Times have changed. Radically and rapidly. A decade or so ago, one had to physically visit, rely on photography or read descriptive literature to get to know about a place other than that lived in. In today’s digital world, the availability of advanced technology has made it possible to get to know and experience other places outside the immediate world.

Most are familiar with the Google Maps app, which allows us to view most locations around the world through a 2D, 3D or interactive street map.

Closer to home, the Planning Authority and the University of Malta, together with a wide stakeholder involvement, have embarked on a more ambitious and groundbreaking project, which is  revolutionising data as one knows it.

Nicknamed SIntegraM, this EU project, financed by the European Regional Development Fund, is enabling us to transform the way we ‘experience’ Malta. Not only are we moving from 2D into virtual reality but we are taking it even further. New techonological advancements have been developed for us to introduce augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR).

With AR elements of the virtual world are brought into the real world, giving us the opportunity to enhance the things we see, hear and feel. This technology finds the middle ground between our real world and the virtual world. Through MR, we will be in a better position to blend the physical world with the digital one, whereby we can start to visualise potential scenarios. Through SIntegraM we have sought the past, understood the present and are projecting for the future.

Today we can take a snapshot of our environment, travel within it and review the likely impact if a change is put into affect. We can better understand and visualise the threat of rising sea levels, the impact of major development projects, the potential of underwater exploration, the better appreciation of our cultural heritage treasures and much more. 

Over the past years we have garnered experience and insight in data capture and its conversion to information. We can prove that foresight and moving ahead with a project will have a long-lasting effect. This platform is empowering society to be more knowledgeable, leading to a better understanding of the natural, physical and social environments that encompass us. But how is this achieved? What is behind these deliverables? This is where technology comes in.

The SIntegraM project is a veritable integration of technology, processes and visuals which provide tools for policymakers, experts and the public alike to better understand the world around them.

Through the project, large datasets are being gathered to understand the structure of buildings, fortifications, roads, reservoirs, tunnels, cliffs, coast and a plethora of structures that make up our environmental and urban realities. At this stage, the Planning Authority, as lead partner, and the University, as project consultants, are engaged in integrating different types of scanning technologies that capture data from the air, on the ground, underground and underwater. The technologies are the most advanced in Europe and will enable Malta to have the capacity to carry out its own data capture rather than depending on other external entities.

This will bring Malta to the forefront of data capture and analysis and will lead to better policymaking and decision-taking on an ongoing basis.

The terrestrial (land-based) scanner employs high-end technology set in a special vehicle that captures a cloud of points and colour to deliver a 3D model of building facades, building street furniture, road health, rubble walls, trees and any item that requires study and assessment.

The technology will be available through a series of web services through the PA’s website and www.cloudisle.org.

The public will also be able to view the data and appreciate national jewels, identify areas that require intervention and become owners of this national information.

This information can also be used for heritage and tourism, virtual experiences, gaming and futuristic studies which will allow citizens to interact in virtual worlds and be part of disruption for a better society.