First Online 3D Maps of Isle of Man

Aerial mapping company Bluesky has signed a contract with the Isle of Man government to resell laser scan survey data of the British Crown dependency. Located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland, the Isle of Man is perhaps best known for the annual motorcycle sport event, the Isle of Man TT (tourist trophy). The original Lidar survey was undertaken on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure, which is responsible for a diverse range of services for the island community, including highway services, housing and public transport.

The original Lidar survey was flown in 2013 covering all 572 square kilometres of the island. The raw Lidar data was processed to produce Digital Terrain and Digital Surface Models at resolutions of 0.5, 1 and 2 metres. The data was originally commissioned by the Department of Infrastructure for use in its geographical information system (GIS), and is already supporting decision making, community engagement and stakeholder communications in a range of applications, including highway maintenance and improvement, waste management and the provision of quarries and raw materials to support infrastructure development and the construction industry.

The Isle of Man DTM, DSM and point cloud data are now available to purchase from Bluesky’s online Mapshop. This offers complete nationwide coverage of aerial photography from multiple epochs, 3D models, Lidar data, thermal mapping and Bluesky’s National Tree Map. Visitors can also download – free of charge – geological, land cover and flood maps, as well as places of interest, census areas and collections of themed data such as farming, marine and habitats.