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Technology firm surveys Africa

A company which uses laser technology to produce 3D architectural and engineering drawings is in the running for work on two projects in Africa.

Last year, Gateshead-based spatial mapping firm Digital Surveys invested £100,000 in new laser equipment which means it can produce accurate 3D graphics in a fraction of the time it would take to draw traditional architectural plans.

The device can be pointed at a building, from as far away as 300 metres, and the laser then scans its exterior or interior and the information is transformed into static and animated graphics by special software.

The technology has become popular with organisations that are keen to record the appearance and design of heritage sites and has already been used to produce images of Alnwick Castle.

Digital Surveys also recently worked on a project in which it recorded the structure of electricity pylons running alongside the M1 and was employed to create moving footage of the layout of the National Railway Museum in York.

When the new Newcastle Library was built the company also scanned the Metro tunnels below to ensure that they had not been affected by the building work.

Since investing in the technology, Digital Surveys has begun to attract interest from potential clients all over the world and is now looking to take its expertise to Africa.

The firm is hopeful of winning work on two projects which involve British-based players in the African oil and gas sector.

One of the projects would see the company scanning pipelines leading to an oilrig off the coast of Cameroon while in the other contract it would provide information to aid the fabrication of components on an oilrig off Angola.

Peter Bennett, who runs the firm alongside his son Ben, said: “There is a lot of work around the world for the decommissioning of oil rigs but people aren’t aware that this technology exists. People don’t realise you can produce an accurate drawing with a laser.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .