Funding will greatly improve the companys feature extraction technology
Herndon, Virginia September 21, 2011 ClearEdge3D today announced that it has won a research grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to further develop its technology in the rapidly evolving field of automated feature extraction from 3D laser scan data. The grant, one of the most prestigious research awards in the United States, will be used by ClearEdge to enhance its industry-leading automated feature extraction algorithms with the goal of modeling entire facilities and whole city blocks in minutes.
The companys software, EdgeWise, automates the extraction of complex CAD pipe and building geometry from 3D laser scanned data, dramatically reducing time to create accurate as-built 3D models. However, due to the line of sight limitations in laser scanning technology, there are always occluded regions of point cloud data that must be manually modeled. The core goal of the research grant is to devise algorithms that will automatically populate these occluded regions based on the feature pattern in the surrounding area.
Our focus has always been to develop software that can complete a 3D model in minutes with only a few mouse clicks, said Chris Scotton, the companys President and CEO. We are honored that the National Science Foundation, the premier federal research organization in the U.S., sees the potential of our automated 3D modeling technology. This research grant brings the prospect of accurate city-wide 3D models one step closer to reality,
The National Science Foundation is a $6.8 billion U.S. government agency that supports research and education in all the fields of science and engineering. Thousands of businesses and universities compete for a very limited number of research grants. NSF funding has led to the discovery of numerous game-changing technologies such as cloud computing, bar codes and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Past NSF grant winners include a little-known Internet search engine called BackRub, which was later renamed Google. Google founder Sergey Brin, credits NSF with providing him with the early funding that made his vision a reality.
About ClearEdge3D
ClearEdge3D was founded in 2006 by two recognized experts and thought leaders in the field of computer vision and automated feature extraction (AFE). The companys AFE software includes EdgeWise Plant for the industrial engineering market and EdgeWise Building for the architectural and BIM industry. The company is privately-held and headquartered in Herndon, Virginia.
About National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year 2011, its budget is about $6.9 billion. Each year the NSF receives over 45,000 proposals for grant funding.
Herndon, Virginia September 21, 2011 ClearEdge3D today announced that it has won a research grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to further develop its technology in the rapidly evolving field of automated feature extraction from 3D laser scan data. The grant, one of the most prestigious research awards in the United States, will be used by ClearEdge to enhance its industry-leading automated feature extraction algorithms with the goal of modeling entire facilities and whole city blocks in minutes.