A New Frontier in Disaster Recovery Mapping - Photographic Evidence to support Federal and State Government funding submissions
Disasters are an unavoidable reality that disrupt and threaten the lives of communities and put a strain public resources. For asset managers and public works engineers, the ability to deliver timely, accurate road condition data is vital for securing recovery funds after the damage created by Floods, Fires and Storm events. It is difficult to cover so much territory. There is an urgent need to ensure a safer way to capture a current "Street View" of Council Roads without putting people at risk with stop / start inspections.
Having a desktop view of the current state of your roads at your finger tips helps to assess damage safely and engage and induct stakeholders to coordinate recovery priorities and mitigate risks.
Used and enhanced by the RapidMap team, the Smart Pano 360° Mobile Mapping System has emerged as an essential asset for pre- and post-disaster mapping, offering a powerful solution for the efficient documentation and analysis of road and pathway conditions.
Smart Pano combines portability, precision, and ease of use. With a design compact enough to fit into a carry-on suitcase, the system can be deployed rapidly in affected areas, providing high-resolution, geospatially accurate imagery essential for assessment. By collecting data with centimeter-level accuracy and storing it securely on a protected, portable SSD, asset managers can generate comprehensive road condition reports without cumbersome equipment or complex procedures.
This technology supports asset engineers in capturing the true state of infrastructure before and after a disaster. The results facilitate clear, evidence-based applications for State and Federal Government recovery funding, meeting stringent documentation requirements and improving funding approval rates. Additionally, the ability to streamline data collection allows for faster decision-making, reduced manpower needs, and minimized safety risks for inspection teams in potentially hazardous conditions.
The session will showcase a disaster recovery project scenario where Smart Pano was deployed to map road corridors before and after a significant weather event. This real-world example will highlight the project objectives: swift deployment, comprehensive condition mapping, and efficient data processing. The session will also address the challenges of traditional data collection methods, such as resource intensity and delayed reporting, and how Smart Pano’s integrated, user-friendly system provides an effective solution.
The outcomes speak for themselves: safety, enhanced speed and accuracy in mapping infrastructure conditions, and increased chances of securing essential recovery funds. Ultimately, the community benefits through quicker road repairs, faster restoration of transportation networks, and more resilient infrastructure planning. And because the extent of damage is quantifyable and based on date, time and location based evidence, Asset and Emergency response managers can sleep knowing what is out there, and not guessing...