ESRI (UK) has selected aerial photography from Bluesky to include in its new GIS for Schools Programme. Designed to help teachers meet national curriculum requirements and make lessons more engaging, the programme includes a choice of Geographical Information System (GIS) software together with maps, data, lesson plans and tutorials for an annual cost of £250. The inclusion of aerial photography from Bluesky ensures schools who sign up to the programme will have access via the Internet to the latest, most detailed aerial photography for the whole of England and Wales together with most of Scotland.

The ESRI (UK) GIS for Schools Programme offers subscribing organisations a choice of GIS software: DigitalWorlds, an easy to use GIS based on ESRI technology, suitable for a school just starting with GIS, or ArcView 9.3, a more advanced GIS, completely compatible with DigitalWorlds. DigitalWorlds recently received a Highly Commended Award 2009 from the Geographical Association where it was judged as “… likely to make a significant contribution to geographical education.”

The Bluesky supplied GeoPerspectives aerial photography included in the GIS for Schools Programme provides schools with online access to the most up to date imagery, at resolutions of up to 12.5 cm for urban centres and 25 cm for the whole of England and Wales. The imagery is the perfect complement to other maps and data offered in the package, including Ordnance Survey maps, both modern and historical, 2001 census data, satellite imagery, street level mapping and economic and demographic data from the CIA World Factbook.

“Aerial photography is ideal for use in schools at both an introductory and more advanced level, as pupils are comfortable with it thanks to online mapping portals such as Google Earth,” commented Richard Pole, Education Consultant at ESRI (UK) and founder of DigitalWorlds. “We selected the GeoPerspectives imagery from Bluesky as it provided the best coverage and resolution, complementing the other map layers and data and enhancing the overall offering.”

“This is an important agreement for Bluesky,” commented Rachel Tidmarsh, Managing Director of Bluesky International. “The ESRI (UK) vision is to get GIS into every secondary school over the next five years and we are delighted that Bluesky can support this through the supply of GeoPerspectives aerial photography.”

www.wildgoose.ac

For further information or a copy of the catalogue, please call Wildgoose on 01530 518568.

Reader enquiries to Kathryn Lucas at Wildgoose on 01530 518568

Leicestershire, UK, 05 November 2009 – Homeowners in West Yorkshire, UK, will soon be able to go online to see the heat loss from their property.  Following airborne surveys by aerial mapping firm Bluesky, the property level thermal map together with high-resolution aerial photography are to be provided online by Calderdale Council.  The council’s re-launched Calderdale Maps Online service will offer interactive maps together with new features such as address look ups and find my nearest.

The first phase of the relaunch will be the property level heat loss map created by Bluesky following a thermal aerial survey in March 2009. The interactive map will allow visitors to the website to check the thermal efficiency of their home or business property and then access further web pages detailing what measures can be taken to reduce heat loss.  In the case of homeowners, how they can apply for free or discounted loft and cavity wall insulation. Visitors to the site can also choose to view the data in an accessible way through an address look up form that returns property specific heat loss information in a text friendly format.

The latest online evolution is designed to allow the customer greater flexibility in terms of self service and the use of good quality geographic information was seen as fundamental to its take up and success. “The aim of the thermal survey and online map created by Bluesky is to raise awareness of energy efficiency amongst the householders and business owners of Calderdale and to encourage householders to have their property insulated,” commented Debbie Chew of the Environmental Management Team.

The thermal efficiency information is also being made available internally via the Council’s intranet mapping tool giving officers across the organisation access to the data. “In a more strategic channel the Corporate GIS Team will be working with the Private Sector Housing Team to analyse the data and target areas of the district where insulation is most required,” added Craig Moulding, Corporate GIS Manager.

The second phase of the online project will be the full transposition of information from the Council’s existing mapping portal to a new web application. Utilising the latest technology, interactive maps will be embedded within pages across the site providing visitors with access to a plethora of council datasets such as conservation and heritage, public rights of way and environmental and planning issues. The chosen data can be viewed with either Ordnance Survey mapping or Bluesky’s high resolution, 2009 aerial photography as a background.

