Bluesky Awarded Latest NERC Scanning Project

Remote sensing and aerial survey specialist Bluesky has been awarded a project by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to create a digital archive of scientific images from the organisation’s Airborne Research and Survey Facility.

Bluesky will scan the unique photographic images using state of the art hardware and software. The images will then be individually referenced for wider use by the Council, government, academia, other research agencies and commercial organisations. Bluesky has previously completed a contract on behalf NERC to scan more than 43,000 aerial images dating back more than 25 years.

The Bluesky team of experienced and dedicated personnel will scan the images, captured by the Airborne Research and Survey Facility (ARSF) during 2007 in a variety of locations throughout mainland Europe, Iceland, Greenland and the UK, using two high-end scanning machines, (Vexcel Ultrascan 5000 Photogrammetric Flatbed Scanners). Metadata (data about data) such as Project Name, Location, Film and Frame Number and the date, time and GPS position of the camera, will then be added to each digital file before the images are transferred to the NERC Earth Observation Data Centre (NEODC) archive at the CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot.

“The images were collected for historical comparison with existing photographic records providing a valuable record of landscape and land use change,” said David Davies, Co-Pilot and Systems Engineer at the ARSF of NERC. “We can only undertake this analysis by comparing like with like and as Bluesky created our ‘master’ archive it was only natural to award them the contract for conversion and reference of this years images.”

Davies continued, “In addition the digital files will be used to assist in the production of highly detailed 3D height models (DEMs) and as the images cover a variety of terrains; forest, heathland, wetland and glaciers as well as industrial and urban centres, they will provide a valuable resource for additional fieldwork and investigations.”

The original project was commissioned by NEODC as part of their role in supporting the Council’s earth observation community in locating, accessing, interpreting and exploiting Earth Observation data and ensuring the long term integrity of Earth Observation datasets produced and acquired by NERC projects and programmes.

Bluesky is a UK based company specialising in aerial imaging and remote sensing data collection and processing. With projects extending around the globe it has an international reputation for the creation of seamless digital aerial photography and 3D landscape and cityscape visualisations. Bluesky’s national mapping centre provides digital maps, site maps, satellite imagery, aerial photography and ultra-high resolution imagery of cities and towns.

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