The Future is in Our Hands

e-Capture Research and Development S.L. is a technology-based company located in Merida (Badajoz), Spain. e-Capture creates image-based products which allow users to perform accurate measurements on portable devices. One of the company’s focal points is to democratise the survey industry and make things easier for non-professionals.

e-Capture is a private company founded in April 2012 by engineer Pedro Ortiz Coder who was inspired by photogrammetry research conducted during his studies. Six out of seven of the other partners within e-Capture are professional surveyors with more than 10 years’ experience in the sector.

e-Capture began its research and development work financed only by its own funds, until in the summer of 2013 it received support in the form of public funds from an European tender (FEDER-INNTERCONECTA). That tender required cooperation with other two companies and the investment of EUR1.5 million in order to receive a non-repayable grant of EUR800,000. In the shareholders' agreement, the other two companies involved in the project (Solventia and Toponova) both agreed to give e-Capture ownership of the developed technology.

Innovative technological projects

e-Capture comprises 8 engineers plus other research groups which actively collaborate to create new technology and products in order to recoup their investment. The company is currently working in two projects based on the technology created: EyesMap and EyesCar.

The main product, EyesMap, is a tablet-based instrument which performs real-time measurements and is also a 3D dense model generator. EyesMap enables calculation of coordinates, areas and surfaces of all kinds of objects and environments. The instrument is portable and allows the movement, location, modelling and utilisation of augmented reality visualisation in redefinition and alignment in the space of multiple elements. The measurement instrument takes shape through a powerful tablet with two integrated cameras as well as a depth sensor, an inertial system, a GPS-GNSS and other devices. A functional prototype is currently being validated and EyesMap is expected to go on sale to the general public in March/April 2015.

The second project, EyesCar, is very closely related to EyesMap as it uses some of the same technology. The aim is to develop the first mobile mapping system based on advanced photogrammetry. Its technology validation has been completed and, as a pilot project, EyesCar has produced impressive results but it now requires investment to complete its development. Private and public funding is currently being raised for the creation of a prototype.

As a small company, e-Capture benefits from the deep involvement of all its engineers and employees in its projects. e-Capture is a modern company which prides itself in taking special care of its members to ensure a productive working atmosphere.

International scope

e-Capture already has a strong basis for its international sales activities, since many dealers from all over the world have been in contact with the company to express their interest in EyesMap. For now, the main focus of the sales department is to create a dense network of dealers to promote and sell EyesMap in 2015.

Wide-ranging applications

However, EyesMap has not only attracted interest from dealers in the geomatics sector; one of the most attractive aspects of the EyesMap concept is that it can be used for many different kinds of applications including security (police/forensics, accident reconstruction), medical (rehabilitation, dermatology), art restoration, forest engineers, biology and many others. Hence, regular use of EyesMap is not only limited to surveyors, architects and archaeologists, which is why e-Capture has been forced to extend its market to include new dealers and commercial fields.

View of the future

A new generation of mobile measurement systems is coming. EyesMap is an open system available for software and hardware developers through the EyesMap store. New algorithms can be trialled, and the system can be improved using new software for multiple potential applications. New capture sensors can be another part of such portable systems. All software can be managed, in this case, from Windows SO using a powerful tablet, and the 3D modelling or measurements can be created and sent immediately to others teams of engineers via 3G/4G or Wi-Fi.

EyesMap combines communication with measurement, and at e-Capture they believe that these kind of smart devices will be an indispensable part of the future. Compact and accurate capture devices are embedded in the company’s future vision. In order for such small devices to be used in big projects, and if all the measurements need to be done in near real time, cloud computing will be essential. For 2015, the R&D department’s main objective is to integrate new sensors and to generate powerful new algorithms to improve the accuracies and capacities of EyesMap. For the company as a whole, the key target in the months ahead is to successfully launch EyesMap and, subsequently, EyesCar, and to establish a high-quality network of dealers and customers.