Emerging geospatial tools for the electrical grid

Since the genesis of widespread electricity distribution in the 1880s, there has always been a need for geospatial information to help manage the grid. The electrical system is inherently spatial in nature, rooted in the geography of the service territory. This is true whether the territory is an entire country served by a national utility or a small area with local power generation facilities… (more)

Using augmented reality as an extension to utility GIS

This article examines the possibilities of extending current GIS used by the utility industries with that of augmented reality (AR) toolkits on smart devices. Smart devices are aware of their location, the direction they are facing and the inclination in relation to the horizon. GIS data is already spatially aware, context-specific data can thus be fed to the mobile workforce. By integrating these two systems we show how data can be made available to the user in the field in an offline manner, exposing information that would otherwise be hidden by physical constraints such as buildings, natural vegetation and other obstacles… (more)

Using augmented reality as an extension to utility GIS

Augmented reality (AR) is defined as the process of augmenting the real world with virtual information, improving the user’s skills and senses by removing the boundaries of the real worlds’ physical laws and material properties. The concept of AR has been around for decades. Usages of AR extend from the cockpit of jetfighter planes to movie sets… (more)