State Governments Using Vexcel Imagery to Aid in COVID-19 Response
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has now reached all 50 states in the U.S. In accordance with Federal Government and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mandate social distancing is being put in place throughout the nation.
As announced on March 17, 2020, state and federal government agencies have been given no-cost or obligation access to high-resolution aerial imagery and related geospatial information captured by Vexcel Imaging to support their responses to the COVID-19 outbreak. Access has been granted at least through June and may be extended as efforts progress to controlling the outbreak of the coronavirus.
“High-resolution ortho and oblique imagery enables virtual site inspections and mapping often without the need for a physical on-site visit enabling organizations to continue to conduct business.” said Richard Butgereit, Director of Catastrophe Response with Vexcel. Highly detailed 7.5 cm imagery is available over metropolitan areas, as well as 20 cm imagery covering much of the rest of the nation.
“This program is an extension of the work that Vexcel does with the Geospatial Intelligence Center for post-disaster imagery such as wildfires, tornados, and hurricanes,” said Erik Jorgensen, Vexcel Group CEO, “but this marks the first time that we have supported a disease outbreak.”
Several States have already taken advantage of this offer from Vexcel and expect to use the imagery for response planning efforts such as planning drive through testing locations to hot spot analysis of cluster locations.
About Vexcel Imaging
Founded in 1992, Vexcel Imaging boasts over twenty-five years of photogrammetric and remote sensing expertise. Its highly successful line of UltraCam systems was launched with the first UltraCam in 2003. In 2006, Vexcel Imaging was acquired by Microsoft Corporation and contributed as a subsidiary to the success of Microsoft’s Bing program by pushing the envelope of photogrammetric hardware and software technology with innovations that underpinned the Bing Maps web service and mapping platform.
As a direct result of these advancements, the UltraMap photogrammetric workflow software solution was born and today offers customers an extremely rapid and efficient solution for generating aerial imagery and downstream data products, such as high-density point clouds, digital surface models, and orthophotos. Ten years later, Vexcel Imaging is again a private company and continuing its story of success with renewed and greater flexibility and agility. Learn more about Vexcel Imaging at www.vexcel-imaging.com.
