New software provides rapid 3D modeling of large urban environments

October 23, 2007 Sarnoff Corporation has unveiled a new software solution that automatically builds accurate 3D site models of large urban environments in less than a day. MapIt!™ software utilizes aerial imagery and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) to generate a continuous large-area 3D site model. This information can be used to provide military units and intelligence analysts with critical site data for an urban area as large as 800 square kilometer in around four days as opposed to the 40 to 60 days required for current urban modeling techniques.

“The rise of military operations in urban terrain has emphasized the need for commanders, troops and intelligence analysts to have an unprecedented level of understanding of an area’s surroundings,” said Dr. Don Newsome, president and chief executive officer of Sarnoff Corporation. “MapIt!’s ability to rapidly build precise 3D models in days helps to increase the military’s situational awareness of an urban environment before boots hit the ground.”

In addition to its use by the military, MapIt!’s ability to combine the high-range resolution of LIDAR with the spatial resolution of aerial images also provides a solution for other applications such as emergency response planning, wide area assessments and environmental and planning studies.

For further information see the Sarnoff Corporation site.