DIGITIZING CONTOUR MAPS INTO CAD TERRAIN MODELS

THERE IS A NATIONAL NEED TO CONVERT TOPOGRAPHIC INFORMATION FROM CONTOUR MAPS TO 3D DIGITAL TO CAD OR TERRAIN MODELING DATA. MUCH LABOR IS BEING EXPENDED EACH DAY ACROSS THE NATION TO PERFORM THIS TASK USING MANUAL OR SCANNING TECHNIQUES. OUR SOLUTION, THE VECTORIZER, COMBINES SCANNING WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO TRACE SELECTIVELY LINES FROM A DRAWING DIRECTLY INTO CAD FORMAT. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND METHODOLOGY TO MAKE THIS DEVICE UNIVERSALLY USABLE. OUR RESEARCH WILL ENHANCE CAPABILITIES OF THE VECTORIZER TO ENABLE IT TO RACE DASHED LINES AND TO RECOGNIZE AND IGNORE UNWANTED INFORMATION. AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH, A DEVICE CAN BE DEVELOPED WHICH ESSENTIALLY REVERSES THE PLOTTING PROCESS. IT WILL READ DRAWINGS BACK INTO DRAWING INSTRUCTIONS. DR BAHRAM MOZAYENY RECEIVED HIS DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND HAS 19 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN APPLIED COMPUTER TECHNIQUES IN ENGINEERING.