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Introduction to Asset Visualisation &

Information System (AVIS)

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Agenda:
• Background
• Introduction to AVIS
• AVIS Versions
• Use of AVIS on Highway Projects
• Dataset Collection
• Law related to use of AVIS data
• User Interface
• Use of various packages in AVIS tool via live demo
• How to get the Credentials of AVIS tool

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Background
• Since 2013, AIG have procured numerous surveys under its Asset Data Capture (ADC) contract to support Highways England’s
business requirements.
 
• Typically, the surveys encompass a form of remote sensor capture, enabling features to be visualised, measured and/or extracted
into the businesses data repositories.
 
• The initial requirement was centric to capturing the surface visible assets using terrestrial based imagery and LiDAR techniques
known as Mobile Mapping to aid in the modelling and measuring of the assets including structures.
 
• Subsequent surveys have included the use of innovative new technologies (e.g. higher resolution imagery collection).

• Additionally, aerial based imagery and LiDAR techniques have been adopted to support other business needs.

• The information collected from the ADC surveys needed to be stored and made available for business use. The data was made
accessible through AVIS.

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Introduction to AVIS
AVIS is an easy to use, intuitive application providing easy access to ‘surface visible’ asset data. It supports the delivery of the Companies
Imperatives, Licence Requirements, RIS and the Informed Asset Management Plan. AVIS provides access to asset data which the company
and its supply chain can use to inform investment decisions.

Safety through easy access to ‘surface visible’ data for asset management purposes, enabling users to quickly access and use imagery and
LiDAR of the whole strategic road network and inventory on ADMM asset types. This access reduces or replaces site visits with AVIS’s ability
to visualise and measure assets with accuracy, precision, and flexibility from the desktop.

Customer service by reducing the need for traffic management through reduced site visits thus reducing congestion and improving road user
experience.

RIS delivery by enabling efficiencies through reduced site visits, traffic management and congestion as well as increased capability for the
business to carry out informed and intelligent asset management; making informed decisions from the desktop.

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AVIS Versions

Imagery GUI Redesign GUI Redesign

Inventory Functional Separation Historical Imagery Viewer
Map User Specific Access Image Annotation

AVIS V3 - 2019
AVIS V1 - 2015

AVIS V2 - 2017
3D Data Additional Map Layers Image/Video Downloading
Training Workshops Basic Historical Image View Prime Datasets Incorporated
Data Query Tools Gazetteer Datasets Introduced
LiDAR Classification Data Update Schedule Published
eLearning Introduced Advanced 3D Viewer
Specialist Training Workshops Aerial Imagery Introduced
Aerial LiDAR Introduced
Colourised Ground/Aerial LiDAR
eLearning Simplified
Specialist Training Workshops
AVIS Ambassadors Introduced

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Use of AVIS on Highway Projects

AVIS is primarily a safety critical tool designed to help keep people off the network. With full visualisation of the HE network; the system
allows users to:

View in detail any part of the strategic road network through twice annually Asset Delivery (AD) and annually Asset Support Contract’s (ASC)
collected high-definition images to view with confidence what exists on our network, reducing the need for site visits
Virtually ‘drive’ any part of the strategic road network by running videos taken from various forward and rear facing viewpoints on a moving
vehicle, and to view the asset from a driver's viewpoint
Make accurate measurements of network infrastructure in order to check things like bridge clearances, sign dimensions, gantry heights and
lane widths using LiDAR in a 3D viewing environment without the need for traffic management and risking road workers safety
View assets on a map of any route, drill down to any location and query data for any of the ADMM surface visible asset types currently
loaded into AVIS. This will enable users to find out exactly where assets are located, to determine their type and cost of Traffic Management
required for any maintenance activity
Quantify numbers and lengths of assets to answer questions like how many lighting points are in Area 12, or how many kilometres of
concrete safety barrier are there in the East Region?
Reduce the need for site visits using imagery in six monthly long stop condition surveys that traditionally required walk-along surveys of the
network, again removing the danger of site visits

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Dataset Collection
ADC Imagery
The survey vehicles record images from the four cameras every two metres.
 
