Research Project: Real-Time 3D Visualization for Magnetic Field Sensors

Software that makes measurement data visible instantly

A sensor is only as good as the image it delivers.

Our magnetometers and 3D ground scanners measure changes in the Earth's magnetic field and turn them into a spatial image of the subsurface. The next generation of our magnetic field sensor technology measures more finely and on more channels at once — generating significantly more data per second. That's exactly where the challenge lies: this volume of data has to be processed and displayed fast enough that you see the result while you're still measuring, not only afterwards.

What the project is about

We are developing the software that makes this sensor generation usable. It consists of two parts: a data streaming architecture that captures the multi-channel raw data, synchronizes it in time and processes it in real time — and a three-dimensional, OpenGL-based visualization that builds up the measurement image while you measure.

In practice, this means: you see the area take shape as you walk over it. You spot anomalies on site and can re-measure immediately, instead of discovering back at your desk that a section is missing. The software is therefore not an accessory but an integral part of the device — without it, the raw data from the new sensor technology is not readable for the user.

What we're working on

• Capturing, time-synchronizing and buffering the multi-channel sensor raw data
• Signal pre-processing: filtering, calibration, noise suppression and georeferencing of measurement points
• An OpenGL rendering pipeline for large point volumes in real time on the target hardware
• Interfaces between the sensor firmware and the analysis and visualization software
• Integration into the existing OKM software architecture around Visualizer 3D Studio
• Testing and validation on real measurement series, closely coordinated with our hardware development

Why this is happening in Altenburg

Sensor technology, electronics, mechanics, software and assembly all sit under one roof at OKM — that has always been how we work, and it's why our hardware and software fit together so closely. This project strengthens exactly that core: it creates an additional development role at our Altenburg site for real-time data processing and 3D graphics. The expertise this builds stays here — and flows into devices we ship to more than 100 countries.

Funding

The project is funded under the FTI-Thüringen PERSONEN programme, funding category "Innovative Personnel". The programme supports small and medium-sized enterprises in Thuringia in attracting additional highly qualified staff for research, development and innovation. It is financed from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus) and from funds of the Free State of Thuringia. The approving authority is the Thuringian Development Bank (Thüringer Aufbaubank).

ESF Plus is the European Union's central instrument for investing in people and their qualifications. There's a simple reason these funds are flowing into the development of measurement technology: the expertise involved — real-time data processing and 3D visualization — doesn't live in the device, it lives in the people who build it. It stays at this location, well beyond the life of this project.

Project data at a glance

Funding notice

The project "Development of real-time data streaming and 3D visualization software (OpenGL) for a new generation of OKM magnetic field sensor technology" is funded under the FTI-Thüringen PERSONEN directive, funding category "Innovative Personnel", from funds of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus) and funds of the Free State of Thuringia. The approving authority is the Thuringian Development Bank (Thüringer Aufbaubank). Duration: 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028.

Questions about the project?

Get in touch. We're happy to answer technical questions too — with no obligation to buy — about the sensor technology, the data processing, or the funding project itself.

Email: info@okmdetectors.com
Phone: +49 3447 499 3000