Meemim Inc. (Meemim) and Gas Technology Institute (GTI) are moving forward with a project to create a mixed-reality GIS and asset management solution for gas utilities.

The new solution will be based on Meemim vGIS – the first-of-its-kind mixed-reality (holographic) GIS system. Meemim vGIS combines the real world environment, holographic projections, cloud processing and Esri ArcGIS to deliver visualizations of above-ground and underground pipes, valves, cables, and other utility assets.

vGIS leverages Microsoft HoloLens and Microsoft Azure back-end to syndicate GIS data with real-time information from a variety of other sources to create holographic projection of complex infrastructure. Meemim’s cutting-edge system lets users see through the ground and other obstacles, access real-time maps and data, collect in-field information, and interact with holograms to make in-field and office work seamless and efficient.

“Meemim vGIS brings the sci-fi stuff seen in the Iron Man movies into the real world,” says Alec Pestov, CEO of Meemim. “Except unlike the visual effects in movies, the system saves time, improves collaboration and increases workers’ safety.”

GTI’s aim is to evolve the base vGIS system to the needs of the gas industry. With an industry-specific solution, GTI will be able to provide gas companies with a new breed of tools for efficient infrastructure planning, assessment and management. Rob Marros, GIS Manager at GTI, says, “The combined functionality of the HoloLens and the Meemim vGIS platform provides a unique, extremely relevant way to visualize and concretely place actual GIS features. In addition to simplifying routine in-field work, the collaborative aspects of the system can facilitate better field-office communications and enhance infrastructure planning projects.”

Together, GTI and Meemim are partnering on a solution that will be a major step forward in optimizing the gas industry’s management of underground assets.

About GTI

Gas Technology Institute (Des Plaines, IL) is the leading research, development, and training organization addressing energy markets and environmental challenges. For more than 75 years, they have been providing economic value to the natural gas industry and energy markets by developing technology-based solutions for industry, government, and consumers. www.gastechnology.org

About Meemim Inc.

Meemim Inc. (Toronto, ON) is a vGIS and knowledge-management platform vendor with expertise in data presentation and visualization. Current applications, in addition to vGIS, include client customer service portals and the Meemim collaboration productivity suite for project management and small-team collaboration.