City of Grand Rapids, MI Implements Pictometry Technology

[ModSquad]

Grand Rapids Implements Pictometry Technology

From the article:

ROCHESTER, NY, July 10, 2007 -- Pictometry International Corp., the worldwide leader in digital, aerial oblique imagery and easy-to-use measuring software systems today announced that the City of Grand Rapids, MI has selected the company's aerial imaging solution for use in real property assessment, planning, public safety, GIS, and other applications. The City of Grand Rapids, MI, occupies 45.3 square miles in the central western region of the state and has an estimated population of 200,000 residents.

Pictometry's industry-leading software enables users to easily access up to 20 different oblique (at an angle in a 3D-like manner) views of any property, building, highway, or other feature. The software also enables users to obtain measurements such as distance, height, elevation, and area directly from the oblique imagery as well as overlay GIS data and create fully textured Pictometry Real3D models.

The City is currently undergoing a complete reevaluation of real properties and will be utilizing Pictometry as part of the reevaluation process. "Pictometry provides us a great way to visually verify property information that will enable us to accurately and cost effectively arrive at proper valuations for all our citizens and property owners," said Grand Rapids City Assessor Glen Beekman.

Pictometry systems have found significant acceptance in local governments for a wide range of applications that enable government agencies and personnel to improve operational efficiencies, reduce expenses, and in the case of public safety, to help save lives.

[snoogit]

sounds really cool!

I hope they would release this data to the public, as long as its appropriate.

[ModSquad]

sounds really cool!

I hope they would release this data to the public, as long as its appropriate.

[Rizzo]

Very cool, I'd definitely like to get my hands on this. No I don't think this is Enemy of The State quality. When I think of this type of quality I think of live imagery from helicopter angle, but with satellite's ability to be anywhere. The imagery is updated once every two years at something like 6 inch resolution -- very good, but to a point. It's good, but just good enough to get a feel for a property, roof lines, landscape, etc. Say if GR SWAT needed to gather surveillance on a local crack house and needed property information to plot a perimeter.

I saw the resolution of these images and at zero zoom you can't make out anything specific. People are visible, but at 200% its so pixelated that you can't tell what your looking at. To give you an idea -- an average sized male is represented by a grouping of pixes about 9-10 pixels high, by 3-4 pixels wide.

[Veloise]

Very cool, I'd definitely like to get my hands on this. No I don't think this is Enemy of The State quality. When I think of this type of quality I think of live imagery from helicopter angle, but with satellite's ability to be anywhere. The imagery is updated once every two years at something like 6 inch resolution -- very good, but to a point. It's good, but just good enough to get a feel for a property, roof lines, landscape, etc. Say if GR SWAT needed to gather surveillance on a local crack house and needed property information to plot a perimeter.

I saw the resolution of these images and at zero zoom you can't make out anything specific. People are visible, but at 200% its so pixelated that you can't tell what your looking at. To give you an idea -- an average sized male is represented by a grouping of pixes about 9-10 pixels high, by 3-4 pixels wide.

[wingbert]

Very cool, I'd definitely like to get my hands on this. No I don't think this is Enemy of The State quality. When I think of this type of quality I think of live imagery from helicopter angle, but with satellite's ability to be anywhere. The imagery is updated once every two years at something like 6 inch resolution -- very good, but to a point. It's good, but just good enough to get a feel for a property, roof lines, landscape, etc. Say if GR SWAT needed to gather surveillance on a local crack house and needed property information to plot a perimeter.

I saw the resolution of these images and at zero zoom you can't make out anything specific. People are visible, but at 200% its so pixelated that you can't tell what your looking at. To give you an idea -- an average sized male is represented by a grouping of pixes about 9-10 pixels high, by 3-4 pixels wide.

[allbusiness]

I love the fact that Dave's comment:

"What if they shoot my building and I happen to be walking around in my underwear?"

Was immediately followed by Rizzo, saying:

"Very cool, I'd definitely like to get my hands on this."

[torgo]

I also think it would be very cool to have access to this information. My question is with ability to "easily access up to 20 different oblique (at an angle in a 3D-like manner) views of any property, building, highway, or other feature," it is starting to look like an "Enemy of the State" technology. What if they shoot my building and I happen to be walking around in my underwear?

[drinsema-sybenga]

This already has been an issue with Google Maps new Street View function.

Time Magazine Article

I assume you are kidding, but personally, I am not concerned with this "enemy of the state" at all. Nothing you see is real-time (I imagine the first time the public sees them they will be 6 months old), and I the resolution won't be nearly good enough to make out identifiable features like license plates (or underwear, or...other things... : ). What I do wonder about is the cost. I'm sure that a regular black-and-white set of orthophotos ain't cheap, and these, assuming they will be full color 6" resolution or better, have got to be a heckuva lot more than those. It will look pretty awesome, though.

[michaelskis]

We just received it here in portage. Next week I have a full day training on how to use it, modify it, and to manipulate it in our GIS programs.

They have several points where they take 4 photos and images are based on the view from that point. It is still 2D, but can give multiple views of the same object. It can however be georeferenced into a TIN file and overlaid into a topo base to create a 3 dimension model... But it takes a lot of work and time.

[torgo]

This already has been an issue with Google Maps new Street View function.

Time Magazine Article

[Rizzo]

To give you an idea here are some images from PIC:

At zero zoom:

Don't bother zooming, anything beyond this and you're looking at blended pixels.