Article Archive

An extensive archive of all articles published on GIM International

Developing the digital sub-surface model for Crossrail 2

Developing the digital sub-surface model for Crossrail 2

A 3D geological model has helped to save valuable time and millions of pounds for the Crossrail 2 railway project in London, UK, by identifying geological hazards along the route and informing the tun...

Using BIM data together with city models

Using BIM data together with city models

An increasing number of cities are creating 3D city models to support visualization and simulations in the urban planning process. The 3D city models are often extended with planned buildings. One way...

Mobile app to accelerate land administration in Indonesia

Mobile app to accelerate land administration in Indonesia

A mobile app has been developed to improve the success of cadastral survey implementation in Indonesia. The country has set itself ambitious land registration targets by 2025. The national cadastral s...

Digital models for planning and disaster management

Digital models for planning and disaster management

Due to the local region’s proneness to occasional wildfires, the Geomatics Division at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, has conducted research and project work around the theme of 3D reco...

How 3D modelling supports game-changing urban development

How 3D modelling supports game-changing urban development

Accurate digital representations of cities are game changers in urban development. By enabling virtual modelling and smart simulations, they allow decision-makers to explore, test and assess the measu...

Automated Mobile System for Mapping Mine Shafts

Automated Mobile System for Mapping Mine Shafts

Read about this automated mobile laser scanning system developed for mining. It facilitates fast and precise measurements to produce a 3D model of the mine shaft for further analysis. Mine shafts are ...

Digital twins: a comprehensive solution or hopeful vision?

Digital twins: a comprehensive solution or hopeful vision?

The concept of the digital twin has been gaining significant momentum in the geospatial domain since 2016. Although there is some consensus on the basic features of a digital twin, some critical refle...

SDG 11 as a ‘Glocal’ Framework

SDG 11 as a ‘Glocal’ Framework

In urban planning, there is a case for stronger connections between global and local (‘glocal’) issues, strategies and actions. How can the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) help local governme...

The Surveyor’s Need to Embrace Data Management

The Surveyor’s Need to Embrace Data Management

Read this interview with Topcon's Ulrich Hermanski for his views on the current status of the surveying profession, the key advances and the future role of surveyors. Since graduating in Geomatics Eng...

The Pitfalls of Working with Lidar

The Pitfalls of Working with Lidar

The arrival of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or ‘drones’) has democratized the Lidar market forever. Everyday projects can be flown easier and faster, and sensors are getting lighter, more accura...

Visualizing point clouds in game engines

Visualizing point clouds in game engines

How can the dense point clouds that originate from 3D mapping be turned into useful game engine scenes? This article considers issues including point classification and segmentation, geometric accurac...