Team digitally documents historic battleship

Norcross, Ga. — Leica Geosystems, together with Haag 3D Solutions, LLC, has embarked on a volunteer effort to digitally document the nation’s largest battleship, the Battleship New Jersey, anchored in Camden, N.J. The project is being undertaken in preparation for the upcoming educational seminar and 150th meeting of the West Jersey Chapter of the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors, which will be held September 10th on the battleship.

Four scanning teams are using Leica ScanStation HDS 3D laser scanners to complete the project. An additional crew has been assigned to concentrate documentation efforts on the interior of the five-story number-two gun turret, which was only just recently opened to visitors. The highly accurate, high-definition point clouds will be processed using Leica Cyclone software, which will allow the teams to achieve efficient registration as well as to quickly extract relevant feature and coordinate information from the point cloud data. The teams will also be able to view and interact with point clouds using the free Leica TruView panoramic point cloud viewing software.

The results of the HDS documentation project will be used by the Battleship New Jersey Memorial Association as a historical record and for ongoing maintenance and educational purposes. There is also the potential to create a virtual tour for veterans and other individuals who might be unable to tour the physical battleship.

“We are very excited about this opportunity. Never before has the battleship been documented this accurately,” said Jack Willard, senior vice president of marketing and sales at the Battleship New Jersey. “Using this new technology will give us the opportunity to really showcase the number-two gun turret, with three-dimensional views and cross sections never before seen.”

Haag 3D Solutions, LLC, is a technology and services company specializing in the application of 3D imaging and BIM technologies delivering highly accurate and reliable as built documentation for both public and private sector clients. The firm, which has completed hundreds of 3D laser scanning and BIM assignments throughout North America, annually selects one non-profit historical structure to record and document visually for the public. Last year, the company digitally documented the Historic Barclay Farmstead located in Cherry Hill, NJ, using HDS laser scanning technology.

“Our firm is dedicated to reaching out and providing our technology and experience to the community we live in,” said Christopher Zmijewski, vice president of Haag 3D Solutions. “Having the Battleship New Jersey in our backyard provides a unique opportunity to completely scan the ship. We recognize how HDS documentation technology can be used to enhance future visitor and educational experiences, while documenting the ship as the engineering marvel she is.”

Leica Geosystems is providing additional HDS 3D laser scanners and technical assistance in support of the project. “For more than a decade, Leica Geosystems’ High Definition Survey scanners have been used to accurately capture the geometry of various large and compelling structures,” said Frank Lenik, technical sales representative for Leica Geosystems. “Leica Geosystems is pleased that our scanning solutions are being used to capture the historic Battleship New Jersey for the long-term benefit of the public and the ship’s custodians.”

The September 10 seminar will highlight technology advances that are revolutionizing the way transportation projects move from conception to completion. Attendees will learn how forward-thinking construction teams are applying state-of-the-art vertical alignment systems and monitoring solutions to keep bridge support structures plumb. They’ll discover how the latest generation of mobile LiDAR helps teams engineer more intelligent highways, and they’ll learn how an increasing number of projects are moving from 2D to 3D design through the empowering capabilities of leading-edge dedicated and integrated laser scanning solutions. Professionals will also get an overview of the current state of UAVs and how this innovative technology will aid transportation engineering projects in the future.

For more information about the educational seminar being held on the Battleship New Jersey, visit https://novalearningnetwork.com/battleship-nj-seminar.