Bentley Systems announces the acquisition of France-based Acute3D, a provider
of Smart3DCapture software for reality modelling.
Reality modelling allows observations of existing conditions to be processed
into representations for contextual alignment within design
modelling and construction modelling environments. Acute3D
software automates the generation of high-resolution, fully-3D representations
from digital photographs taken with any camera. The scalable and precise Acute3D
technology ensures that existing conditions are considered throughout the
architecture, engineering, construction, and operations of any infrastructure
asset.
With UAVs likely to become the most feasible vehicle for surveying,
construction monitoring, and inspection workflows, Acute3D’s industrial-level
accuracy and unlimited scalability are making it a preferred technology for UAV
manufacturers and professionals around the world.
Bentley
Systems Founder and CTO Keith Bentley explains that the world-class Acute3D
developers have already achieved two breakthroughs to remove the barriers to
the adoption of reality modelling. Acute3D has made it possible for anyone to
sufficiently capture existing conditions with just a camera. Secondly, instead
of a voluminous cloud of discrete points, Acute3D produces a 3D ‘reality
mesh’ similar to engineering models, readily aligning the real-world
context.
Co-founded in 2011 by Dr Jean-Philippe Pons and Dr Renaud Keriven, Acute3D
is headquartered in Sophia Antipolis, the French equivalent of the Silicon
Valley. Acute3D’s user base spans Nokia, PASCO, and Saint-Gobain, and OEM
licensees such as Airbus Group and Autodesk. In China, Internet giant Tencent
is working with Acute3D on large-scale 3D city modelling for several
megacities, combining both aerial and street view photography.
Acute3D has also been used to capture existing conditions for
construction sites, manufacturing facilities, mining operations, pipelines, and
oil and gas exploration.