Calderdale are long-term users of aerial photography pioneering in their deployment of the information rich resource by the Internet and Council Intranet. This has encouraged the use of data which in turn has established aerial photography as an essential tool in many departments, for example within the planning enforcement process. “As well as helping to build a picture of a site, and its changes over a period of time, aerial photography has been used on countless occasions to prove or disprove the existence of a development or change of land use. This is particularly important as development becomes immune from planning enforcement action after a certain period of time,” commented Robert Rose of the Planning Enforcement Team.

Website: www.bluesky-world.com

All enquiries to Bluesky on +44 (0)1530 518 518

Notes to Editor:

Bluesky is a UK-based specialist in aerial imaging and remote sensing data collection and processing.  An internationally recognised leader with projects extending around the globe, Bluesky is proud to work with prestigious organisations such as Google, the BBC and Government Agencies.

Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography, 3D landscape/cityscape visualisations and prints and also runs a national mapping centre, providing digital mapping, satellite imagery and aerial photography including ultra-high resolution imagery of cities and towns.

www.bluesky-world.com

Leicestershire, UK, 02 November 2009 – James Eddy, Technical Director of aerial survey company Bluesky, has been appointed Chairman of a steering group providing advice and guidance to G-STEP a University of Leicester service designed to maximise the use of satellite imagery by businesses.

G-STEP (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) – Space Technology Exchange Partnership) will build on the work of the flagship, multi billion euro European Commission / European Space Agency programme GMES. The role of G-STEP is to work in partnership with businesses to support them in the pioneering use and development of Earth Observation data projects.

“With the establishment of G-STEP some of the biggest barriers to the wider use of satellite data in the UK have been addressed. Namely knowledge, ease of access and relevance to business operation,” commented Adam Edwards, G-STEP Business Manager. “Earth Observation technology is currently under exploited yet has the potential to revolutionise business in a similar manner to the information technology expansion.”

“Bluesky are expected to be one of the pioneering businesses highlighting the potential of Earth Observation data and technologies and James is providing valuable insights as to how G-STEP needs to position itself to develop the market,” continued Edwards.

“This appointment is a real honour,” added James Eddy. “Earth Observation data is not just about expensive satellites orbiting the earth it also covers data from aircraft and ground observations too. With more than 20 years experience developing and maximising the use of remotely sensed data I hope that I can help other businesses derive value and benefit from its exploitation.”

G-STEP draws on the substantial expertise and knowledge base established within the University of Leicester’s wide-ranging scientific programme in Earth Observation (EO) which already has strong connections to GMES. It will also draw strategic partners, such as Bluesky, into the knowledge-exchange hub to provide immediate access to a broad range of applications for non-EO and EO specialist companies.

G-STEP can broker existing solutions through its extensive knowledge of the EO data, information and commercial industry contacts. It can provide partnership, as appropriate, to develop new EO solutions for customer needs. It can also set up collaborative projects with some seed funding for new developments for downstream products and services or innovative new applications. G-STEP is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through EMDA (East Midlands Development Agency), the Leicester Shire Economic Partnership (LSEP) and the University of Leicester.

Website: www.bluesky-world.com

 Telephone: +44 (0)1530 518 518

Notes to Editor:

Bluesky

Bluesky is a UK-based specialist in aerial imaging and remote sensing data collection and processing.  An internationally recognised leader with projects extending around the globe, Bluesky is proud to work with prestigious organisations such as Google, the BBC and Government Agencies.

Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography, 3D landscape/cityscape visualisations and prints and also runs a national mapping centre, providing digital mapping, satellite imagery and aerial photography including ultra-high resolution imagery of cities and towns.

www.bluesky-world.com

G-STEP (GMES Space and Technology Exchange Partnership) is a University of Leicester-based knowledge-exchange hub to support and accelerate business and policy exploitation of Earth Observation (EO) data and information services. G-STEP will innovate, partner and broker the developments of new EO applications for its client base.

G-STEP is a business-facing service platform established in 2009 to support business and public sector organisations in the use of state-of-the-art Earth Observation information technology. The exploitation of this technology is expected to have a major impact on business operations and competitiveness.

