The work of the construction crews from Deutsche Telekom can be viewed comfortably, even after the trench has been filled in again. This was explained by Telekom technician Anatoli Kuschnir on July 14, 2023 during a background discussion at the group’s headquarters in Bonn. An iPhone 14 Pro and a GPS amplifier (GNSS module) are used to record newly laid speed pipes with centimeter accuracy using the Geoace surveying software.
On the construction site, workers film the dug trench and the speedpipe with their iPhones. Created the Geoace app measurement data, which the iPhone converts into a three-dimensional view. Unwieldy surveying equipment is no longer needed, Kuschnir said. The equipment fits in a small suitcase.
Software from Thuringia
The Geoace app was not developed by Telekom, but by the Thuringian company ITS Geo Solutions. iPhone 14 Pro includes a geospatial lidar sensor that enables automatic surveying while filming the construction site. The GNSS module is not absolutely necessary for the actual measurement, but it provides even more precise data, explained Telekom.
GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite System, which uses satellites for positioning and navigation.
Kushnir said: “We get the GPS coordinates with an accuracy of four centimeters. That’s quite good. We see a 3D modulation of the ditch. We see what’s built into the ditch, how deep and how wide it is. That’s the most important data, that you need as a construction supervisor.”
The ditch on the screen can be zoomed, rotated and measured on the computer in the same way as a 3D file before printing.