Photos are currently being taken for Google Maps as part of a university project.
Photos are currently being taken for Google Maps as part of a university project. The project, which is being supported by the Department of Electrical Engineering in the field of control and safety technology , aims to make the Zittau narrow-gauge railroad line an interactive experience. While it has so far mainly been possible to virtually walk along roads and paths in Saxony's major cities of Dresden and Leipzig on the Internet, Germany's first railroad line is soon to go "online". The spherical panoramas recently created along the route form the photographic basis for this.
However, Mr. Bert Siegel, a Google-certified photographer from the company art2viz, was not able to create the images without any preparatory work. Students from the Department of Electrical Engineering did the planning in advance. In months of work, the route was completely traveled by train several times. The best locations for around 40 shots were selected, photo motifs were precisely documented, convenient access routes to the track system were sought and the "timetable" for the shots was synchronized with the train timetable. The procedure was agreed with the railroad operator, Sächsisch Oberlausitzer Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH, with regard to occupational safety and employee information. The cooperation was very unproblematic. We then waited for suitable weather conditions. And on 21.04.2015, the time had come: the photography work was carried out throughout the day. Here too, the students were on hand with help and advice. All the photos were captured as planned. These will be posted online in the coming weeks after editing.
The photo documentation effectively supports the course on control and safety technology. "Real" excursions to railroad facilities such as signal boxes or level crossings have already taken place here in the past. This will remain the case in the future, but the virtual track inspection is a very efficient extension. The recordings are therefore a practical addition to the theoretical explanations in the lecture. This allows students to visualize the complex railroad system and the interaction between the various fields of activity even more vividly.
For the narrow-gauge railroad and the region, the images available on the Internet also represent a good advertising opportunity.