Abstract: A computer-implemented method for visualizing sensor data in a three-dimensional virtual representation of a terrain that has multiple surface layers, the method comprising, in a computing device, receiving terrain data comprising information about the multiple surface layers, receiving at least one point cloud comprising a multitude of data points, each data point comprising three-dimensional coordinates in relation to the terrain and one or more sensor data values, performing a pre-processing procedure and visualizing the sensor data in at least a part of the virtual representation of the terrain, wherein the pre-processing procedure comprises generating a three-dimensional mesh as the virtual representation based on the terrain data, dividing the mesh into a multitude of tiles, each tile having at least three corners, each of the corners being shared with one or more neighbour tiles, calculating a projection direction for each tile corner, and calculating a projection direction for each tile.

Abstract: A method for real-time acquisition of point-cloud data of an ongoing scanning process, comprising a recording phase iteratively performed using an external-memory algorithm comprising an acquisition pipeline performed with parallel threads and an eviction pipeline, wherein a master thread comprises processing a master tree and a node cache, wherein the acquisition pipeline comprises continuously receiving the point-cloud data in input buffers, computing a local tree for each of a plurality of local threads, redistributing the point-cloud data onto local nodes, determining, for each local node whether the master tree comprises a corresponding node or not, either adding the point cloud data or creating the corresponding node in the master tree, wherein the eviction pipeline comprises evicting, during the ongoing scanning process, point cloud data from the node cache and writing it to one or more hard drives.

Abstract: A method may include providing geometry data and attribute information of the model in one or more data structures on a data storage device and performing a rendering process for providing a visualization of the model on the display for each of the multitude of viewpoints. The rendering process may include rendering a multitude of like 3D arrays in a single draw call, each array comprising at least eight voxels, removing voxels that are not to be visualized by folding vertices to a centre of the array, computing a distortion on a mapping from voxel space to attribute volume space in dependence on the removed voxels, assigning attributes to the voxels of the multitude of arrays using distorted values for retrieving attribute values from attribute volume space, the attributes being assigned to the remaining voxels according to the computed distortion, and visualizing the voxels of the multitude of arrays.

Abstract: A method for real-time presentation of information to an operator of a mining operation, the information relating to at least a first stone block to be removed from an exploitation site, the method comprising capturing with a camera a video stream of the mining operation of the first block, recognizing the first block in the video stream; extracting image data of the first block from the video stream; determining, based on the image data, at least one parameter of the first block, obtaining, based on the parameter, information related to the mining operation; and visualizing the video stream in real time to the operator on a display, the video stream comprising an image of the first block, wherein visualizing the video stream comprises using augmented reality techniques to visualize the image of the first block in an accentuated manner, and overlay the video stream with the information.

Abstract: A method may include providing geometry data and attribute information of the model in one or more data structures on a data storage device and performing a rendering process for providing a visualization of the model on the display for each of the multitude of viewpoints. The rendering process may include rendering a multitude of like 3D arrays in a single draw call, each array comprising at least eight voxels, removing voxels that are not to be visualized by folding vertices to a centre of the array, computing a distortion on a mapping from voxel space to attribute volume space in dependence on the removed voxels, assigning attributes to the voxels of the multitude of arrays using distorted values for retrieving attribute values from attribute volume space, the attributes being assigned to the remaining voxels according to the computed distortion, and visualizing the voxels of the multitude of arrays.

Abstract: A method for real-time visualization of a risk zone of a mining vehicle to a person on a mining worksite for augmenting the person's current view of the mining vehicle including capturing with a camera a stream of pictures corresponding at least partly to the person's field of view, recognizing at least one mining vehicle in the picture stream by means of image processing, extracting image data of the mining vehicle from the picture stream, calculating, based on the image data and on preset vehicle risk zone data, at least one risk zone of the mining vehicle adapted to the person's current view of the mining vehicle, and visualizing the risk zone on a person's display such that the person's current view of the mining vehicle is overlayed in real-time with the visualization of the risk zone.

