Case Study: SODIPLAN achieves a GIS-ready, georeferenced inventory of 350,000 Flemish road signs with Trimble Trident-3D

SODIPLAN - Customer Case Study

SODIPLAN (and its MMS-focused subsidiary GeoInvent) was contracted in 2007 by the Infrastructure Department of the Flemish Region to answer a deceptively simple question: how many road signs exist in the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium? The challenge was to survey an estimated 350,000 signs along some 5,150 km of major roads and deliver a complete GIS-ready inventory that records exact locations, types, sizes, colors and condition.

GeoInvent used Trimble Trident‑3D vehicle-mounted mobile mapping systems — synchronized high-resolution cameras, laser scanners, and an Applanix GNSS/inertial system with distance measuring — to collect data at traffic speeds. Automated and manual extraction with Trident‑3D Analyst, offshore data processing, field verification, CAD sign design and linear referencing produced a sub‑meter-accurate, fully attributed sign database that can be integrated into GIS, supports future re-ordering, and set a precedent for similar EU projects.

SODIPLAN

Carl Deroanne

Sales Manager