Positioning system and method for determining an operating position of an aerial device

Method for determining where to position a vehicle in an environmental space wherein the vehicle carries an extendible aerial device, characterized by the following steps:

• before the vehicle is deployed to a selected first position:
• positioning a computer-implemented mobile distance metering device proximate the first position within the environmental space wherein the mobile distance metering device is remote from the vehicle;
• determining a distance between the distance metering device and a selected remote surface point within the environmental space by means of the mobile distance metering device;
• recording the determined distance as distance data and transmitting the recorded distance data to a computer-implemented mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal is remote from the vehicle and the distance metering device;
• receiving by a processor of the mobile terminal a selection of an aerial device from a plurality of aerial devices;
• retrieving by the from a memory dimension data related to physical dimensions of the selected aerial device;
• calculating using a processor a virtual space from the received distance data corresponding to the environmental space;
• calculating using the processor a second position and/or a position range of a representation of the aerial device within the virtual space on the basis of the dimension data;
• generating using the processor a visual representation of the virtual space, wherein the visual representation comprises the representation of the selected aerial device at the second position and/or the position range in the virtual space and wherein the visual representation further comprises a representation of the selected aerial device extended from the second position and/or position range to a representation of the selected remote surface point and thereby indicating if the selected aerial device can be fully accommodated in the environmental space between the selected first position and the remote surface point taking into consideration the available space between the selected first position and the remote surface point and the physical dimensions of the selected aerial device;
• and
• displaying the visual representation on a display of the mobile terminal;
• wherein the dimension data comprise load limit data indicating different maximum loads of the selected aerial device related to positions of the selected aerial device, and the visual representation comprises a maximum load that may be carried by the selected aerial device when extended to the remote surface point.