Abstract: A method for real-time acquisition of point-cloud data of an ongoing scanning process, comprising a recording phase iteratively performed using an external-memory algorithm comprising an acquisition pipeline performed with parallel threads and an eviction pipeline, wherein a master thread comprises processing a master tree and a node cache, wherein the acquisition pipeline comprises continuously receiving the point-cloud data in input buffers, computing a local tree for each of a plurality of local threads, redistributing the point-cloud data onto local nodes, determining, for each local node whether the master tree comprises a corresponding node or not, either adding the point cloud data or creating the corresponding node in the master tree, wherein the eviction pipeline comprises evicting, during the ongoing scanning process, point cloud data from the node cache and writing it to one or more hard drives.

Abstract: A method for pre-processing point clouds comprising large amounts of point data. The method comprises converting the points' coordinates to Morton indices, sorting the Morton indices and sequentially determining intervals based on predefined criteria, which intervals define the leaf nodes and form the basis and starting point for the generation of a tree index structure comprising the leaf nodes, nodes, branches and nodes connecting the branches. Point data contained within a node or sub-trees of a node are quantizable.

Abstract: A method for real-time visualization of a risk zone of a mining vehicle to a person on a mining worksite for augmenting the person's current view of the mining vehicle including capturing with a camera a stream of pictures corresponding at least partly to the person's field of view, recognizing at least one mining vehicle in the picture stream by means of image processing, extracting image data of the mining vehicle from the picture stream, calculating, based on the image data and on preset vehicle risk zone data, at least one risk zone of the mining vehicle adapted to the person's current view of the mining vehicle, and visualizing the risk zone on a person's display such that the person's current view of the mining vehicle is overlayed in real-time with the visualization of the risk zone.

Abstract: A method for real-time visualization of a risk zone of a mining vehicle to a person on a mining worksite for augmenting the person's current view of the mining vehicle including capturing with a camera a stream of pictures corresponding at least partly to the person's field of view, recognizing at least one mining vehicle in the picture stream by means of image processing, extracting image data of the mining vehicle from the picture stream, calculating, based on the image data and on preset vehicle risk zone data, at least one risk zone of the mining vehicle adapted to the person's current view of the mining vehicle, and visualizing the risk zone on a person's display such that the person's current view of the mining vehicle is overlayed in real-time with the visualization of the risk zone.

Abstract: A method for pre-processing point clouds comprising large amounts of point data. The method comprises converting the points' coordinates to Morton indices, sorting the Morton indices and sequentially determining intervals based on predefined criteria, which intervals define the leaf nodes and form the basis and starting point for the generation of a tree index structure comprising the leaf nodes, nodes, branches and nodes connecting the branches. Point data contained within a node or sub-trees of a node are quantizable.

Abstract: A method for real-time visualization of a risk zone of a mining vehicle to a person on a mining worksite for augmenting the person's current view of the mining vehicle including capturing with a camera a stream of pictures corresponding at least partly to the person's field of view, recognizing at least one mining vehicle in the picture stream by means of image processing, extracting image data of the mining vehicle from the picture stream, calculating, based on the image data and on preset vehicle risk zone data, at least one risk zone of the mining vehicle adapted to the person's current view of the mining vehicle, and visualizing the risk zone on a person's display such that the person's current view of the mining vehicle is overlayed in real-time with the visualization of the risk zone.

Abstract: A method for real-time presentation of information to an operator of a mining operation, the information relating to at least a first stone block to be removed from an exploitation site, the method comprising capturing with a camera a video stream of the mining operation of the first block, recognizing the first block in the video stream; extracting image data of the first block from the video stream; determining, based on the image data, at least one parameter of the first block, obtaining, based on the parameter, information related to the mining operation; and visualizing the video stream in real time to the operator on a display, the video stream comprising an image of the first block, wherein visualizing the video stream comprises using augmented reality techniques to visualize the image of the first block in an accentuated manner, and overlay the video stream with the information.

