PIX4D and Esri launch underground utilities mapping workflow
PIX4D announced today an integrated terrestrial workflow with Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping. This collaboration provides a direct path for ground-based data to move from the field into a geodatabase, specifically designed for documenting underground utilities and infrastructure.
A practical field-to-GIS process
This integration enables the high-fidelity, georeferenced documentation of subsurface assets, providing a traceable path from the open trench to the ArcGIS Online system of record. By using terrestrial mapping and cloud processing, organizations can maintain a digitized record of their infrastructure:
- Accurate terrestrial scanning: field teams use PIX4Dcatch with an RTK device to scan open trenches and subsurface infrastructure with centimeter-level precision. Instead of saving static files in a folder, the data is captured as a live, georeferenced record ready for the ArcGIS Online geodatabase.
- Cloud processing for contextual decision-making: Scanned data is processed in PIX4Dcloud into measurable 3D models and point clouds. Through direct integration, a utility manager can view a new scan as a Scene Layer Package (SLPK) alongside existing infrastructure maps in ArcGIS Online for immediate site context.
- AR-driven verification: through a direct ArcGIS Online integration, users can pull existing data from the geodatabase and view it in Augmented Reality via PIX4Dcatch. This allows for instant verification of "as-designed" vs. "as-built" conditions, ensuring the geodatabase is updated before a trench is even closed.
“We are focused on turning hidden infrastructure into functional data. By connecting PIX4Dcatch with an RTK device to the Esri ecosystem, we are enabling a terrestrial-scanning workflow that allows teams to update a master geodatabase with professional accuracy." – Andrey Kleymenov, CEO of PIX4D.
By combining PIX4D’s mapping software with Esri’s GIS ecosystem, the two companies provide an integrated terrestrial-to-cloud workflow. This collaboration enables the direct transfer of georeferenced 3D scans from the field into ArcGIS technology, allowing organizations to maintain digitized records of subsurface infrastructure. The workflow supports high-fidelity documentation of as-built assets and facilitates verification against existing geodata using augmented reality, ensuring that utility records are updated with professional accuracy prior to trench closure.