G-STEP seeks to connect with businesses and organisations to support them in pioneering GMES product development (sourcing business) and in utilising GMES services in commercial and business applications (supporting business). This project is the first GMES accelerator initiative in the UK.

www2.le.ac.uk/projects/g-step

Coalville, Leicestershire, UK, October 2009 – Aerial survey company Bluesky has launched an easy-to-use property heat loss mapper to help Local Authorities view thermal data which is collected during airborne thermal imaging surveys.  The HELIOS (Heat Loss Investigation System) web based reporting tool, developed by Manchester Geomatics, will help energy and environment teams understand the results of thermal surveys and allow cross referencing of data with other information.

With fuel poverty and energy consumption high on both the political and personal agenda, HELIOS allows survey results to be presented in a visually appealing and easily understandable manner.  HELIOS is designed to manage multiple data types enabling the cross referencing of thermal mapping with geo-demographic data such as Census information, building classification mapping and land use.  It also matches address information including the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG), base mapping from Ordnance Survey, and other custom data layers such as the energy consumption compiled by BERR.

This powerful combination of information will help Local Authorities identify opportunities to engage with residents and the business community about suitable insulation grants, consumption advice and renewable energy products thus helping to measure and report on National Indicators and Performance Targets. 

“Fuel consumption and energy efficiency are ‘hot’ topics impacting not only on the environment but on the purse of every business, household and individual,” commented Rachel Tidmarsh, Managing Director of Bluesky. “By providing Local Authorities with up-to-date, building level thermal imagery plus the tools they need to analyse and communicate this information rich resource we can help reduce consumption, protect at risk residents and preserve the environment.” 

The end-to-end solution offered by Bluesky to Local Authorities includes a cost effective airborne thermal survey service measuring building roof heat loss levels across an entire city in just one evening plus a bespoke thermal mapping service creating intelligent energy consumption and fuel poverty maps to support energy strategies and local campaigns. By using HELIOS, Councils can now easily analyse complex data from multiple sources and share results with colleagues, partner organisations and members of the public. Bluesky has many years of successfully delivering thermal survey solutions to Local Authorities and help assemble, host and manage a HELIOS installation on behalf of an organisation.

Website: www.bluesky-world.com 

Editor’s Notes:

Bluesky is a UK-based specialist in aerial imaging and remote sensing data collection and processing.  An internationally recognised leader with projects extending around the globe, Bluesky is proud to work with prestigious organisations such as Google, the BBC and Government Agencies.

Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography, 3D landscape/cityscape visualisations and prints and also runs a national mapping centre, providing digital mapping, satellite imagery and aerial photography including ultra-high resolution imagery of cities and towns.

www.bluesky-world.com

Manchester Geomatics (MGL) is a geo-consultancy firm.  MGL create bespoke software solutions and consultancy to support the management, presentation and analysis of spatially referenced socio-economic data.  They also specialise in address quality assurance consultancy and software tools to audit and maintain address and spatial data holdings. 

Ten years experience developing web based Local Information and Data Management Systems has resulted in a range of functionally rich, easy-to-use solutions, including most recently, HELIOS. MGL have successfully delivered several national projects relating to address cleansing, standardisation and matching and have expertise in optimising large databases for efficient throughput and querying of information. 

www.mgeomatics.com

Computer generated 3D visualisations are being used to assess the environmental impact of a proposed redevelopment at one of Britain’s industrial landmarks in the north of England. Environmental and engineering consultancy URS Corporation is using digital terrain data from Bluesky to help complete the planning for the major redevelopment project.  The Bluesky Digital Surface Model (DSM) will be used to generate a Zone of Visual Influence for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment.

Due to the location of the proposed development, it was essential that the source data was as up-to-date as possible and included recently upgraded motorways and intersections.  Bluesky was able to offer URS a range of solutions, including NEXTMap height data, a fantastic cost effective product, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey or their own off-the-shelf 3D model. “It soon became apparent, during early discussions, that Bluesky’s own GeoPerspectives data was the only commercially available height dataset which included the specific section of the upgraded A1(M) that was critical for this project,” commented Ben Stephenson, Environmental Consultant URS Corporation Ltd.

URS selected the data for use within an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on behalf of one of their clients. An EIA is a multi-stage process that considers the environmental effects of development proposals during demolition, site preparation, construction and operational phases and proposes ways to eliminate, reduce or mitigate any significant adverse effects on the environment.

Once submitted to the relevant planning authority the EIA documents are critically evaluated, and if necessary, further information is sought from the applicant in order to ensure the authority has sufficiently reliable information to understand the likely environmental effects and proposed mitigation measures before the planning application is determined.

