Vexcel Imaging Partners with PCI Geomatics

Microsoft's Photogrammetry division, Vexcel Imaging GmbH, is partnering with PCI Geomatics. The partnership is designed to leverage the strengths of the two organisations to produce an end-to-end image processing system developed specifically for customers of Vexcel Imaging's UltraCam series of high-resolution digital aerial cameras and UltraMap photogrammetric software.

Through PCI Geomatics' scalable GeomaticaX technology, a complete workflow will be developed to take advantage of parallel processing and Graphical Processing Units (GPUs), to automatically orthorectify, pansharpen and mosaic hundreds of UltraCam images per day.

Alexander Wiechert, business director of Microsoft and managing director for Vexcel Imaging GmbH said: "Our Chief Photogrametrist has been very impressed with the speed of PCI's GXL image processing technology, along with the color balancing results for mosaicked UltraCam imagery. We look forward to offering our clients a streamlined, continuous workflow that will allow them to offer competitive products derived from UltraCam to the marketplace."

Allan Place, director of global sales at PCI Geomatics remarked: "The integration of our technologies will represent a breakthrough in automated, rapid and efficient technology for processing thousands of UltraCam images."

Development on the integrated workflow is currently underway, and will be available to provide end-to-end capability to orthrectify, pansharpen and mosaic UltraCam imagery. Future plans include the ability to accelerate true ortho image production and the automatic generation of digital surface models from stereo UltraCam imagery.