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John Marburger, the president’s science advisor, visited EROS in South Dakota (Joe Francica worked there back in the day) and sees a bright future for the nation’s image repository. A new Landsat satellite planned for 2011 and the potential of a command and control center in Sioux Falls means the center may take over some work currently done in Maryland.
- KELO
Years ago I interviewed imagery guy Gerry Kinn (then at EMERGE, now at ESRI) about the killer apps for aerial and satellite imagery. He told me a story of how you’d go into the Home Depot (or the like) and the clerk would use an imagery based app to determine how much fertilizer you needed for your lawn. I think we are a getting there!
Enter Sungevity. The company uses imagery (from MS Virtual Earth since it need the obliques from Pictometry) along with information from one’s electric bill to estimate the return on installing solar panels, which the company sells and installs. The “no visit” estimate cuts time and cost from an implementation.
The company’s secret sauce is a trigonometry-heavy application that can take satellite imagery and create a 3D model of a house. From the model, Sungevity calculates the pitch of the roof, the azimuth (for instance, where the house faces in relation to compass points) and the available area.
“You introduce errors when you put a guy on the roof,” Kennedy asserted.
Sungevity uses data from Microsoft Virtual Earth rather than Google Earth for its satellite imagery. Google Earth only provides a top-down view of a roof. Virtual Earth gives data from different angles, which lets Sungevity calculate pitch.
Currently working California, the company hopes to go nationwide. One mail campaign will include an image of the resident’s house with some quick math to determine potential effectiveness.
- C|net
ESRI is one of the proponents and is suggesting a stop at New York Street, near headquarters. The project if approved is envision to be funded by federal grants, an increased sales tax and private donations. The train would be completed in 2015.
This from Adriaan:
I would like to show you an idea that I have been pushing. It would allow for people to talk straight on the Google Map. Everyone could place a conversation anywhere on the map and then others can join in. The conversation would stay for as long as there is some activity.
This would immediately make the Google map into the place to meet your neighbors and discuss neighborhood issues. Something that is sorely missed I believe. website
Could you have a look and maybe give me a comment, as an expert on map ideas. If you could show it on your blog it would be interesting to make it come alive with your help. Get someone to build it. My own interest is that I want to get in touch with clever developers who can help me on another idea of mine.
It is the simplicity that makes it strong, I hope you agree.
