Panocam: a digital high-resolution panoramic camera for underground installations survey

The Panocam camera was developed by Hydro-Quebec for the purpose of surveying underground power installations such as splicing manholes without requiring human entry. The camera produces digital images that span 360/spl deg/ with a size of 7168/spl times/2048 pixels, allowing both detailed and overall view of the manhole within the same image. The image can be viewed as it is taken using a touch-screen remote control station. Three prototypes are currently being used in the field for various applications.