Research project · Invest BW – Innovation IV · 2026–2028
KRITIS3D: The perimeter security of critical infrastructure, assessed automatically – in 3D.
Fences, walls, gates and vegetation at large facilities are still inspected on foot and documented with photos and notes. KRITIS3D combines high-resolution 3D surveying, 360° panoramic imaging and AI-based detection into a process chain that captures the as-is condition completely, objectively and traceably.
Updated: September 2026
What is KRITIS3D?
KRITIS3D is a collaborative research project by Open Experience, Angermeier Ingenieure and the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM, supported by the Verband für Sicherheitstechnik (VfS), the German association for security technology. The goal is an automated process chain that captures the perimeter security of critical infrastructure (KRITIS) and high-security facilities in high-resolution 3D, complements it with 360° panoramic imaging, evaluates it with AI and delivers it to operators and security experts as a virtual site walk, floor plan and risk map. The project runs from February 2026 to January 2028 and is funded by the State of Baden-Württemberg under Invest BW – Innovation IV.
Why site walks alone are no longer enough
Security assessments of perimeter protection are mostly carried out today by specialized inspectors on foot. At a prison, an airport or a substation, that means many kilometers of fence, many perspectives and a great deal of judgement.
- Laborious and expensiveLarge facilities take days for a complete inspection – and require specialists who are in short supply.
- SubjectivePhotos and notes record what catches the eye. Whether anything was missed is hard to verify afterwards.
- Not comparableTwo inspections years apart are difficult to overlay – changes go unnoticed.
- New obligationsWith the EU Directive on the resilience of critical entities (CER Directive) and Germany's KRITIS umbrella act (KRITIS-Dachgesetz), operators face regular, documented risk analyses – including for the physical protection of their premises.
This is exactly where KRITIS3D comes in: the as-is condition is captured completely once – and then assessed, compared and updated on screen.
The process chain in four steps
Each partner is responsible for one stage – together they create a demonstrator that works end to end, from capture to assessment.
High-resolution 3D capture
Laser scanning, photogrammetry and mobile mapping – static and mobile, matched to the facility in question. All data is georeferenced so that captures from different points in time can be overlaid.
360° panoramic imaging
Spherical images of the entire facility instead of single photos from one perspective – located on the map and in the 3D model, the basis for the virtual site walk.
AI-based evaluation
Neural networks detect fences, walls, masts and vegetation in point clouds and images – along with anomalies such as holes, damage or a tree that turns into a climbing aid.
Visualization and assessment
Floor plans, sections and risk maps, target/actual comparison and change analysis between two points in time – with interfaces to GIS, CAD and BIM.
What Open Experience contributes
Our subproject is the image-based side of the process chain: complete photographic documentation of the as-is condition and access for the people who ultimately have to make the assessment.
- Complete photographic documentationMobile 360° panoramic cameras replace single photos that only ever show one perspective. Capture positions are chosen so that nothing is missing.
- Location on the map and in 3DThe panoramas are automatically located in the floor plan and 3D data – via GPS or by recognizing the surroundings. One click on the map opens the on-site view.
- Virtual site walk with hazard informationAreas classified as critical by the AI can be re-checked, commented on and corrected on screen – on a smartphone too.
- Data protection and IT securityData on critical infrastructure is sensitive. Interfaces and storage are designed with this in mind from the outset.
The foundation for this is our platform for Construction Photos, Construction Defects and construction documentation, together with the 360° helmet camera DIGIBAU 360 – extended by the interface to 3D data that KRITIS3D creates.
The consortium
Four partners from industry, research and security technology – each responsible for one stage of the process chain. Operators and security experts accompany the project as associated partners and contribute requirements from practice.
Open Experience GmbH
Karlsruhe · Project coordination, 360° panoramic capture, location of the images on the map and in 3D, virtual site walk, mobile applications and data protection.
ANGERMEIER INGENIEURE GmbH
Stuttgart · Engineering surveying: high-resolution 3D capture with laser scanning, photogrammetry and mobile mapping, post-processing, BIM models, floor plans, sections and GIS interface.
Fraunhofer IPM
Freiburg · Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques: AI-based interpretation of the 3D point clouds and panoramic images – neural networks, training data, sensor fusion and robotic capture platforms.
Verband für Sicherheitstechnik e.V.
Hamburg · Security technology expertise under subcontract: requirements analysis, selection of the relevant objects and hazards, evaluation of the results from a perimeter security perspective.
Funded by
Invest BW – Innovation IV
Funded by the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism) under Invest BW – Innovation IV, financed from state funds approved by the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg. Funding reference BW9_1271/01.
VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH
Project management agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs for Invest BW – provides technical and administrative support for the project throughout its entire duration.
Frequently asked questions
What does KRITIS mean?
Critical infrastructure (German: Kritische Infrastrukturen): facilities whose failure would cause significant supply shortages or endanger public safety. The German KRITIS umbrella act (KRITIS-Dachgesetz), in force since March 2026, names ten sectors: energy, transport and traffic, finance, social insurance and basic income support, healthcare, water, food, information technology and telecommunications, space, and municipal waste disposal. High-security facilities such as prisons are not covered by the act but place the same demands on their perimeter security – KRITIS3D is designed for both.
What is perimeter security?
All structural and technical measures at the outer boundary of a site: fences, walls, gates, access protection, open areas and their surveillance. It is a facility's first line of defense.
Does KRITIS3D replace the security expert?
No. The process chain captures everything and flags anomalies; the assessment and the derivation of measures remain with the specialists – on screen instead of on foot, traceable and repeatable.
What role does the KRITIS umbrella act play?
With the KRITIS-Dachgesetz (KRITIS umbrella act), Germany transposes EU Directive 2022/2557 on the resilience of critical entities (CER) into national law. Operators must then carry out and document risk analyses regularly – including for the physical protection of their premises. KRITIS3D is intended to make this evidence efficient and objective.
Can I use KRITIS3D today?
The fully automated process chain is being developed as a prototype until January 2028 – but its building blocks are available today: with DIGIBAU 360 and Construction Photos you document your facility completely in 360°, geolocate the images and walk through them on screen. Early adopters test the new functions with us at their own facility and help shape what the demonstrator has to deliver. Get in touch with us.
Who can take part?
Operators of critical infrastructure, security service providers and planning offices who would like to contribute test facilities or requirements. Associated partners gain early insight into the results.
Do you operate a facility with perimeter security?
We are looking for operators and security experts to test the demonstrator with us at real facilities. Get in touch.