Small Grants Project Chongqing 3D SDI in China - Update Report

The Chongqing Survey Institute received a cash award from the GSDI Small Grants Program in July for a project titled "Improving the Communication Channels of the Chongqing 3D SDI in China". The project progress report from October 2017 has been received and the final project report is to follow in April 2018. A brief synopsis of the work completed at the time of the Progress Report follows (extracted from the report). Download the Final Report (PDF).

Taking an active role in exploration, research and implementation of infrastructure, big data, and platform software in Smart City construction of Chongqing, Chongqing Survey Institute developed geospatial information service platforms and service centers of Smart Nanan, spatial information service and cloud computing platform of Smart Chongqing, space-ground integration real-time map system, management concept of Intelligent Community, three-dimensional geographic information system (3D GIS) for urban drainage and waterlogging prevention, development and application of assistance system of 3D digital waterway, forming a professional software support system.

The program is oriented to enterprises, universities, the community public and other personnel. Activities included online publicity of science popularization, virtual reality modeling contest, offline technical presentation of experts and interactive experience of geographic information products, etc., providing conditions for the public to know about Smart City, cutting-edge technologies of Smart City, participate in construction of Smart City and help the development of Smart City in Chongqing.

Summary of Project Completion

The project carried out a total of 15 activities (see below) - three activities on science popularization with special themes (publicity of the National Surveying and Mapping Law on 29 August, fantastic exhibition of future life and low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial photography), three activities on interactive experiences (virtual reality experience in the 3D demonstration hall of Chongqing Surveying and Mapping Institute, three-dimensional digital cities and VR interactive experience of space-ground integration real-time system, and visit experience of the smart city experience center in Nan’an District), eight expert technical exchanges and lectures (including exchanges out of Chongqing two times, communicating with government, enterprises and public institutions in Chongqing three times, lectures in universities one time and in communities two times). Also, the SDI Development Contest was held. A total of 56 people participated in the Contest with 35 modeling works. More than 1000 people from governments, enterprises, public institutions, communities, and universities benefited from the activity. The following is a summary of the main activities.

With a combination of online and offline activities, the project aimed to strengthen interaction of various groups, promote the public’s understanding of high-technology, advocate a scientific lifestyle and innovative entrepreneurship. Specific activities are as follows.

Online activities:

1) WeChat science popularization column
2) SDI Development Contest

Offline activities:

1) SDI Presentations
2) SDI Exhibitions
3) Awards of the 3D SDI Development Contest

After declaration work of the project was carried out, staff of Chongqing Survey Institute immediately conducted relevant research activities on contents of declaration and visited relevant units, enterprises and universities inside and outside Chongqing to grasp the current development status and the understanding of the various levels of people in 3D SDI field in China. Activities included:

3D SDI and Popularity Survey of 3D SDI and Smart City

1) Survey of peer units in other cities
2) Survey of relative units in Chongqing
3) Conclusion about surveys

Planning and Publicity for Science Popularization

Publicity forms were online and offline activities. Online activities utilized new media plus Internet technology to enable the public to access and understand construction of Smart City anytime and anywhere, including the push of WeChat public platforms, data online services, etc. Offline activities adopted live presentations, demonstrations, and interactions to allow the public to see, listen, and experience stereoscopic perceptions, including expert technical presentations and exhibitions of spatial information products (interactive experience and smart tourism).

Planning the SDI Development Contest

To ensure the effective implementation of the SDI Development Contest, the project team set up a modeling competition group and formulated a detailed activity plan after discussion, including contest rules, outcome evaluation indicators, and contest organization and arrangements.

Contest contents: The modeling themes can be indoor, outdoor and other virtual modelings of ancient architecture, modern architecture, natural landscape, etc. There are no restrictions on equipment, processing software and production methods. All materials can be used, such as text, pictures, videos, websites.

Launch of WeChat Science Popularization Platform

After being approved by Chongqing Survey Institute, the online publicity team applied for a WeChat official account according to online application process of the WeChat service account. Information on official account is as follows:

Name: Geo-King 3D Digital City Platform
Type: Service account
Application unit: Chongqing Survey Institute
Main contents: 3D SDI Science Popularization Information, Smart City Service, Geo-King 3D Digital City Platform Service.

According to the main push contents of the WeChat official platform, the Geo-King 3D Digital City Platform official account was divided into several sections, including Smart City, Smart Community, My Community and others.

Technical Presentations of Experts

1) Participate in exchange meeting in Guizhou

On August 4, experts of the project team went to Guizhou Province to conduct a seminar. Based on research and practice of indoor and outdoor spatial information modeling, BIM technology, and spatial information integration in recent years, experts gave detailed reports on research background of indoor and outdoor spatial information fusion and application in the big data era, indoor and outdoor three-dimensional spatial information collection, indoor and outdoor spatial information fusion, indoor and outdoor integration applications and prospects.

