Case study

Wingtra’s efficiency and reliability keeps Oktoberfest safer

Every October, the city of Munich, Germany, hosts a mini city within itself. That city is called Oktoberfest. It’s the largest beer festival in the world, in fact. The fest draws six to seven million visitors annually. This dwarves Munich’s population and presents safety challenges over the 18 days of partying. This year, for the second one in a row, every fire truck on duty was equipped with an up-to-date, high-res 3D map based on LIDAR and RGB data captured by a drone. But not just any system could pull this off …

Emily Loosli

Challenges

Oktoberfest is a dense city within a city that changes in its layout every year. Understanding the layout is key for emergency workers who might need to respond to an accident or situation. Getting this layout in 3D and at a high accuracy is super difficult since the window of time between setup completion and the opening of the gates is very small. 

Solutions

Right after sunrise on the first day of Oktoberfest, WingtraOne rises into the air and captures both RGB and LIDAR data in just 25 minutes. DAT/EM Systems Europe sends the data to GeodatenService Munich to process within hours and send to the firefighters stationed at the event for high-res, photorealistic 3D views of the exact site whenever logistics are needed for fast emergency response.

Oktoberfest safety stats

Visitors
6-7
million
every year
Personell
29
fire staff
per day
Response time with 3D map
10-30
%
faster than flat maps
Response time with 3D map
30-40
%
faster than radio only

Oktoberfest

Largest beer celebration in the world

Location

Munich, Germany

Size
6-7 million attendants
Area
42 ha (104 ac)

Mapping Oktoberfest: challenges and solutions

U Challenge

After sunrise/before open

The survey takes place on a official day of Oktoberfest, in a narrow time window—after sunrise but before the first visitors arrive.
m Solution

Fast RGB and LIDAR capture

Wingtra mapped the entire festival area with a quick swap of LIDAR for RGB payloads in just 25 minutes.
U Challenge

You've got one shot at this

There are no do-overs with this kind of time window. You have to trust that the drone can fetch your high-accuracy results in one shot.
m Solution

Wingtra just works

Known for its fast setup and rock-solid reliability, DAT/EM promised and ran the surveys with confidence.

U Challenge

Heavy data load

Heavy data load and complex processing steps can slow down time to deliverables. In this case, each hour lost would leave the fire team without visibility on the grounds.

m Solution

Wingtra keeps data light

Mapping doesn’t end when the drone lands. So Wingtra engineers payloads for max coverage and accuracy with minimal data load.
U Challenge

2 datasets, 1 small window

From sunrise to event opening is a tight window. The pressure is on to capture both LIDAR and RGB insights.

m Solution

Swappable payloads

Wingtra drones feature swappable payloads that you can change in minutes in the field. Simply open, swap and take-off again.
Florian Bernhard
Florian Bernhard
GIS Expert and Geo Mapping Specialist
c-muenchen-de-logo

When we started, these overviews of Oktoberfest were a nice-to-have. But with the introduction of Wingtra’s VTOL drone and 3D maps, the data became indispensable. They are now a core safety tool for protecting millions of visitors.

Wingtra LIDAR and RGB for the safety win

Wingtra LIDAR and MAP61 RGB data combine for a location-accurate 3D model. This model helps fire workers choose the fastest routes to an emergency location via clear views of throughways and exact ground-level features. In fact, 3D models can shave up to 30 percent off response time—which matters in vital emergencies.

Who is DAT/EM Systems Europe?

DAT/EM Systems Europe provides powerful software for precise 3D data capture as well as the innovative mapping drone from the Swiss company Wingtra.

Their portfolio includes both software and customized hardware components for a seamless workflow: state-of-the-art 3D stereo viewing systems, high-performance workstations for stereo mapping, and comprehensive services to optimize your work processes. 

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