National Mapping Programs are Affordable Again
Garth Lawrence and Marc Wride
Intermap Technologies
400 Inverness Parkway Suite 330
Englewood Colorado
303 708 0955
glawrence@intermaptechnologies.com
mwride@intermaptechnologies.com
Abstract
It has been many years since governments have undertaken national mapping programs with new, up-to-date source materials. Most national programs are limited to reworking existing data or up-dating only a small fraction of the national dataset each year. As a consequence, most national maps are out of date. As well, because of the cost to produce new, more detailed contour data, contour detail and/or accuracy is insufficient for today’s needs.
This paper describes new national mapping programs undertaken with private sector funding and using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR) technology to provide highly accurate yet cost effective data. These are called NEXTMap programs. IFSAR technology with its ability to map at night and through clouds reduces time and costs while providing significantly improved accuracy. IFSAR technology provides an economical means of revising and maintaining a country’s topographic database. The combinations of low cost and high performance will not only meet governmental mapping needs but also promises to have significant impact on civil and commercial users. An operational methodology that successfully makes, accurate map products for the commercial and public market sectors is described.
NEXTMap Britain, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Indonesia represent nation wide mapping programs where new source data is provided by proven IFSAR technology. Intermap Technologies used its proprietary IFSAR systems to provide detailed mapping data for each of these countries. The technology provides imagery with 1.25m pixel size and 3m horizontal accuracy. A digital surface model is collected with the image. The DSM has data points every 5m that are accurate to 3m horizontally and 1m (3m option) vertically. TerrainFitÒ, software designed to remove the effects of trees and buildings, provides a digital terrain model (DTM) of the ground surface.
With today’s cut backs in government funding, NEXTMap programs can be lead by private industry and be available to governments at reduced costs. This paper describes the NEXTMap national mapping programs and the products created from the data.