3D Maps Are Now Possible

Turning 2D data into 3D for maps  (credit: Vricon)

A myriad of Earth monitoring satellites constantly gather photographic, landscape, and environmental measurements. With all the 'big data' sets , it is not surprising maps constructed in 3-dimensions are appearing.

Maxar Technologies based in Colorado is taking this satellite geo-spatial data to create maps for a person, company, or organization's specific areas of interest. The Company's technology can utilize all available satellite imagery along with other remote sensing information because the data does not need to be captured as traditional stereo pairs. Building a 3D landscape of hills, valleys, coastal zones, or cities is automatic and highly efficient. Thousands of square kilometers of precision data is easily updated with photo-realistic textures that create 3D representations.

The current uses of 3D maps already includes: military intelligence; coastal sea level rise measurements for building community resilience; landscape maps environmental conservation; and new city designs for planning more efficient transportation networks. The uses of 3D maps are limited only by the imagination. A video illustrates some examples. WHB

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