Microsoft’s Vexcel Imaging GmbH Announces Sale of UltraCamXp Aerial Sensor to Aerodata International Surveys
Graz, Austria — Vexcel Imaging GmbH, a Microsoft® company, recently signed a purchase agreement with Aerodata International Surveys (Antwerp, Belgium) for an UltraCamXp (UCXp) large format digital aerial camera system. The agreement marks the third UltraCamXp purchase in an eight month period and brings the number of UltraCam systems for the Belgian based aerial mapping firm—one of the original launch customers of the UltracamD—to five. The formal signing ceremony took place in March at the ASPRS 2009 Annual Conference at the Baltimore, Maryland. The system was delivered only 2 weeks later and put to immediate use.
“Vexcel Imaging thanks Aerodata for its continued confidence in the UltraCam to provide its customers with the best possible aerial imagery,” said Alexander Wiechert, Business Director of Microsoft and Managing Director for Vexcel Imaging GmbH. “We are pleased to provide Aerodata with the technology that is helping to grow their business such that they now require an additional camera.”
Aerodata is a major supplier of a variety of airborne data. The data that is collected is most often converted into a seamless coverage of an entire project area—even an area as large as a whole country. Aerodata also provides photogrammetric mapping and Geographic Information System services.
The recent acquisition of a major high resolution ortho photo project in The Netherlands required substantial additional capacity, which was found by adding this additional UltracmXp.
“The UltraCamXp was a natural choice to satisfy our need for an additional sensor system,” commented Mr. Willem Philipse, President of Aerodata. “Our four other systems have performed well over the years and we are impressed with the continuous efforts of Vexcel Imaging to serve its customers better through technology developments that include an upgrade path and bolstered customer support.”
AAbout the UltraCamXp
The UltraCamXp builds on the highly successful UltraCamX. It delivers 17,310 across-track and 11,310 along-track panchromatic pixels, the largest image format available. The resolution ratio of 1:3 between color and pan bands allows for the production of high-resolution pan-sharpened products that are very suitable for photogrammetric and remote sensing applications. The low-cost, exchangeable on-board storage devices store up to 6,600 of the new larger images, further improving the efficiency of data collection. Higher image quality is made possible by improved dynamic range.
About Vexcel Imaging, GmbH
Acquired by Microsoft Corporation in May 2006, Vexcel Imaging GmbH brings 20 years of photogrammetry expertise to Microsoft’s Virtual Earth business unit and is at the heart of the burgeoning Microsoft Photogrammetry business. The company’s offerings include its series of UltraCam large and medium format digital aerial mapping cameras and related software tools that include the UltraMap workflow software and Office Processing Center software (OPC).
About Aerodata International Surveys
Aerodata International Surveys is an independent private airborne surveying and mapping company founded in 1992 and located at Antwerp Airport, Belgium. It specializes in acquisition of airborne spatial data of the Earth’s surface and its advanced processing into geo-information products. The area of operation is Western and Southern Europe, Middle-East and Africa; the airborne platforms are also deployed to projects elsewhere. For more information, visit their website.