The Bluesky DSM data supplied to URS Corp for this study is part of the GeoPerspectives product range, which offers nationwide coverage of highly accurate, photogrammetrically derived Digital Terrain Models (the earth’s surface excluding buildings and vegetation) and Digital Surface Models (the earth’s surface including buildings and vegetation). Bluesky is also able to provide ultra detailed LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data and services covering the majority of England and Wales including all major urban centres, coastal areas and flood plains.

Website: www.bluesky-world.com

Editorial enquiries, contact Robert Peel on tel. +44 (0)1666 823306

Colour separation requests – please fax only to +44 (0)1666 824 668

All reader enquiries to Bluesky sales on +44 (0)1530 518 518

Editor’s Notes:

Bluesky is a UK-based specialist in aerial imaging and remote sensing data collection and processing.  An internationally recognised leader with projects extending around the globe, Bluesky is proud to work with prestigious organisations such as Google, the BBC and Government Agencies. Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography, 3D landscape/cityscape visualisations and prints and also runs a national mapping centre, providing digital mapping, satellite imagery and aerial photography including ultra-high resolution imagery of cities and towns.

www.bluesky-world.com

High-resolution aerial photography and colour infrared imagery supplied by Bluesky is being used to help preserve Britain’s hedgerows.  In a pioneering new development by Environment Systems – a geographic and environmental information consultancy – hedgerow features are being mapped automatically from the image data, considerably reducing the time and cost involved in more traditional field mapping exercises.

Hedgerows are a highly valued resource, but receive little protection under planning and environmental regulations.  As a result there has been a huge loss of hedgerows over the last 50 years. Hedgerows are a respected part of our cultural heritage and historic record, essential for marking ownership boundaries and controlling the movement of livestock, however with the availability of accurate maps, GPS and fencing these reasons are now less valid. In today’s world hedgerows are becoming increasingly important for their great value to wildlife and the natural landscape.  They also play an important role in preventing soil loss, reducing pollution, and for their potential to regulate water supply and reduce flooding. 

For a major habitat and environmental resource there is no exact record of the extent of hedgerows in Britain, and such data is prohibitively expensive to provide by field survey. Environment Systems, using the Bluesky data, has developed a semi-automated methodology for hedgerow mapping. The red, green, blue and colour infrared spectral bands of the imagery are optimised and automated digitising techniques are used to extract hedgerow features. The output from this process is a geographic information system (GIS) ready polygon hedgerow dataset complete with length, areas and condition indicator attributes.

“The key driver for this research has been to develop a rapid, low cost approach, requiring little operator interaction, to produce a hedgerow baseline that identifies the presence and extent of hedgerows over large areas,” commented Steve Keyworth, Director of Aberystwyth based Environment Systems Ltd. “The Bluesky data is ideal for this as it provides the key input; four band digital imagery, at a sufficiently high resolution with the most up to date coverage.” Environment Systems has seen considerable interest from local authorities and government organisations, keen to produce a cost-effective record of this important habitat and landscape resource.

The data supplied by Bluesky for this development project is part of the GeoPerspectives product range, which offers nationwide coverage of high resolution, up to date aerial photography and CIR imagery, photogrammetrically derived Digital Terrain Models (the earth’s surface excluding buildings and vegetation) and Digital Surface Models (the earth’s surface including buildings and vegetation). Bluesky is also able to provide ultra detailed LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data and services and a Thermal Survey capability. GeoPerspectives data is available to purchase online at www.bluesky-world.com.

Website: www.bluesky-world.com

Editorial enquiries, contact Robert Peel on tel. +44 (0)1666 823306

Colour separation requests – please fax only to +44 (0)1666 824 668

All reader enquiries to Bluesky sales on +44 (0)1530 518 518

Editor’s Notes:

Bluesky is a UK-based specialist in aerial imaging and remote sensing data collection and processing.  An internationally recognised leader with projects extending around the globe, Bluesky is proud to work with prestigious organisations such as Google, the BBC and Government Agencies.

Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography, 3D landscape/cityscape visualisations and prints and also runs a national mapping centre, providing digital mapping, satellite imagery and aerial photography including ultra-high resolution imagery of cities and towns.

www.bluesky-world.com