Intermap Technologies IfSAR Data Visualization: Pitkin County CO (Aspen)

In cooperation with Intermap Technologies, we have created a series of high resolution terrain visualizations of the Aspen, Colorado area. Project page: http://www.exosphere3d.com/pubwww/pages/project_gallery/aspen_colorado_terrai...

Controlled flight into terrain continues to be a factor in many aviation accidents. This video is one of a series that highlights a July 2000 accident involving a Cessna 195, registration N4377V, which crashed shortly after departure from Aspen/Pitkin County airport in VFR weather. The pilot and three passengers received fatal injuries. Depicted in this animation is the terrain surrounding the KASE airport.

Intermap Technologies (http://www.intermap.com) has supplied us with their high resolution IfSAR-derived 5m terrain data (Interferometric Synthetic Aperature Radar). The public domain data available in this area is the United States Geological Survey 10m digital elevation model (USGS 10m DEM, a.k.a. "national elevation dataset" or NED). Intermap has mapped the entire USA (as well as many other parts of the world) at 5m resolution in both a "bare earth" and "first return" dataset, referred to as a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and Digital Surface Model (DSM), respectively. The DSM adequately represents surface features such as trees and other significant vegetation as well as buildings and other urban clutter. The DSM is essential in a reconstruction animation as it provides additional feedback of scale and depth perception. In traditional 2D map analysis, hillshading of the DSM and DTM offer significant advantages in feature recognition. Intermap also offers a 1m Orthorectified Radar Image (ORI) in conjunction with the terrain data. The ORI is a complement to visible or infrared spectrum imagery and provides additional insight when performing feature recognition and visual analysis. All data utilized is part of Intermap's NEXTMap 3D Mapping Program.

A typical rendered frame represnts over 26 million terrain polygons and 3 gigapixels of surface imagery. Approximately 200 hours went into the entire project, including creation of the project webpage and the timeline editing of the sample videos.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• aspen colorado
• ifsar
• dem
• terrain model
• aviation accident
• accident recontstruction
• digital surface model
• digital terrain model
• pitkin county
• ski aspen