Leicestershire, UK, 26 March 2015 — Aerial mapping company Bluesky has invested in a second 260 megapixel digital aerial framing camera. The UltraCam Eagle, purchased from Microsoft’s photogrammetry division, is the most recent addition to the Leicestershire based company’s portfolio of state of the art aerial mapping equipment.
This already includes their first UltraCam Eagle, purchased last year, as well as the world’s first fully integrated LiDAR, thermal and imaging system. The latest acquisition follows the award of a number of large aerial mapping contracts as well as a commitment by Bluesky to capture 70,000 square kilometres of high resolution aerial photography of Ireland.
“We have been extremely pleased with the performance and output of the UltraCam Eagle since we acquired our first system last year,” commented Rachel Tidmarsh, Managing Director of Bluesky. “This gave us the confidence to purchase a second system in order to increase our capacity to fulfil a number of large imaging contracts.”
“The purchase of a second UltraCam Eagle by Bluesky, a globally respected aerial mapping provider, builds on the existing relationship with Microsoft established over many years with the purchase and use of previous systems,” added Alexander Wiechert, Microsoft Business Director. “They have already proven this technology works for them and this latest addition will support the continued international growth of the business.”
The most innovative and advanced system to date third generation UltraCam Eagle, as purchased by Bluesky, includes the largest PAN frame image footprint of any ultra large format camera; more than 20,000 pixels. Custom electronics that deliver 3.7 gigabytes of images per second resulting in a frame rate of less than 1.8 seconds and a storage capacity of nearly four thousand images will allow Bluesky to capture more data in less time. The UltraCam Eagle is also compact and lightweight, taking up less space in the aircraft and providing the utmost in fuel economy.
“We have already proven the UltraCam Eagle allows us to capture more data, in less time, completing mapping projects in fewer flight lines with greater efficiency,” concluded James Eddy, Technical Director of Bluesky. “The data also fits seamlessly into our existing workflows supporting the ongoing creation and update of the first National Tree Map, solar mapping projects and our ultra-high resolution aerial survey services.”
