Blog
April 19, 2024
In today’s dynamic landscape of innovation and technology bringing a concept from vision to reality is always a challenge, and the end result frequently differs from the original concept. The quality of the end product often depends on the visualisation tools and data used to plan it out, and augmented reality is making strides in combining both these aspects into a single package.
At SpaceTech, we’re helping to connect the bright minds of the future with the industry spaces where they’re needed most. In this article we’ll discuss augmented reality and other imaging technology, and how they interact with satellites, geospatial data, and geographic information systems (GIS).
If you’re an employer in SpaceTech or looking to develop your skills in the field, please get in touch.
Augmented reality (AR) is a way of interacting with the real world but using virtual elements. This can often be done through a phone screen or AR glasses, but the application of this technology spans far beyond this. AR allows you to have a more immersive experience by showing how objects would appear in an outdoor environment, offering a more immersive representation than what you would get from modelling software.
A popular example of AR tech is the mobile game Pokémon Go. This game uses geographical data and time of day to determine several factors and allows users to interact with virtual creatures by visualising them in the real world – seen through the phone screen and camera.
A more modern application of AR is the Apple Vision Pro, which blends visual elements into reality for a fully immersive and a comprehensive experience.
Unlike AR, virtual reality (VR) takes place in a near-entirely virtual setting. It utilises special hardware to simulate being in a virtual space. You can often move around this space, with controls ranging from joystick movement to full-body systems.
The real potential of VR for SpaceTech is only realised when it’s combined with the latest in 3D modelling technology, as this will give the most representative sandbox to interact with in the virtual environment.
VR has been around for a while, used in gaming through specialist devices like the Oculus Quest. However, it is an incredibly adaptable technology that could see use in many different industries.
Also important to mention when it comes to AR and VR is the emergence of 3D visualisation technology. This gives engineers a better understanding of their infrastructure models and how they can integrate with the real world. Plus, with photogrammetry and GIS software, 3D tech can utilise real world data to produce hyper-realistic results, useful across a range of fields.
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AR offers an immersive experience and allows you to interact directly with data and its resultant models. The higher the quality of the data, the better the experience will be, and the further you can go with it. Geospatial data offers perhaps some of the highest quality data, using satellite imagery to create 3D versions of real-world locations. When combined, AR and geospatial data have a wealth of potential across many industries.
AR systems can utilise satellites to stream high-quality, complex imagery in 3D to locations across the globe. This means that teams can meet, collaborate on projects, or undergo training without having to access real-world locations or technology that might have difficulties based on distance or limited/restricted access.
This also means that technicians can troubleshoot issues from afar, allowing for easier diagnosis of response needs and possibly even on-site repairs.
Likewise, the data from geographic information systems (GIS) can be applied to a variety of different applications by using augmented reality. These include:
GIS data has potential applications across numerous industries. Applying an overlay using AR creates new ways to train, work, and innovate. To get there, the industry needs to connect the right talent to the right places. If you’re interested, get in touch!
While AR is immensely useful for processing the geospatial data that comes from satellites, it can also be useful for their deployment. Satellite launches are both tricky and crucial due to several reasons. Firstly, the process involves sending highly sophisticated and delicate equipment into space, where even minor errors can lead to mission failure. Additionally, the cost of satellite launches are significant, often running into millions or even billions of dollars, making any failure extremely costly.
Beyond the stratosphere lies many hazards in space, such as meteorites, orbital debris, and other satellites. New satellites need to avoid all of this during launch and continue to do so during their use. Therefore, ensuring the success of satellite launches and deployment are technically challenging, and this is where both AR ad VR comes into play:
VR offers the ability to simulate launch events repeatedly, helping to prevent collisions based on projections.
AR allows a step-by-step monitoring of the satellite during its launch, something that would otherwise be impossible for the space-bound article.
AR and VR holds tremendous potential in revolutionizing the way we interact with satellites and geospatial data, offering immersive experiences, enhanced situational awareness, and collaborative analysis capabilities. By leveraging AR and VR technology, researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals can unlock new insights, address complex challenges, and make informed decisions to shape a more sustainable and resilient future. As emerging technologies often are, these fields are not fully developed, and need further research before their full potential can be realised.
While GIS already plays a crucial role in various industries and applications, it will continue to grow in scope and impact as more applications for it are developed in the future.
Cloud integrations is one useful area for GIS, allowing for streamlined access to data from anywhere across the globe. Paired with GIS’s wide-reaching data collection capabilities, and you’ve got a recipe for some real innovation.
Deeper analytical methods will open the way to new outputs for GIS, allowing users to make the most out of the currently available data.
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) stands to be one of the most impactful technologies with regards to AR, VR and GIS. With access to large amounts of accurate data in real time comes a huge number of potential applications for AI. This could include:
Augmented reality is an incredibly useful tool that, when informed by the right data, is making waves across every industry. With satellites, geospatial data, and GIS, the potential of this technology is near limitless, and its relevance will only continue to flourish over time.
If you’re keen on nurturing your passion and skills for space technology, don’t hesitate to get in touch.