Aerial mapping is evolving rapidly, with more ways for us to map, measure, visualise and interpret the built environment than ever before, says Aerometrex managing director Mark Deuter.
The development of aerial mapping can be traced back to military applications developed between the two world wars. From the 1950s onwards, mapping from large-format aerial film cameras became commonplace and entire continents were charted.
Aerial photography and mapping specialist Aerometrex has been around since 1980 and has undertaken some of Australia’s largest aerial surveys.
Deuter says recent technological advances have taken giant strides forward with “increasing sophistication of cameras” and airborne Lidar systems (a portmanteau of light and radar) that directly measure “up to a million ground points per second”. Cloud computing also means “the vast amounts of information we collect is available to the consumer via the web”.
Aerometrex’s MetroMap, for example, is an aerial imagery data service with high-quality and accurate imagery available to subscribers.
“Google did a great job of capturing the whole world, but it’s low resolution and some of it is out of date,” Deuter explains.
“We’ve built our own aerial camera system with six-centimetre resolution. The best satellite imagery available is 30-centimetre resolution, so ours is much more interpretable and provides extraordinary detail.
“Our capture program covers every capital city four times a year, so you are getting imagery that is typically less than three months old. It’s like Google Earth on steroids – it’s so accurate that people can take measurements from it.”
Aerometrex’s technology is particularly valuable when comparing developments over time. “We have some imagery from Sydney that goes back to 1943. You can see the slit trenches and naval installations in Darling Harbour,” he adds.
How has Aerometrex adapted to the ‘new normal’?
“Covid hasn’t slowed us down at all. We’ve been enjoying the relatively free airspace.” And, with few planes taking off, Aerometrex has “ramped up our capture program in capital cities and some regions,” Deuter explains.
Aerometrex has undertaken a range of large projects overseas and is currently setting up a US office to cater to demand for its 3D modelling service. In April, Aerometrex acquired rival company Spookfish Australia. The move means Aerometrex is now collaborating with Spookfish’s parent company, EagleView, on analytics and 3D imaging technology.
What does this all mean for the property industry?
“Having up-to-date information in a consumable form means people can make better decisions,” Deuter concludes.