3D laser scanning aids Isle of Man revitalising work

18/01/2012

A large-scale 3D surveying project has taken place in the capital of the Isle of Man, to aid with ambitious regeneration plans for the town.

A team of surveyors with advanced 3D laser scanners have collected millimetre-precise readings from around the town of Douglas. The measurements and readings will be used on regeneration projects, which could potentially include the relaying of the tracks and lines of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway.

Alan Donnelly, the assistant borough engineer at Douglas Borough Council, who led much of the surveying said that the 3D laser scanners allowed them to take a wide range of measurements in a very short space of time. He said they could collect “vast amounts of data in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional surveying techniques, and the data is accurate and easy to use.”

Other projects that could benefit from the scans and surveys include revising the seafront parking provisions, and enhancing the footpaths and roadways throughout the popular resort.

The use of the 3D laser surveying equipment meant that the work could be carried out in a matter of hours, without any real disruption to other road users and without requiring the surveyors to work beyond normal working hours.