Data Mapper Offers Cloud-Based UAV Software for Imagery

Data Mapper, an enterprise aerial data software by PrecisionHawk, will expand its cloud-based platform to process data collected by a wider network of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) providers. The application provides the ability to upload, store, process and share aerial imagery and is equipped for detailed, automated analysis.

Previously the company was known under the name PrecisionMapper, and the software could only be used when collecting aerial data with the PrecisionHawk UAV platform Lancaster HawkEye Mark III.

“As we began to collect data with the PrecisionHawk UAV across data intensive industries, we discovered a clear gap in the market for an end-to-end, enterprise level solution,”said Christopher Dean, CEO of Data Mapper. “The creation of Data Mapper was a way for us to ensure that what matters most to our customers, the ability to transform aerial data into actionable information, was available quickly and cost effectively.”

The platform is accessible on numerous devices and allows a user to see data in real time, long before a processed orthomosaic is available. Post processing is automated, and processed data can be shared across devices or analyzed using sophisticated algorithms. Data Mapper geospatial experts have been working closely with university partners across the nation to determine the most pressing algorithms for the agriculture industry such as plant height, weed detection, plant counting and canopy cover.

Because of its early integration with the PrecisionHawk platform, Data Mapper has a strong client base that includes Fortune 500 companies, global agriculture companies, education and research institutions and individual agricultural producers, PrecisionHawk said.

As the UAV industry quickly expands, data intensive markets such as agriculture can be equipped with a streamlined, information delivery structure that fits into an everyday workflow. Engineers have bootstrapped the technology to ensure seamless integration with workflows that rely heavily on accurate information to support business practices, PrecisionHawk said.

“UAVs are an extremely effective and efficient means for collecting data, but the value of this technology goes far beyond an aircraft,” said Andrew Slater, VP of software development for Data Mapper. “Data Mapper is a tool designed to close the gap between a service that UAVs provide and the value of that service, which isinformation delivery to the right person at the right time.”

The company has worked with data sets across a variety of industries including agriculture, oil and gas, emergency response, forestry and insurance, and will continue to extend its analysis capabilities to different markets. Data Mapper will significantly grow its employee base, hiring geospatial analysts, software engineers and embedded software engineers to work towards a generalized ingestion method for all UAV data in 2015.