Aerial Mapping Aerial Photography
Photography is the traditional, and still most common, method of aerial mapping.
Aerial photography has the following advantages because it can be:
- Used to produce extremely detailed, high resolution imagery;
- Targeted and quickly deployed to specific project areas; and
- Used as a detailed base for Aerial Photo Interpretation (API) to map physical features such as vegetation types.
- Photogrammetric techniques can be used to develop a detailed 3D model that can be used for the production of digital mapping products.
These digital mapping products include digital elevation data, which can be represented as contours or DEMs, high-resolution digital ortho-photography, and features as diverse as building outlines, vegetation communities, and flood boundaries.
While many alternate mapping companies continue to use outdated technology such as mechanical stereoplotters for the aerial photography process, Terranean has adopted an entirely digital environment, which provides clients with greater data flexibility and improved efficiency. Terranean also uses specialised software to colour balance and seamlessly mosaic images.
Digital ortho-photography has proven particularly valuable in GIS and mapping applications. The depth of information that can be extracted from this imagery is a perfect supplement to traditional mapping data. Many users overlay the ortho-photography with traditional mapping data layers such as zoning, utilities, property ownership, mineral rights or any other planimetric or cadastral data. This enables the user to view these data layers in the context of the surrounding landscape and provides significant benefits for interpretation and analysis.
An essential step in this digital process is scanning the photographic film. An Australian leader in high precision scanning of aerial photography, Terranean Mapping Technologies uses a Vexcel Imaging VX4000HT photogrammetric scanning system, which combined with our highly skilled technicians, enables us to produce scanned products of exceptional quality. The VX4000, used almost exclusively by the US Navy on their aircraft carriers, is widely regarded by Photogrammetry, GIS, and Intelligence/Reconnaissance professionals worldwide as the ultimate in scanning systems.
Terranean also has expertise in using Colour Infrared Photography (CIR), which is produced by a colour emulsion sensitised to see vegetation as shades of red representing specific wavelengths of the light spectrum. As with the infrared band of satellite remote sensing, CIR photography is mainly used in environmental applications, such as vegetation mapping and monitoring plant health.
Oblique photography, which is useful for marketing purposes or to highlight particular features, can also be captured, processed, and presented by Terranean.
Terranean is a recognised leader in the application of aerial photography. Examples of successful projects in the fields of Local Government, environment and mining and infrastructure are included in the Industries Section.