Enhancing Asset Management and Safety with Aerial Imagery and 3D Mesh Data- Aerometrex

Port of Melbourne is Australasia’s largest maritime hub for containerised, automotive and general cargo. To effectively oversee its vast operations, the port partnered with Aerometrex to leverage cutting-edge aerial imagery and 3D mesh data solutions.

Port of Melbourne operates under a long-term lease to manage port assets and infrastructure. Their responsibilities include maintaining wharves, container stacking areas, and navigation channels. While they don't handle stevedoring operations directly, they provide and maintain the essential infrastructure for these activities.

Miles da Costa, who manages the GIS platform for the Port of Melbourne, explains their focus: "We visualise the asset base, helping our asset engineers understand where their assets are, their condition, and assisting in maintenance planning."

The Challenge

The port faced several key challenges:

Vertical asset management: Many port assets have significant vertical components, making them difficult to assess using traditional 2D imagery.
Security optimisation: Placement and coverage of CCTV cameras needed to be strategically planned and analysed.
Safety and operations: The port required better tools for monitoring and coordinating various activities across its complex environment.
Tenant management: Tracking changes & developments within leased areas demanded up-to-date, high-res imagery.

The Solution

To address these challenges, they turned to Aerometrex for:

High-resolution aerial imagery: Regularly updated 2D orthometric imagery provides a comprehensive view of the port's assets and activities.
3D mesh data: Detailed 3D models of the port environment enable advanced analysis and visualisation.
Time series imagery: Access to historical imagery allows for change detection and monitoring over time.

Key Use Cases

Port of Melbourne utilises Aerometrex's data in several innovative ways:

CCTV optimisation: Using the 3D mesh, the team conducts viewshed analysis to determine optimal camera placement. "We can run 'what-if' scenarios," says da Costa. "If we put a camera here, what can we see? What can't we see? It saves us from making costly mistakes."
Digital twin development: The port is creating a comprehensive digital twin, incorporating real-time data feeds for noise monitoring, vessel tracking, and other operational information.
Virtual safety inductions: The 3D mesh data is being used to develop immersive, virtual safety induction tools, giving personnel a realistic view of port environments and potential hazards.
Asset visualisation: The combination of 2D and 3D data provides asset engineers with a complete picture of infrastructure conditions and maintenance needs.
Tenant monitoring: High-resolution imagery allows the property team to track changes and developments within leased areas, ensuring compliance with agreements.

Having the 3D component has made the process (CCTV placement) a lot easier. We can give relevant team members the tools in GIS to say, 'What if we put a camera here? What can we see?' It saves a lot of fieldwork to identify potential locations. When we did the initial pass, we identified locations that didn't meet their criteria. They wouldn't have known that without the 3D view. It saves us from making some fairly costly mistakes."

- Miles da Costa, Senior GIS Systems Developer | Survey, Port of Melbourne

Results and Benefits

The implementation of Aerometrex's solutions has yielded significant benefits:

Improved decision-making: The ability to visualise assets in 3D has enhanced planning and reduced costly errors. In one instance, the team identified three unsuitable locations for CCTV cameras before installation, saving time and resources.
Enhanced safety: Virtual induction tools and improved situational awareness contribute to a safer port environment.
Efficient tenant management: Regular imagery updates allow for better oversight of leased areas and quicker response to unauthorised changes.
Cost savings: By optimising infrastructure placement and maintenance, the port has realised cost savings across various departments.
Future-ready infrastructure: The digital twin initiative positions the port for continued innovation and efficiency improvements.

Future Opportunities

The Port of Melbourne sees potential for expanded use of Aerometrex's solutions:

Regular 3D updates: There's interest in annual 3D captures of critical areas, particularly around wharves and berths, to track changes over time.
Integrated viewing platform: The port is keen on solutions that allow seamless integration of Aerometrex's data with their internal datasets and custom web applications.
Expanded digital twin capabilities: As the port's digital twin evolves, there's potential to incorporate more real-time data sources, such as environmental sensors and operational systems, all visualised within the 3D environment provided by Aerometrex.

Why Aerometrex

The Port of Melbourne chose Aerometrex after careful consideration of available options. Key factors in their decision included:

Data quality: Aerometrex consistently delivers high-quality imagery and 3D mesh data.
Customer service: Aerometrex demonstrated a willingness to adjust and address specific client needs.
Flexibility: The ability to customise capture areas and frequency to focus on critical zones was highly valued.
Integration: Aerometrex's data seamlessly integrates with the port's GIS infrastructure.

Image. Integrating a 3D mesh with BIM provides Asset Engineers with a true-to-life perspective of Port of Melbourne’s infrastructure.