Abstract: A method for visualizing deviations between nominal data and actual data of a three-dimensional object. The method includes providing deviation data for measurement points on the surface of the object comprising a deviation value describing a deviation between a nominal value and a measured value, selecting a subset of the multitude of measurement points, generating a two-dimensional surface model of the object, wherein the surface model comprises a multitude of pixels, the selected measurement points are positioned on the surface model according to their position on the object, and each pixel is assigned an index depending on the deviation value of the nearest selected measurement point, and visualizing a representation of at least a part the object to a user, thereby visualizing at least a part of the pixels, each pixel being assigned an optical code according to its index.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention pertain to a method for visualizing surface data and panorama image data in a three-dimensional scene. In some embodiments, the method may include providing a map view mode and a panorama view mode to a user. In some embodiments, the map view mode and/or the panorama view mode may include a multitude of surface tiles representing features of the three-dimensional surface, and may be referenced relative to a coordinate reference system. In some embodiments, the panorama image data may be associated with at least one panorama image and may include panorama position data describing a position relative to the coordinate reference system. In some embodiments, the map view mode may include visualizing surface data of at least a part of the representation of the three-dimensional surface as perceived from a map viewpoint.

Abstract: A method for visualizing deviations between nominal data and actual data of a three-dimensional object. The method includes providing deviation data for measurement points on the surface of the object comprising a deviation value describing a deviation between a nominal value and a measured value, selecting a subset of the multitude of measurement points, generating a two-dimensional surface model of the object, wherein the surface model comprises a multitude of pixels, the selected measurement points are positioned on the surface model according to their position on the object, and each pixel is assigned an index depending on the deviation value of the nearest selected measurement point, and visualizing a representation of at least a part the object to a user, thereby visualizing at least a part of the pixels, each pixel being assigned an optical code according to its index.

Abstract: A method for providing information representing physical features of a portion of a three-dimensional surface, the information including data files at different resolution levels. The data files are stored in a hierarchical file system. A hash value is computed from a file designator of a data file and is assigned to the data file. The data file is stored according to the assigned hash value in the file system. A request hash value is received from the external device, and a data file that has an assigned value corresponding to the request hash value is provided to the external device. A method for receiving such information is also provided, in which information including an information designator is requested. A request hash value is computed from the information designator and transmitted to the server. A data file that includes the requested information is received from the remote server.

Abstract: A method for providing a set of data files from a server computer to a mobile client device is disclosed according to at least one embodiment described herein. The method may include providing geometry data in a memory of the mobile client device, the geometry data being associated with a three-dimensional surface in an image scene; selecting data files with texture data for being provided by the server computer, wherein selecting data files is performed by a calculation unit of the mobile client device based on the geometry data and on visibility conditions of the three-dimensional surface in the image scene; and requesting the provision of the selected data files from the server computer to the client device. In some embodiments, the set of data files may include texture data being associated with a portion of the three-dimensional surface in the image scene.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention include a method for selecting a set of data files comprising surface data in a plurality of different detail levels for downloading from a server computer, the surface data being associated with a portion of a three-dimensional surface in an image scene, the data files being stored as nodes of a hierarchical file system characterized in that the selection process comprises assessing whether the portion of a three-dimensional surface is visible in an actual image scene. If it is not visible, the selection process is resumed with a sibling or an uncle node; if it is visible, the selection process continues with determining whether the surface data meets the criteria of a predefined resolution quality factor.

Abstract: A method for providing information representing physical features of a portion of a three-dimensional surface, the information including data files at different resolution levels. The data files are stored in a hierarchical file system. A hash value is computed from a file designator of a data file and is assigned to the data file. The data file is stored according to the assigned hash value in the file system. A request hash value is received from the external device, and a data file that has an assigned value corresponding to the request hash value is provided to the external device. A method for receiving such information is also provided, in which information including an information designator is requested. A request hash value is computed from the information designator and transmitted to the server. A data file that includes the requested information is received from the remote server.