Pict'Earth A NeoGeographical Approach to Aerial Image Acquisition and Processing
PictEarth presentation
Pict’Earth is a globally distributed team of GIS, Image Processing and Web professionals with a shared passion for High Definition Aerial Imaging. Since the advent of Virtual Globe Software including Google Earth, the team has taken a new direction. Beyond stunning 3D views and world wide image coverage, these applications and web services offer a platform previously only available to large companies and the military. Pict’Earth seeks to enable the geo community to do their own aerial imagery acquisition by developing easy to use client applications, and provide a platform in the cloud which performs basic image processing and rapidly delivers the resulting data in an easy to use way. Pict’Earth technology is based on Live Aerial Image Acquisition, Processing and Delivery.
PictEarth : neogeo, old story, new tools
A quick look back at Aerial ‘NeoGeography’
PictEarth : site specific base maps
GeoWeb has two main sources of information Large scale base maps
Site specific annotations (UGC, located adds..)
PictEarth : site specific base maps
GeoWeb has two main sources of information Large scale base maps
Something is missing
Site Specific Base Maps
Site specific annotations (UGC, located adds..)
PictEarth Gear
Beginner Setup
Beginner COTS RC model S60 Smartphones Downlink via GPRS/EDGE/3G PE LiveProcessing Mobile
Intermediate Setup
Intermediate COTS RC Model S60 Smartphones Live Video Downlink PE LiveProcessing Workstation
PictEarth Gear
Advanced Setup
Advanced COTS RC model Prosumer Digital Camera Live Video and GPS Downlink PE LiveProcessing Workstation Autonomous Capable
Ultimate Setup
Petrol Powered Paraglider Digital SLR Camera Live Video and GPS Downlink PE LiveProcessing Workstation Autonomous Capable
PictEarth Gear
Cessna 172
Rans Coyote Ultralight
To cover larger areas, the system can easily be mounted on a popular planes like Cessnas or Ultralights. The Imaging and GPS devices are connected directly to a laptop in the cockpit via USB. The whole set of gear fits in a backpack and is ready to run within 10 minutes.
PictEarth LiveProcessing Workstation
Pict’Earth LiveProcessing Applications use the latitude, longitude, altitude, surface elevation and bearing to calculate a “geoprint” for each captured image and display this in real time in Google Earth. These geoprint polygons are then filled with live low resolution video captures.
PictEarth Post Processing
The resulting spatial resolution is a function of the platforms height above the surface and the focal length of the camera. As the plane is closer to the ground the image ‘geoprints’ cover less area, but are higher resolution.
PictEarth Live Mobile Processing
Pict’Earth LiveProcessing Mobile performs this same operation in a single smartphone device. A KML file and geotagged images are generated during flight which can be loaded into a Virtual Globe once on the ground. Images and associated geodata can also be transferred to remote servers over GPRS/EDGE/3G/WiFi in flight dependent on an available network.
PictEarth Advanced Processing
From a series of raw geoprint calculated images, a mosaic is constructed by applying lens correction, selecting ground control points, warping, merging and blending the output. The output is a georeferenced image file that can be loaded into traditional GIS packages or served to web browser or virtual globe clients.
Science : Environmental studies
Posidonia Algae Mapping in the Mediterranean Sea. Using Pict'Earth you have the flexibility you need to do the job when optimal environmental conditions are met.
Crisis Emergency : live flood mapping
Flood Events in Southern France 2003 Provides a rapid tool to collect, process and integrate images in the decision process and not just in the after crisis reporting process.
Crisis Emergency : fire impact assessment
Wildfire Events in Southern California 2007 Tying images to their geocontext creates true value compared to simple live video feedback
PictEarth Applications – Land Land planning : aPlanning global look
Keep track of urban development, linked with other GIS data
Land planning : a closer look
Lets you keep track and report urban modification with high spatial and temporal resolution
PictEarth Applications – Urban Surveillance : findAreas out what is going on
Can operate in dense urban area and report
Specific events : a look from above
Image acquisition processing and integration over Burning Man 2007
Images are no longer a simple background, they become a source of information. Aerial Image Geodata is like any other source of information, its value is determined by its Accuracy Freshness Flexibility Pict'Earth Empowers users to create their own site specific base maps Thank you for your attention