Aerial Image 3D Modeling for Building Floor Area Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for estimating building floor area and evaluating property conditions are costly and inefficient, requiring manual measurements and inspections, which are time-consuming and often lack accuracy, especially in the construction, real estate, insurance, and finance industries.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses aerial images to generate a three-dimensional model of a building's roof, adjusting for slope and features to estimate floor area, and integrates with risk management reporting to assess property conditions, reducing the need for manual inspections and providing accurate data for industry applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual measurement and inspection methods are used to estimate building floor area and evaluate property conditions, then accuracy can be maintained through direct observation, but the process becomes costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses aerial images as copies of the building to create three-dimensional models for floor area estimation, eliminating the need for physical manual measurement while maintaining accuracy through digital modeling techniques
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement processes with automated computer-based image processing and three-dimensional modeling systems, substituting human labor with computational algorithms
2Reliability
If manual inspection methods are used to evaluate property conditions, then detailed assessment can be performed, but the cost and resource requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional system that uses aerial images for multiple purposes including floor area estimation, roof condition assessment, and property evaluation, consolidating multiple inspection functions into a single automated platform
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables automated self-assessment of property conditions through image processing algorithms that automatically evaluate building features without requiring human inspectors to perform detailed examinations
3Measurement precision
If original building plans or blueprints are referenced for floor area measurement, then accurate historical data can be obtained, but such plans are often unavailable or out of date
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary capture of building information through aerial imaging before the need for measurement arises, creating up-to-date three-dimensional models that serve as current records rather than relying on potentially obsolete historical plans
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies of building structures through aerial imaging and three-dimensional modeling, providing current visual records that replace the need for physical blueprints or architectural plans
Data Source
AI summary
A system generates an estimated floor area measurement of a building based on the calculated estimated total roof area of the roof of the building. This is based on a correlation between the size of the building roof and the size of the building. Typically, the floor area of a single full floor of the building is roughly the size of the roof of the building if the roof were flat with no slope. This in effect is turning the roof into a floor to generate estimated floor area. With additional adjustments to area measurements to account for multiple floors, roof overhang, wall width, internal building features such as walls and staircases, and/or obstructed views of the building in the aerial image(s), etc., an even more accurate floor area estimation may be generated.