AR maps, the "third eye" observing the reality and virtuality (Ⅰ)

As a new type of map that combines virtuality and reality, AR map is changing the way we understand and use geographic information. It can seamlessly integrate elements such as architecture, terrain, vegetation, maps, and multimedia into the real environment, providing users with richer, more realistic, and three-dimensional geographic information. AR maps can not only enhance the user's immersive experience, but also improve the practicality of the map. They provide a new perspective for the application of mobile GIS in construction and planning, environmental monitoring, traffic management, agricultural development, park operations and other fields, and bring more possibilities.

SuperMap continues to optimize AR maps in Mobile GIS products. The new version has been upgraded in terms of visualization methods, positioning methods, expression methods, map styles, etc., to enhance immersiveness, practicality, and provide better and more efficient services for AR + GIS applications in various industries.

More visualization patterns

The AR map panoramic visualization mode can map various two- and three-dimensional geographic information and multimedia elements into real scenes, enhancing the sense of reality and improving user experience. In the past, users could only view hidden facilities buried underground, on walls, and in ceilings from the surface, and could not go deep inside to observe the arrangement of facilities and the buried environment. In order to solve this problem, we adopted visualization based on the existing panoramic mode and added two modes: pothole and sliding, so that users can immersively view the hidden facilities buried underground from a richer range of directions and angles.

The pothole mode is to dig a hole with adjustable size on the ground, wall and other planes, allowing users to view the buried facilities inside the hole; the sliding mode is similar to the side-by-side map mode. Users can comparatively view the layout of real scenes and hidden facilities from horizontal and vertical directions.

Taking the pipeline inspection application as an example, the panoramic mode presents users with the buried distribution of all pipelines; the sliding mode provides a comparative view of the buried pipelines; the pothole mode can help users focus on viewing the distribution and the run of the pipelines in the hole, while also displaying type, color, humidity and other attribute information of the soil. By fixing the line of sight at a specific hole position, users can focus on observing the pipeline or valve at that location, making it easier to focus on the problematic pipelines.

Positioning methods with higher precision

Most mobile GIS applications are inseparable from positioning. Affected by signal quality and environmental factors, the positioning accuracy via traditional GNSS positioning method is unstable and sometimes has errors. This is especially obvious in application scenarios like pipeline inspections and construction stakeout that require high position accuracy. The new version of AR maps adopts two ways to improve positioning accuracy: first, access to high-precision RTK positioning hardware. It supports positioning equipment from multiple brands such as CHC Navigation and UniStrong; the second is the access to high-precision positioning services. It supports positioning services such as CHC Navigation and Tencent. Users can choose the appropriate method based on actual usage needs, thereby effectively enhancing positioning accuracy and updating location information in real-time. In addition, the new version of the AR map also adds a new AR two-point positioning method. Select two corresponding points on the map and the real scene to determine the location of the objects in the real scene. This method is suitable for placing small-volume objects such as bridges, buildings, and pipelines in the real scene. In the bridge acceptance project, the BIM-format bridge model is matched 1:1 to the real bridge position through two-point positioning, so as to compare the virtual and actual construction situation. Bridge information can be intuitively viewed, the bridge height can be measured, and acceptance issues can be reported in a timely manner.

To be continued...