On The Surface of it ...

On the surface of it…

There’s more to Bluesky Ireland data than just pictures…

Bluesky Ireland’s ambitious plans to capture aerial photography and create true orthophotography for the whole of the Republic of Ireland at high resolution also include the creation of the most advanced digital height data currently available for the whole of the Republic.

The height data being produced comprises not only a Digital Terrain Model (DTM), but also a very high-resolution Digital Surface Model (DSM). Most users are familiar with DTMs and their applications in flood modelling, civil engineering and visualisation etc. but DSMs represent an emerging type of elevation data which depict a combination of the terrain surface and above ground features such as buildings, trees, field boundaries and hedges as compared to a DTM, which just shows terrain ground values.

Whilst DSMs are not new, they have historically been of relatively low resolution and therefore of little practical use for most applications. Bluesky employs the very latest digital processing techniques based on high-quality stereo aerial photography which yields DSMs that are more accurate and widespread than anything else which is currently available for the Irish market.

DSMs produced by Bluesky are used for a growing range of applications including line of sight for mobile telecommunications network planning, obstruction mapping for airports, 3D visualisation for wind/solar farm planning, roof slope and orientation for solar potential calculations. They are also used for 3D modelling, heighting of topographic mapping and master planning. In short, DSMs are rapidly becoming a standard in the GIS and planning toolbox.

The DSMs for Ireland are at an unprecedented resolution of 25cm, meaning there is a height measurement every 25cm on the ground. This level of detail has opened out the applications of this up and coming data source. If you have not used DSMs before perhaps give it a try to see if they can make your job easier.

The DSMs make up just one of four standard products that are taking the Irish GIS market by storm. They are designed to work seamlessly with the true orthophotography, DTM and Colour Infrared Imagery. The amalgamation of these four highly accurate and data rich products is a powerful combination saving you time and money.