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

Aerial survey specialist Bluesky has launched a new digital map layer, which accurately models the location and extent of trees and their proximity to buildings.  Designed as a tool to aid insurance assessors, property developers and Local Authority Planners, ProximiTREE provides the exact spatial location and height of individual trees together with the circumference of its canopy.  From this information a determination can be made of the root extent and the potential impact on either existing or proposed buildings.

Building subsidence is estimated to cost the insurance industry in excess of £500 million after each dry year and is usually the second most expensive insured peril after fire. Concern about the location of trees is a major worry to house owners, not only when trees cause damage through subsidence but also because the proximity of trees can jeopardise house purchases, insurance claims, planning applications, mortgage loans and may even cause disputes between neighbours. 

“ProximiTREE is designed to provide an easy-to-use reference base for all decisions relating to the location of trees and their proximity to either existing or proposed developments,” commented James Eddy, Operations Director at Bluesky. “Derived from the most detailed and up-to-date aerial photography it is suitable for use by property developers, Local Authority users and insurance companies in fact any one involved in the ownership, management or development of property close to trees.”

ProximiTREE is derived from the most accurate and up to date aerial photography. Using overlapping images the exact location of every tree can be mapped and the height and extent of its canopy derived. ProximiTREE is suitable for use in most desktop Geographical Information Systems (GIS), web mapping applications and Computer Aided Design (CAD) packages. Both 2D and 3D versions of the map are available and ProximiTREE works alongside existing Bluesky datasets such as 3D buildings, terrain models and aerial imagery.

Website: www.bluesky-world.com

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Notes for editors

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.

Aerial survey specialist Bluesky is making a valuable contribution to the life-saving work of the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance. In lieu of the more traditional festive activity of sending Christmas cards and gifts Bluesky has made a donation to the local charity, contributing to the £1.5 million per year needed to run the service. The Bluesky donation will help Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA) continue to respond to emergency calls, carrying medical staff who provide on the scene treatment before patients are transported to the most appropriate hospital.

“We rely solely on voluntary donations from local companies, organisations and the community we serve,” commented Barbara Parish, Regional Fundraising Manager. “Every donation, no matter how small, really makes a difference and we would encourage other companies to follow Bluesky’s example and help us save lives this Christmas.”

The DLRAA is a new air ambulance service that took over from County Air Ambulance on 1 April 2008. Based at East Midlands Airport the DLRAA’s primary response area is 2,100 square miles of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, serving in excess of 1.4 million people. With the M1 dissecting the regions traffic, accidents are common and the Air Ambulance provides an essential service responding to any incident, regardless of cost, where land ambulances are unable to access the scene or where transfer by land ambulance would be too slow or create more injury to the patient.

“We decided to support the DLRAA as they are a local organisation providing a life saving service,” said Rachel Tidmarsh, Managing Director of Bluesky. “From their base at East Midlands Airport, the DLRAA takes just six minutes to reach the Leicester Royal Infirmary, under five minutes to get the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary and Glenfield Hospital and just three minutes to Queens Hospital in Nottingham. Receiving rapid and appropriate medical treatment is paramount with significantly increased chances of survival if specialist trauma treatment is received within sixty minutes after an accident.”

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.

Croydon Council has taken delivery of an historic photomap providing a snapshot of the South London borough shortly after the end of WWII. Created by aerial survey company Bluesky, the image database is produced from original aerial photographs captured by the RAF in the late 1940’s. Consisting of more than 300 unique images that have been scanned and georeferenced to create a seamless, digital, map accurate database, the Bluesky photomap will be used by various Council teams to support decision making with Building Control, Planning and the Pollution service, being initial users.  

The historic Bluesky photomap was created from more than 300 original aerial photographs, captured by the RAF between the period 1946 to 1948 as part of an effort to update the then out of date 1930’s Ordnance Survey maps and chart the reconstruction of post war Britain. Each image was scanned using high-end scanning machines, (Vexcel Ultrascan 5000 Photogrammetric Flatbed Scanners), to create digital image files which have high geometric accuracy and image quality. The images were georeferenced and mosaiced together to enable a seamless, map accurate image database.

“The post war period is significant for many reasons,” commented Les Haines, Survey and Mapping Officer at Croydon Council. “Like other parts of London, Croydon experienced considerable bomb damage during the war and this is evident in the Bluesky photomap. In addition July 1948 is an important date, as the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act came into effect, introducing the concept of Planning Permission and forming the foundation of modern planning policy. Consequently Planners still need, on occasion to establish what was on site at this time.”

Croydon Council has already introduced the Bluesky photomap within their Building Control division, in fact within days of taking delivery the image database was used to clarify issues being experienced on a site in Norbury. “The site developer and Building Control Officer were having trouble excavating the footings and were unable to find solid ground,” continued Les. “The house appeared to be pre-war, however a quick look at the Bluesky imagery showed in fact a derelict site, following bomb damage, proving the dwelling had been faithfully reconstructed on a foundation of rubble. Our World War Two bomb map had either not marked this incident or recorded the location incorrectly.”    

Bluesky is a UK-based specialist in aerial imaging and remote sensing data collection and processing.  An internationally recognised leader with projects expanding around the globe, Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography, 3D landscape/cityscape visualisations, and 3D prints.  Bluesky also runs a national mapping centre, providing digital maps, site plans, satellite imagery, aerial photography and ultra-high resolution imagery of cities and towns.