Intelligent Underground Mapping with AiMaps

Understanding what lies beneath the surface is critical to avoiding risks, delays, and costly mistakes in construction and infrastructure projects. Yet in many cases, the complexity of the terrain can obscure vital infrastructure, making it difficult or even impossible to detect using traditional tomography methods.

IDS GeoRadar has developed AiMaps, a pioneering AI-based software solution that leverages Artificial Intelligence to support surveyors in interpreting radar data more efficiently and rapidly.

AiMaps’ user UDM - Utility Detection & Mapping, a Tasmanian-based specialist surveying and subsurface mapping company, was tasked with capturing high-resolution subsurface data to provide a complete picture of what lay beneath the UTAS Stadium in Invernay, Tasmania - Australia.

Their goal was to reduce risk, improve safety, and enable smarter decision-making throughout the redevelopment process. To achieve this, UDM deployed a combination of IDS GeoRadar solutions, multi-array GPR systems, Stream DP and Stream UP, alongside AI-driven software, AiMaps and IQMaps.

On-site surveying: capturing the underground

The survey was carried out over three days by utility mapping specialists, successfully covering an area of 20,000 sqm.
Given the stadium’s location in a former swamp area, the need for deep and reliable detection was critical. Stream DP, powered by patented EsT technology, proved particularly effective in reaching 2-3 meters below ground level and its rugged configuration also allowed to adapt quickly to uneven surfaces and undercroft areas.
Stream UP complemented enabling fast coverage of larger areas. Together, the two systems provided a complete and high-quality dataset.

Post/processing phase: from raw data to actionable insights

After radar data was initially reviewed in IQMaps, the full dataset was then uploaded to AiMaps, that uses deep learning algorithms to automatically refine radar signals, helping surveyors interpret complex data more efficiently. AiMaps was able to detect pipe configurations that had not been visible during manual review, particularly in congested zones and areas with overlapping infrastructure.

Conclusions: AiMaps as a game-changer in surveying

“AiMaps has a massive impact on our workflow” says Rod Brumby, Managing Director at UDM - Utility Detection Mapping “It boosts efficiency, making our operations up to 5x faster and helping map previously unknown pipe configurations”.

With the use of AiMaps, UDM was able to complete the post-processing phase five times faster compared to its standard workflow, allowing the team to deliver results quickly and with a greater confidence in a technically demanding environment. The successful survey of the UTAS Stadium survey confirmed the value offered by the integration of AiMaps into UDM’s detection and mapping workflows, confirming the initial expectations for a tool capable of enhacing productivity.

Speed, accuracy and clarity are the key elements that drove UDM’s decision to the adoption of AiMaps furtherly improving their surveying performance.