Czech Supercomputing Center Computes 3D City Models

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SZN_01701-580x386Researchers are using the Anselm supercomputer in the Czech Republic to process topographical data for a new map portal. Beginning with two-dimensional aerial photographs from different angles, the researchers apply computationally intensive algorithms to create 3D models of towns and cities.

This collaboration is a perfect example of how the computational resources of our supercomputer can be put to specific use. We believe that the planned acquisition of the big cluster will provide additional possibilities for this type of collaboration,” says Martin Palkovič, Managing Director of the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Centre.

It is estimated that Anselm will process images covering nearly 8000 km2 in about 6 months, a surface area that corresponds to 10% of the Czech Republic.

In collaboration with the IT4Innovations research team and using the supercomputer, we have managed to significantly reduce the time required for processing 3D city models. We are excited that the Czech Republic’s largest 3D map will be available to our user community as early as this year,” explains Aleš Vitinger, Mapy.cz Product Manager.

Developed by an external company for the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Centre, the application software is designed to leverage accelerators on the Anselm supercomputer.

We proposed a set of modifications to the application in order to maximize performance and efficiency in its deployment on the Anselm supercomputer. The computational algorithm utilizes the resources of both conventional processors and graphics accelerators for computations with a high degree of parallelization. The solution makes full use of our powerful hardware that is available on Anselm,” says Tomáš Kozubek, head of the research team that participated in developing the application.