The COVID-19 pandemic drove an urgent requirement for extra hospital capacity around the world. As global health services respond to the crisis, geospatial technology can play an important role in the expan- sion of hospital capacity. Here, David Fowkes, sales director of 3D mapping and monitoring specialist GeoSLAM, explores how rapid surveying from SLAM devices can help public health officials to as- sess the suitability of potential medical facilities. The UK is one of the most affected European countries by COVID-19. In its capital, the ExCel London, a 100,000 sq. m. event center was rapidly repurposed to create the 4,000 bed NHS Nightingale Hospi- tal, designed to increase intensive care unit (ICU) capacity with an additional six projects to create temporary hospitals planned across the country. A more extreme example of this can be found in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the virus. In January a 269,000 sq. ft. 1,000 bed hospital was built from scratch in just over a week, as authorities attempted to contain the virus’ spread. In such extraordinary circumstances this type of project goes from ambitious to absolutely critical. With added urgency combined with the importance of public safety, assessing the suitability for temporary or new hospitals is a major challenge for public health bodies. Building a case for rapid surveying When surveying potential hospital sites, teams on the ground need to be able to complete assessments quickly and safely, so accessibility and speed is more important than ever. Traditionally, public health of- ficials may have relied on hiring a surveying expert to operate a static scanner, taking time to set up and then map out the site. The unprecedented circumstances we face today, however, require a faster solution and this is where SLAM technology can come to the fore. First developed in the robotics industry, tools using SLAM are ca- pable of scanning indoors or other difficult-to-reach, enclosed spaces. Using information from sensors, normally LiDAR and imagery, digital 3D maps can then be created based on the location of the device, with- out the need for GPS. SLAM-enabled lightweight scanners, such as GeoSLAM’s ZEB- REVO or ZEB-HORIZON, can allow surveying teams to map and monitor sites on foot or with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Social distancing advice and travel restrictions increase the number of obstacles in the way of surveying projects. Ahandheld mobile mapping device using SLAM technology therefore comes into its own in these situations, as its "scan and go" capabilities mean that it does not require GPS and can be used without the need for training. RAPID SURVEYING COMES TO THE FORE IN A GLOBAL CRISIS By David Fowkes
Prioritizing worker safety In these challenging circumstances time is obviously hugely impor- tant, but staff safety is of far greater significance. The potentially catastrophic risks to individuals and communities if social distancing rules are not followed mean that limiting the exposure to vectors of the virus is critical. It goes without saying that, in a hospital setting, this requirement is non-negotiable. Using a terrestrial scanner, setting up the device every one or two meters, it could take a surveyor days or even weeks to scan a substantial building potentially exposing them and the people they encounter to infection. Using a handheld scanner, by comparison, offers rapid surveying, re- ducing data collection to minutes or hours and allowing the operator to walk through the building at a consistent pace and observe social distancing guidance. Rapid surveying in practice The GeoSLAM team recently worked with Microgeo operator Ven- timiglia Mattia for Tecnoin Naples, who was tasked with scanning a five-floor hospital building near Naples in order to capture data to cre- ate 3D models to assess floor plans and building measurements. Requiring a precise scan but delivered at speed, GeoSLAM’s ZEB- HORIZON was chosen as the scanning tool, given its ability to capture distant elements at a range of 100 meters. The device is able to capture 300,000 points per second, ticking the requirement for a rapid mobile scanning solution. All five floors of the hospital were scanned in under an hour, utiliz- ing the ZEB-HORIZON’s UAV capabilities and capturing data on
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csengineermag.com
november 2020
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