Laser technology makes Bournemouth best mapped place on the planet (From Bournemouth Echo)

Laser technology makes Bournemouth best mapped place on the planet

8:10am Wednesday 14th October 2009 in

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BOURNEMOUTH has been recreated in incredible three-dimensional detail by the Ordnance Survey.

The Pier, Imax, BIC and lower gardens have been captured with the latest technology in a remarkable “first”.

The agency has used incredibly accurate lasers to create a spectacularly detailed map.

Experts say the technology could revolutionise the future of personal navigation, tourism and the planning process as well as aiding architects and the emergency and security services.

The map was created after three years of hard work, with every square metre of Bournemouth captured using a combination of land-based and aerial survey with high-accuracy lasers.

More than 700 million laser beams were sent out from Ordnance Survey vans and aircraft patrolling the town. These bounced back off hills, buildings and streets, providing precise geographical data about the terrain.

This information was then combined with the Ordnance Survey’s 2D maps of the town and overlaid with photos taken from the air to produce the realistic effect.

“Three-dimensional maps in themselves aren’t new, but what we’ve achieved in Bournemouth is a level of accuracy and detail that’s never been done before,” said Glen Hart, head of research at Ordnance Survey.

“Given the level of detail that we’ve achieved, I think Bournemouth can confidently lay claim to being the best mapped place on the planet.”

Ordnance Survey says that the results are substantially more accurate than the 3D maps available through online applications such as Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth, and will revolutionise the way it charts the British Isles.

The 3D mapping service will not be rolled to the rest of Britain for at least five years, while Ordnance Survey perfects the new method.

The maps could also help the emergency services by allowing them to visualise the scenes of serious incidents accurately.

The agency has also been in consultation with businesses that want to view buildings in 3D and calculate heat loss from individual floors and walls in order to improve energy efficiency and drive down carbon emissions.

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