28 February 2006

Ordnance Survey brings revolutionary Pictometry technology to Great Britain

Ordnance Survey is offering business and government customers across Great Britain the chance to go "beyond the image" with a revolutionary integrated system for viewing, measuring and planning the built and natural landscape.

Pictometry technology combines packages of oblique and vertical aerial images with a viewing software application designed to enable accurate measurements.  

It is based on the idea of viewing the size, shape and design of features from a range of different angles, including the four points of the compass.

Access to multiple perspectives is particularly useful for emergency services, insurers, town planners and others requiring a detailed view of the elevation and surroundings of buildings. It enables users to see features in their entirety and visualise and measure the spatial relationships between them. Users do not require specialist knowledge to operate the system.                           

"Pictometry is one of the first products in the world to be based on the concept of geospatial fusion," says Ordnance Survey’s Senior Product Manager Stuart Pretty. "This means that it combines aerial images with a unique application, ensuring accurate measurements of features in their geographic context. Users can click on an image and pull up the underlying Ordnance Survey geographic data. This ability means they can effectively go beyond the image."  

Pictometry fits well with Ordnance Survey’s core datasets. It is positionally correct to the entire OS MasterMap intelligent data portfolio of Topography, Imagery, Address and Integrated Transport Network Layers. It can also be used in conjunction with Points of Interest data.

Ordnance Survey is using its sales and marketing resources to promote Pictometry following an invitation from Simmons Aerofilms, the UK partner of US-based Pictometry International Corp. Simmons Aerofilms will capture and process the images and supply image libraries and provide training to users. 

"There is growing recognition of the potential for Pictometry technology to support property management, contingency planning, tourism, transportation and many other uses," says Mr Pretty. "We are responding to customer need and delighted to add the Pictometry solution to our already extensive range of geographic information."

It is envisaged that Pictometry will be available from April 2006 under a two-year rolling production programme focusing on towns and cities across Great Britain.

 

^{Note for Editors:}

^{Ordnance Survey, the OS symbol and OS MasterMap are registered trademarks and Integrated Transport Network is a trademark of Ordnance Survey. Pictometry is a registered trademark of Pictometry International Corp.}

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Chief Press Officer - Scott Sinclair

Email: scott.sinclair@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2265

Senior Press Officer - Claire Carter

Email: claire.carter@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2568

Press Office fax: (+44) 023 8030 5295