As technologists, we like to challenge the traditional mindset of how businesses should make use of data and information to manage their operations and improve efficiencies. Winn’s Transport and Sedgemoor Harbour Masters set us a ‘big’ challenge and we were happy to assist. Winn’s was planning to move a 80m transport ship containing a 120 tonne transformer as part of the power network upgrade for Hinkley Point C.
Normally, a vessel of this size would berth at Combwich but that was not possible so Dunwall had to be used instead. Turning a vessel of that tonnage was going to be tight, so we were asked to produce a mm-accurate topographic survey of the River Parrett banks and its muddy bottom.
We used enterprise drones, combined with very accurate GNSS GPS readings to create a composite 3D digital map of the site. The resulting photogrammetry image is composed of hundreds of individual geo-located drone images that are digitally ‘stitched’ together using specialist software.
From this data, a terrain landscape model can be used, together with GIS to develop precise contour map with heights for the river. This allowed Winn’s Transport to accurately work out what height of tide would be needed to operate and manoeuvre the ship.