Using 3D visualization techniques to construct a road inventory database

Abstract

<P>MODERN ROADS MAKE UP MOST OF THE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN CITIES, OF WHICH ROAD INVENTORY ELEMENTS FORM AN IMPORTANT CONSTITUENT. A NUMBER OF STUDIES HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ON THE CREATION OF ROAD INVENTORY DATABASES. HOWEVER, NOT MUCH EFFORT HAS BEEN DIRECTED TOWARDS VISUALIZING INVENTORY ELEMENTS IN A 3D ENVIRONMENT. GIS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE HAS TRADITIONALLY VIEWED THE LOCATION OF STREET INVENTORY ELEMENTS ON 2D MAPS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE FOR A ROAD DATABASE SYSTEM WHICH DEPICTS THE INVENTORY ELEMENTS IN A 3D ENVIRONMENT, PROVIDING THEIR POSITIONAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS. </P><P>THE RESEARCH TO REALIZE THE PROTOTYPE JUDICIOUSLY INTEGRATES RECENT ADVANCES IN DESKTOP PHOTOGRAMMETRIC SOFTWARE, VRML AND MULTIMEDIA GPS MAPPING TO CREATE A REALISTIC AND USER-FRIENDLY A??VISUAL DATABASEA??. THE ADVANTAGE OF THIS DATABASE IS THAT IT ENABLES THE VISUALIZATION OF 3D SCENES THAT FACILITATE VIEWING FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND EXPLORING MULTIPLE SITUA