To ensure the image quality meets the high standard expected, the survey captures all imagery during daylight hours to minimise the effects of low sun.
Following prolonged periods of precipitation, capture recommences when the road surface is free from standing water to avoid spray.
 
Due to inclement weather, December and January are omitted from the programme. During the remaining winter months, the imagery quality can
occasionally be a lower quality due to sun glare, however, this is minimised by the camera systems used and the programme of works that is in place.

ADC LiDAR
Capture of all LIDAR data is done during night time hours to minimise occlusion from passing traffic. No data is captured during periods of inclement
weather.
 
When collecting LiDAR data, the survey vehicles record in lane 2 for dual carriageway and motorway mainline sections, associated slip roads and inner lane
for roundabouts. The point cloud is used to make a 3D picture of everything the vehicle passes. LiDAR point clouds are currently spatially accurate to 30mm,
with measurements of objects accurate to 10mm.
 
Throughout 2015 and 2016 control markers were added to many of the structures on the road network. With the addition of these markers, the spatial
accuracy can be adjusted to 10mm. With this, accurate 3D models of the surveyed area can be created.

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Law for Data Privacy

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on May 25, 2018 and was designed to modernise laws that protect the
personal information of individuals.
 
GDPR comes with significantly higher penalties to the DPA (Data Protection Act 1998).
 
Minor infringements - Penalties of up to €10m or 2% of global turnover (whichever is greater)
Serious infringements, including failure to implement Data Protection by Design – Penalties of up to €20m or 4% of global turnover
(whichever is greater)
 
AVIS contains personal data, in this instance numberplates and faces are classed as personal data. To ensure proper use of the data you need
to know what GDPR means for you. You are responsible for protecting the imagery that you have access to.
 
It is also important to be aware of the Computer Misuse Act (1990) so don’t share accounts, licences are concurrent and user accounts are
readily available from AVIS System Support.
 
To share logins is Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) theft, it’s against the law.

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User Interface of AVIS

A · V · I · S Dashboard (avisviewer.com)

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AVIS is a system that allows users to access information relevant to them through a number of ‘packages’

User Interface
(widgets/modules).
 
• The first time you log onto the system none of the packages will be displayed.
• You can add packages to the dashboard using the package controller, open packages are highlighted in
blue, those switched off are black. 
• When you open a package, the dashboard will move and focus on it.
• Some of the packages expand as data is loaded into them. For example, measurements appear at the
bottom of the 3D Viewer package and the Asset Query Builder will expand as you go into more detail.
• Packages can also be moved around the dashboard by clicking and moving them, they can also be
made full screen and can be closed when not in use.
• The main page can be scrolled up and down. However, scrolling can also be done inside the individual
packages.
• Not all packages are available to all users and are based on your user profile and training.  

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The Navigator package allows users to navigate to and view a specific location in the Map
Viewer and Camera Images packages.
 
• Start of Survey; loads the imagery from the start of the route, this normally includes a
few hundred metres before
• Start of Section; will load the imagery from the start of this Section reference
• Search by Section; allows the user to type in the section reference
• Coordinates; enter the easting (x) and northing (y)
• Tagged coordinates; user can tag a location to come back to later
• Survey Object; the user can search for a group of objects/assets by using basic drop
down, e.g. CCTV, on the M32, taller than 10m
• Gazetteer; the user can search for an individual asset based on a text search, marker
post, junction, structure, lighting ID
 
Any of the search/navigate options can be saved to be used in a new session.

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The Gazetteer functionality within the navigator package is a very powerful search tool that allows users to navigate to and view a specific item from the map
objects. It uses free text to search on any information held within the inventory databases.
It is of particular use where a part of the object is known, such as; It is of limited use when the search is vague, such as;
• Markerpost reference • All routes
• Asset ID – Structure key, lighting plate, sign plate • Section
• Junction number • Sign type
• Service station • Structure type
This type of query will return a few key objects. This type of query will return a large amount of results.

