Australian aerial mapper, Aerometrex Limited has announced new technological enhancements to their MetroMap program, designed to improve customer experience as well as expand and grow the market.

MetroMap is Aerometrex’s online aerial imagery subscription service that offers high-quality, accurate imagery to geospatial data users and corporate markets via a web browser interface.

The new tools in MetroMap include the addition of 3D models into the same web browser interface as the Company’s 2D aerial photo presentations. Additionally, speed improvements in the 3D viewer will enable 3D data to be refreshed quickly. A range of measurement tools has also been included for 3D modelled data, including 3D measurement vector and area measurements, and coordinate, height and slope point measurements.

Aerometrex also announced that the new MetroCam aerial camera system designed by its technical team and built in the United States by a specialist camera manufacturer is now fully operational. MetroCam enables highly efficient imagery capture from Aerometrex’s existing fleet of aircraft. High-flying cameras such as the MetroCam avoid high-traffic airspace over metropolitan areas, while still producing very high-resolution imagery.

MetroCam will produce 5cm imagery at the same flying height typically used to generate 7.5cm aerial imagery. At 5cm pixel size, MetroCam resolves 36x more pixels per unit area than the highest-resolution commercial satellite imagery.

The first MetroCam has been put into service over Adelaide and has produced very high-resolution imagery from high altitude flights.

The latest developments will allow Aerometrex to add high quality and accurate 2D imagery and 3D modelled data to its MetroMap subscription service.

The MetroMap subscription service is now operating Australia-wide, with four captures per annum being flown for most capital cities, and many regional cities and rural shires also being added to the database.

Aerometrex’s managing director, Mark Deuter said, “Today’s announcements represent two important developments for our MetroMap customers. MetroMap 3D is a convenient and user-friendly way to consume our 3D datasets. The tools even allow users to measure vertical faces of buildings or other 3D features. The ability to switch between 2D and 3D in the same web browser window is a much better user experience.

“We are delighted with the development timescale of MetroCam. To take a camera system from design to production in less than a year is a testament to our development team. MetroCam will empower our MetroMap aerial imagery capture program and will enable the Company much more control of this cost and development path. We are confident users will appreciate the additional resolution and excellent image quality.”

MetroMap is one of four Aerometrex business units, the others being LiDAR (laser-based light detecting and ranging), aerial photo contracting and high accuracy 3D modelling.