2) Participate in exchange meeting in Yinchuan

On August 17, experts of the project team went to Yinchuan, Ningxia Province to report and discuss the exploration and practice of surveying and mapping technology in the spatio-temporal big data age. Starting with how to survey a city, the report was delivered around surveying and mapping industry and spatio-temporal big data, surveying and mapping techniques exploration, smart application and practice in new situation.

Technical Presentations in Chongqing

Construction achievements presentations and technical exchanges were carried out in government departments, enterprises and public institutions. Relevant science popularization lectures on Smart City and Intelligent Community were conducted to:

1) communicate with related organizations of government departments
2) communicate with enterprises and public institutions
3) conduct lectures in communities
4) To conduct lectures in universities

Spatial Information Products Exhibition

Science popularization activities with special theme

This year was the first year that the Surveying and Mapping Law of the People’s Republic of China was carried out. With this opportunity, exhibition activities of the 2017 publicity day were held on Guanyinqiao Square on 29 August 2017. There were four exhibition areas, including display panel exhibition area, equipment capability of surveying and mapping exhibition area, experience area of surveying and mapping frontier, and service area of legal consultation. The subjects embrace three-dimensional digital city, fantastic exhibition of future life, low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial photography, etc.

1) Three-dimensional digital city - a three-dimensional digital city comics exhibition and its demonstration equipment were set up in the exhibition area. With the form of cartoon and dialogue, the comics exhibition presented the function of three-dimensional digital platform. The technicians offered on-site demonstrations and guided the public to personally operate it.

2) Fantastic exhibition of future life - with the platform of space-ground integration real-time system, fantastic exhibition of future life used the real-time map of sky, ground, indoor and outdoor as the carrier to display three-dimensional geographic information and social economic information from different perspectives. A fantastic and vivid world has been presented to the audience by three-dimensional advanced multimedia technology.

3) Low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial photography - technicians set up UAVs in the original unit base of No. 231, electrical measure village, and conducted demonstrations of on-site operation of UAVs, and presented achievements of flight images. In terms of surveying and mapping, planning, emergency monitoring and ecological protection of low-altitude UAV aerial photography, technicians have introduced them in detail.

Interactive experience of Smart City

The science popularization program carried out demonstrations and interactive experiences in the 3D demonstration hall, providing VR experience for the public with wearable devices, leading the public to visit the smart city experience center of Nan’an District.

The 3D demonstration hall - aAs a multifunctional demonstration hall of our institute, the 3D demonstration hall is equipped with circular-screen projection system, which providing the audio and visual environment of immersive virtual simulation. The demonstration hall has deployed Geo-King 3D digital city platform, Love Chongqing, public service platform of Chongqing’s geographic information, space-ground integration real-time map system, spatial information service cloud platform of Smart City and so on, which have provided conditions for the interactive experience. Here we have made demonstrations and interactive experience for government officials, staff from enterprises and public institutions, experts and scholars, students from universities and the public who came to our institute for exchanging, researching and visiting.

VR interactive experience - VR technology has been used in the three-dimensional digital city and space-ground integration real-time system. With the VR equipment, the public could see the roads, communities, parks, shopping malls and so on of Chongqing Proper as well as they could visit parks, go shopping and enjoy the night scene as if they themselves were on the street, which has attracted many people.

Smart City Experience Centers - the smart city experience center is located in Jiangnan New Town of Nan’an District, where the smart city’s perception of future life can be understood. Our institute is responsible for the design and construction of entity sand tables, three-dimensional digital sand tables and LED touch technology. Participants have been invited to visit the smart city experience center in Nan’an District after the end of signing up of the Smart City Virtual Modeling Contest.

SDI Development Contest

After the completion of the competition planning, the organizers of the competition modeling group formulated detailed rules for the contest, issued notices of the contest, opened the registration channel, conducted relevant training for the participants and organized the achievements after the deadline for the submission of works. The notice of holding SDI Development Contest was issued on July 11, which was sent to relevant universities to push it by WeChat public platform. The timeline was:

2 August 2017 - the list of participants was collected. There were 37 groups composed of 56 participants who are undergraduates and postgraduates from different universities, and modeling enthusiasts from different units.

8 August - participants were invited to our institute to be trained in standardized modeling. Technicians made a presentation on texture modeling, model naming and detail processing in the modeling as well as explained and demonstrated the open data and platform interface. Participants were led to visit the unit base and office environment after the training.

17 September - participants were contacted by email and telephone to be informed that modeling results should be submitted in time. All of the submitted modeling results were sorted out.

A total of 35 modeling works have been received as of the deadline for the submission of modeling results. With various production methods and exquisite appearance, the subjects of these modeling works are rich and colorful, embracing ancient and modern building modeling, road and bridge modeling, Buddha and other sculptures modeling, character modeling, live-action modeling and so on.

Download the full Final Report here (PDF 20 pages).


The GSDI Association wishes to congratulate the whole project team at Chongqing Survey Institute for the successful completion of this valuable project.