Ecopia launches self-service platform for high-precision geospatial data downloads

To address inefficiencies in the sourcing and maintenance of up-to-date geospatial information, Ecopia AI has launched an online data portal. The self-service platform streamlines access to high-precision mapping data, allowing data professionals across industries to browse, purchase and download detailed land cover and transportation datasets on demand.

The Ecopia AI portal supports a broad range of applications, including transportation planning, stormwater management, and permitting. It delivers granular vector data derived from high-resolution imagery, covering assets such as impervious surfaces, building footprints, road markings and pedestrian access routes. In an environment where geospatial data requirements are evolving rapidly, the platform is positioned to help organizations keep their analytics, visualizations and operational decision-making aligned with conditions on the ground.

Automatic extraction of geospatial features from aerial imagery

Traditionally, organizations requiring mapping data were forced to make a tough choice: work with inaccurate and incomplete open data and datasets created from low-quality automated solutions, or devote months and years of resources to manually digitizing vector features from imagery themselves. Ecopia eliminates this tradeoff with AI-based mapping systems that automatically extract geospatial features from aerial imagery at scale with >95% geometric accuracy. This significantly reduces production time, while delivering consistent, up-to-date and dependable data.

The launch of the self-service portal reflects Ecopia’s continued focus on making high-quality geospatial data more accessible to organizations, including in the public sector, civil engineering, and the insurance and telecommunications industries. Select users in governments and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) have been using a beta version of the platform for the past few months to explore and access data, which includes 75-plus individual layers of off-the-shelf land cover and transportation vectors extracted from Nearmap’s North American imagery archive.

Informed decision-making

With the official launch of the data portal, any user can now browse Ecopia’s entire off-the-shelf data catalogue, designate an area of interest, and purchase data about the exact layers they want within that area. Data can be downloaded in shapefile, geojson and drawing exchange format for easy integration with GIS and CAD workflows. Custom orders can also be placed for locations or features not currently available in the off-the-shelf catalogue.

Access to comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date mapping data is a persistent challenge for many organizations across all levels of government as well as in the private sector, according to Jon Lipinski, president and co-founder of Ecopia. “Our online data portal puts high-quality, production-ready data directly in users’ hands when they need it, enabling them to operate more efficiently and make informed decisions with a digital representation of reality,” he says.

The development of this platform was supported in part by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). “Investments in Canadian innovators, like Ecopia, drive real-world solutions for business and communities,” comments Evan Solomon, minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation and the minister responsible for FedDev Ontario. He describes the new platform as “a notable example of how homegrown technology can improve access to critical data, strengthen decision-making, and foster economic growth”.