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The Map Viewer package provides an interactive map of the Highways England network.
 
Users can use the map to navigate areas of interest, view, pin, plot and interact with objects,
display detailed background mapping and load imagery or 3D data for a selected location.
 
Please Note: The HE network data layers (black line) are only visible at a scale of 1:1,000,000 and
below, the Asset layers are only visible at 1:50,000 and below, Aerial Imagery at 1:5,000 and the
detailed Ordnance Survey Master map layer is only available at 1:1,000 scale and below. Above
this scale they will not be shown.
 

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The Map Legend package allows you to control which asset types and
background mapping are displayed on the Map Viewer. Each asset is
displayed using a unique combination of icon and colour visible in the Map
Legend.
 
Assets are grouped into a series of classes, and classes are grouped into
categories. These groupings are in line with the current version of the
ADMM, Highways England’s document that defines the company’s asset
data requirements.
 
By default the Map Legend displays all available classes. These can be
expanded to each category within a class, and in turn each category can be
expanded to view the assets.
 
It is possible to control map visibility of a whole class or category. All asset
layers are disabled by default.
 

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The Camera Images package displays the images captured by the survey vehicles.
The main image shows the sequence of images for the current camera view. Four
images (front left, forwards, front right and rear) are recorded.
 
• The direction of the main camera view can be changed by clicking on one of the
four thumbnail images below the main image.
• Each Image is tagged with its location
• There are two main ways to load images, through the Navigator package and
through the Map Viewer package.
• The nearest image to the selected location will be loaded into the Camera Images
package, (based on the users access rights)
• When the imagery is loaded, the default view is the front camera.
• Clicking on the main camera view image displays the High Resolution Imagery
Toolkit for the selected frame. See the High Resolution Imagery Toolkit Section for
further details.
 

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Query Builder – Results Grouped by Asset Query Builder – Results Filtered by Region/Area

Query Builder – Results Visualised by Route

The Query Builder package allows users to produce statistics and charts relating to a specific type or groups of assets at various geographic aggregations (area, region, route). Assets are grouped
into classes, and classes are grouped into categories.
 
Please Note: The inventory displayed in AVIS is not a live view from the prime maintenance systems, rather it is based on the last output taken from each of the systems, and the source and date
of extraction is available. You will only see data from the areas you are allowed to access. 

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The 3D Viewer package provides a control panel to allow the user

to control the display of the point cloud data.
 
• There are two main ways to load 3D data, through the Camera
Images package and through the Map Viewer package.
• All 3D viewer data within a 25m radius of the selected location
is loaded into the 3D Viewer package.
• Once the 3D data is loaded, the user can interact with it, by
panning, zooming in/out and rotating the view.
• All measurements require a double click to start and end. Using
a single mouse click you can still rotate the view into what you
need.

Additionally, all measurements continue to list at the bottom until

you select another tool, cancel or reselect the tool you’re on. This
allows you to take multiple measurements in one session.

Measurement Tools
3D Viewer Package

The free measure tool allows a user to measure anything in any direction.

The Measure with Plumbline tool ‘locks’ the X, Y coordinates where you first select.
That way you always get a true vertical measurement

The Cross Section tool can focus the view for making accurate measurements, the cross section can be
adjusted from 0.05m to 10m.

The Measure Geometry tool calculates the slope angle, slope length, vertical height difference and horizontal
length of the slope you draw, in one measurement.

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The 3D Viewer can be adjusted to display 3D data by light reflected intensity, height, and classification.

3D Viewer Adjustment - Intensity 3D Viewer Adjustment - Height 3D Viewer Adjustment - Classification

Intensity Height  Classification

Intensity represents the level of light reflected It is possible to colour 3D data by the height All 3D data has been classified as either
from the objects. Light colours such as white range It is also possible to fine tune ‘road surface’ or ‘other’ allowing data
road surface markings have a higher intensity colouration of height to within a defined points to be coloured by classification.
than darker colours such as the road surface. As range of millimetres.
a result, when viewing 3D data by intensity, the
road surface markings can be made more clearly
visible.

