SpatialNews Press Release

Z/I Imaging Announces Plans to Develop TerraShare Enterprise DTM

www.ziimaging.com

---

SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 1, 2001-- Z/I Imaging partners with EnerQuest Systems LLC and Optech Incorporated to develop new elevation processing and management system

Z/I Imaging Corporation announced today at the MAPPS/ASPRS 2001 Fall DEM Specialty Conference its plans to extend its TerraShare enterprise system into the area of high-volume elevation data production and management. The new system, TerraShare Enterprise DTM, will integrate all elements of elevation processing and management into a tightly integrated enterprise environment that will add significant tools and productivity enhancements to this often-difficult workflow. The solution will support the production and management of elevation data from a variety of sensors and techniques, including interactive stereo collection, automatic image correlation techniques and LIDAR.

Acting as the nexus of the system, TerraShare will manage, in a distributed environment, many common varieties of elevation data in their native formats. A DTM services layer will be added to TerraShare that will provide a robust set of "server-side" functions such as contouring, TIN generation, format conversion, data probing, LIDAR filtering, automatic elevation extraction from stereo models and other advanced tools. A feature-rich and open programmer's interface will be provided to the services layer that will allow users to directly interface to the service module. The Z/I Imaging-provided client applications will include visualization, stereo editing and production generation tools.

Partnering with Z/I Imaging on the LIDAR portion of this development project are EnerQuest Systems LLC of Denver, Colorado and Optech of Toronto, Canada. EnerQuest, under the sponsorship of Z/I Imaging and the US Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Engineering Center (TEC), will apply its considerable domain expertise to the development of LIDAR filtering algorithms and workflow optimization. Optech, the world leader in LIDAR hardware, will support the development with sensor and pre-processing expertise. A by-product of this collaboration will be the release of an open industry standard for a high-performance binary interchange of LIDAR data.

"Over the past several years, I have seen a number of companies struggling with processing high density elevation data," said Lewis Graham, CEO of Z/I Imaging. "Some time ago, we realized that no one element of the production process would completely solve the problem. Therefore, we are taking a holistic approach to a solution, addressing all elements of the workflow, such as data management, filtering, visualization, stereo editing and output product creations. We have engaged a set of world-class partners who truly understand all aspects of the problem and, as a result, we will release a significant product."

"LIDAR production is currently characterized by software systems with very inefficient workflows. This Enterprise DTM project will provide the high-efficiency framework necessary to process these large data volumes," added Don Wicks, President of EnerQuest Systems. "EnerQuest has considerable real world experience in the development of high-accuracy LIDAR processing filters and we are excited to partner with Z/I Imaging to commercialize these algorithms." ¶ "This new enterprise solution will change the way our customers deal with the large volume of data they handle in their normal workflow," said Don Carswell, President of Optech. " Forming a team from the leading hardware, software and production companies allows us to address this as a total systems solutions. At the end of the day, it's all about turning data into useful information."

EnerQuest Background

EnerQuest Systems LLC is an advanced LIDAR mapping, remote sensing and GIS service company that provides a wide array of products for commercial, municipal, county, state and federal agencies. EnerQuest has developed and operates RAMS, an integrated airborne laser mapping and large-format digital imaging system.

Optech Background

Optech is a world leader in advanced laser-based survey instruments, offering client-driven solutions in airborne terrestrial mapping, hydrographic surveying, laser imaging, space-based atmospheric monitors and spaceborne landing/docking systems. Optech is the world leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of airborne laser terrain mapping systems, and the company's Airborne Laser Terrain Mapper sets the global standard in airborne LIDAR survey systems.

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) TEC

TEC's Mission is to provide superior knowledge of the battlefield, and support the Nation's civil and environmental initiatives through research, development, and the application of expertise in the topographic and related sciences.

Z/I Imaging Background

Z/I Imaging Corporation is the world's largest company dedicated to the development and support of Earth Imaging tools. Z/I Imaging provides total end-to-end imaging solutions including aerial cameras, stereo softcopy workstations, photogrammetric scanners and open Microsoft Windows-based image management, processing, and distribution software.

Z/I Imaging is a trademark of Z/I Imaging Corporation. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright 2001 Z/I Imaging Corporation. All rights reserved.

Search GeoCommunity for Related Stories

Search The Web (Google) for Related Stories



Return to Today's News Index

Nov 2, 2001 Jun 26, 2002