TAS DEVELOPMENT TEAM NEWS

SnakeGrid Conversion of Positional Video and LAS Pointcloud
TAS Survey Processing offers full conversion facilities of the data, using the University College of London's SnakeGrid system to establish local grids for the CAD design modelling.

SnakeGrid (Local Coordinate Mapping )
Project: Engineering : Categories: Software - Non-medical
Interests: Infrastructure
Manager: Dr Steven Schooling
SnakeGrid® (Local Coordinate Mapping)
Available For: Licensing and collaborative development

​Summary
SnakeGrid®products provide innovative solution to a significant problem in engineering surveying, namely the design of a coordinate system that has minimal scale factor and height distortion even when projects extend for many hundreds of kilometres.
The Technology and its Advantages
SnakeGrid®, a registered trademark of UCL Business PLC, includes a range of bespoke and over the counter surveying solutions based on technologiesdevelopedin UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering Department.
SnakeGrid® products provide innovative solution to a significant problem in engineering surveying, namely the design of a coordinate system that has minimal scale factor and height distortion even when projects extend for many hundreds of kilometres.
When working on projects that extend a few kilometres, engineers and surveyors are accustomed to the concept of a local site grid that effectively makes a flat earth assumption. As projects grow beyond a few kilometres, however, it becomes necessary to introduce a projected coordinate system – and then all those working on the site have the problem of making scale factor corrections. If there is a significant height range across the project then there is the added problem of making reductions to sea level or any other standard reference height.
The SnakeGrid® solution provides a coordinate grid system that maintains a unity scale factor along a trend line that follows the project in and height. In this way, projects such as railways, highways and pipelines can extend for hundreds of kilometres can have a single seamless grid with a scale factor distortion less than a few parts per million along the whole project and for several kilometres on either side.
The SnakeGrid® family of products, a design service to produce the SnakeGrid®, software to transform between coordinate system and mapping of raster images and also provides the core SnakeGrid® functionality as a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) for integration into third party software.

Case study: Mobile laser surveys on Crossrail
​In preparation for Network Rail’s infrastructure improvements to the Crossrail route between Paddington and Reading, Track Access Services were engaged to acquire accurate 3D data using a rail mobile survey which was conducted using terrestrial laser scanning. The data collected supported the design stages for the Crossrail project, currently Europe’s largest construction project, and set to link London’s main employment centers, ease congestion, and improve connections to mainland Europe by 2019.
A geo-tagged 3D point cloud and synchronized HD video was collected using a Topcon IPS2 scanning rig mounted to the front of a standard locomotive, running at regular line speed. TAS SnakeGrid tools were then used for data conversions:

• TAS LAS Works v1 was used to make rapid conversions of the whole LAS pointclouds to SnakeGrid format using the XRail09 parameter file.
• TAS Video in Microstation Bentley add-in was used to convert the positional video frames for SnakeGrid using XRail09 to supply video into the Microstation models, allowing modelling teams to view the models in current track conditions.
• TAS Geotools has also been upgraded and enables various types of xyz positional conversions; using this we have just completed some signal positions conversion to support Network Rail at Derby.

For more information about TAS SnakeGrid tools please call TAS Support on 01763 261708.
Go to SnakeGrid's homepage:  http://snakegrid.org

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TAS ONLINE ROUTE ACCESS - Web Access to Railway Route Systems 

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TAS Online Interactive Driver Training
Designed for larger screen Tablets and PC's for Windows, MAC-IOS, Android, Ipad and Microsoft Surface equipment. Online Route learning material includes streaming video, moving map and signal video indexing. In addition the training may include signal graphics, route information and spoken commentary. Online streaming access ensures information is centrally maintained and is up to date. Access to the system requires a system login with user name and password plus an adequate Broadband or WiFi connection. For more details on gaining access to the system call 01763 261708.