Point cloud density can be changed by selecting the desired density from the available options. This will increase or decrease the number of points
displayed depending on the density selected. 1:25, 1:10 and 1:2 densities are available.

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Advanced 3D Viewer Package colourised from Aerial Imagery Advanced 3D Viewer Package colourised from Intensity (amount of reflected light)

The Advanced 3D Viewer package provides a control panel to allow the user to switch between colourised Aerial and Ground LiDAR data.
 
• Aerial data is useful for off carriageway visualisations, however the number of points is far lower than the ground LiDAR
• Ground LiDAR is very useful for detailed measurements.
• Colourised LiDAR is mainly for aiding understanding the context of the view. It is more accurate to use the coloured by intensity view to make
measurements, as it takes away any shifts between the matching datasets (aerial imagery to LiDAR)
• There are two main ways to load 3D data, through the Camera Images package and through the Map Viewer package.
• The centre of the Advanced 3D viewer is the location loaded. Data for the whole route is loaded into viewer.
• The user can interact with the viewer even as the data is loading, it does not need to be fully loaded.
• All measurements require a left click to start and right click to end. The user can choose the navigation controls they prefer.

Additionally, layers and measurements can be switched on/off from the viewer.

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3D Viewer All Measurements Height Profile

Measurement Tools

The line measure tool allows a user to measure anything, in any direction.

The Height measure tool will always give a true vertical measurement.

The Area tool provides the area of a multi sided polygon

The Volume tool provides a volumetric calculation

The Height Profile tool provides a cross section representation of the view

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The Advanced 3D Viewer’s view can be altered by clipping, removing layers, or filtering by classification.

3D Clipping - Inside Layer control 3D Viewer – Classification layers removed

Clipping Layers  Classification

The Clipping tools within the Advanced 3D The user can switch on and off the layers Newer data will have more classification
Viewer gives users the ability to focus on a viewed within the point cloud including the layers, including vegetation. By removing
particular section of the point cloud, highlighting Ground and Aerial LiDAR, any of the some layers, trees, hedges and vehicles can
it, singling it out from the larger view, or measurements, and Clipped areas be removed from the view.
removing it from the view altogether

Point cloud density can be changed by adjusting the point budget slider. The maximum number of point loaded at any one time is 3,000,000. The
Advanced 3D Viewer uses a significant amount of PC memory. It is important to close it down whilst not using it.

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• The Annotations Gallery Package is where the user can review, edit and delete their saved
annotations.

• The users’ annotated images are stored on the server indefinitely until they are manually
deleted, (or the user is).

Annotations Gallery Package

• Once the user has generated the imagery or video for download,
they are prompted when it has been successfully completed. They
can now go into the Survey Downloads Package to download the
imagery to disk.

• The data held on the server will remain there for 48 hours, so
ensure that the footage is downloaded immediately or at least
within the 48 hour period.

Survey Downloads Package

Example of video frame, showing location information

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How to get the Credentials of AVIS tool

• AVIS Access Form
• https://wsponline-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jigar_kotadiya_wsp_com/Documents/Knowledge%20Sharing%20Se
ssions/UK/AVIS%20Tool/RE%20613116-Area3%20and%20613137-Area4%20VRS%20Schemes%20-%20AVIS%20Form
.msg
• https://wsponline-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jigar_kotadiya_wsp_com/Documents/Knowledge%20Sharing%20Se
ssions/UK/AVIS%20Tool/AVIS_V3_E-Learning_Guide_V1.pdf
• https://wsponline-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jigar_kotadiya_wsp_com/Documents/Knowledge%20Sharing%20Se
ssions/UK/AVIS%20Tool/AVIS%20V3%20User%20Guide%20V6.0.pdf

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