sizeless

Product Introduction

1. Definition: sizeless is a digital twin and automated documentation platform for the utility and civil construction sectors. It is a photogrammetry software-as-a-service (SaaS) that uses computer vision and AI to transform standard smartphone videos into precise, actionable 3D models and 2D CAD plans.
2. Core Value Proposition: sizeless exists to eliminate the costly and time-consuming manual surveying and documentation processes in trench and pipe construction. It provides utilities and contractors with a fast, autonomous, and legally compliant method to capture as-built conditions, accelerating project timelines and billing cycles while ensuring revision-safe records.

Main Features

1. Smartphone-Based 3D Capture (SiteScan App): The workflow begins with the proprietary SiteScan iOS app, designed for iPhone Pro models. It guides field crews through a standardized video capture process at the trench site. The app leverages the phone's built-in LiDAR scanner and camera system to collect spatial data, requiring no specialized surveying hardware or GPS, enabling operation even in basement areas.
2. AI-Powered 3D Point Cloud Generation: Using proprietary algorithms developed at ETH Zurich, sizeless processes the smartphone video to automatically generate a high-resolution, centimeter-accurate 3D point cloud of the open trench. This point cloud serves as the objective, digital record of the excavation, including all installed utilities, connections, and foreign services.
3. Automated 2D CAD & BIM/GIS Output: The platform's core AI automates the conversion of the 3D data into industry-standard deliverables. It produces norm-compliant 2D CAD plans (DWG/DXF files) for revision documentation and can generate 3D BIM-ready models and GIS-compatible data of the pipe network, including house service connections, for integration into modern planning and asset management systems.

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: Traditional trench documentation relies on manual surveying, which creates project delays. Crews must wait for a surveyor, leading to idle time or the risk of backfilling before measurement. This creates a bottleneck, delays billing (e.g., for house connections), and results in error-prone, hand-drawn sketches.
2. Target Audience: Primary users are network operators and contractors in deep civil engineering, district heating, and utility service connection sectors. Key personas include field construction supervisors, GIS managers, project controllers in utilities, and owners of contracting firms specializing in pipe laying.
3. Use Cases: Essential for documenting house service connections for immediate billing, creating as-built records for gas, water, or fiber optic networks, verifying excavation volumes and installed materials, and conducting quality assurance checks for potential construction errors before trench backfill.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Unlike traditional surveying services or complex laser scanning setups, sizeless requires no capital expenditure in hardware or specialized personnel. It turns the existing construction crew into the surveying team using a device they already possess (iPhone), drastically reducing cost and turnaround time from months to hours.
2. Key Innovation: The specific innovation is the integration of a guided, foolproof mobile capture workflow with highly automated backend processing tuned for linear infrastructure. The ETH Zurich-developed algorithms are optimized to reconstruct long, narrow trenches from video data with centimeter precision, a task general-purpose photogrammetry software struggles with, and to automatically interpret and vectorize pipework within that data.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How accurate is sizeless compared to a professional land survey? sizeless delivers centimeter-level accuracy suitable for as-built documentation, quantity take-offs, and revision plans in utility construction. While not a replacement for geodetic-grade control points, its precision is sufficient for the vast majority of trench documentation and billing use cases, far exceeding manual sketches.
2. Can sizeless work without an internet connection or GPS signal? Yes. The SiteScan app can capture data offline, and processing occurs in the cloud after upload. Crucially, the technology does not require GPS to function, making it uniquely capable of documenting indoor areas like building basements or covered trenches where satellite signals are unavailable.
3. What deliverables do I receive from a sizeless scan? From a single smartphone video scan, you receive a high-resolution 3D point cloud, norm-compliant 2D CAD plans (DWG/DXF), and 3D models/GIS data of the pipe network. This covers the complete digital twin needed for documentation, billing, and asset management.
4. Is special training required for field crews to use the sizeless app? No extensive training is needed. The SiteScan app for iPhone provides a guided, step-by-step workflow that allows any crew member to perform a standardized capture after a brief familiarization. The process is designed for autonomy without surveying expertise.
5. How does sizeless handle different pipe materials and connections in the trench? The AI-powered processing is trained to identify and model common trench elements. While it automatically detects and models pipes and fittings, the final 2D and 3D deliverables allow for easy annotation and verification of specific materials (e.g., PVC, ductile iron) and connection types within the familiar CAD environment.