civil infrastructure track includes scan to BIM; mobile surveying, scanning, and mapping; industrial planning; security planning and forensics; geotechnical and mining; and digital heritage preservation.

Conference planners claim attendees can achieve the following:
• Understand scan-to-BIM workflows for building and civil infrastructure projects, and learn how to better sequence and coordinate with BIM deliverables founded in 3D laser scanning.
• Reduce costs and risk from industrial renovation projects by updating scanning workflows. See demonstrations from leading experts on integrating scan data with piping, structural, and other design applications.
• Learn how laser scanning is going mainstream. Autodesk, Bentley, and ESRI are bringing point cloud functionality to their systems, and new point cloud processing software from others can speed up back-office processing and deliverable extraction.
• Acquire tips and strategies to become more productive with your existing hardware, software, and human capital.
• Hear about which mobile data capture solutions work, which firms are using it, and how to partner to shave weeks off survey schedules and increase safety, too.
• Learn all about building web portals to provide point cloud and survey data together with digital photographs and associated databases.
• Earn continuing education units (CEUs) that can be applied to renewing professional land surveying and civil engineering licenses.

In addition, on Saturday, Feb. 6, the American Society of Civil Engineers is offering an all-day workshop — Georeferencing with GPS. For early arrivers, registration is open from 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7. Monday, Feb. 8, is the official kick-off of SPAR 2010, with breakfast, welcome, and keynote speakers rounding out the morning. Several bootcamp-style workshops, such as 3D laser and mobile scanning, will be offered throughout the event. Other activities include various user group meetings; The Professional Piping Design review and exam; a Super Bowl Sunday reception; and exhibits by software, service, and product suppliers. On Thursday, Feb. 11, the final user group meetings conclude.

The SPAR 2010 conference is presented by Spar Point Research, which investigates and reports on 3D scanning, imaging, and position capture technologies used to improve the productivity, quality, safety, and risk profile of engineering, fabrication, construction, and manufacturing operations. On Dec. 8, 2009, Diversified Business Communications, a U.S.-based trade show, publishing, and e-media company headquartered in Portland, Maine, announced that it had acquired Spar Point Research, and that it would continue to support and grow the SPAR conference.

More information and registration details are available online at https://sparllc.com/spar2010.php.