Bluesky Launches Nationwide UK Map of Building Heights

Leicestershire, 13 July 2017 Aerial mapping company, Bluesky, has launched the first nationwide map providing accurate height measurement for around 40 million buildings.

Created from a combination of remote sensing surveys, including data from aircraft mounted lasers (LiDAR), the Bluesky Heighted Building dataset covers the whole of England, Wales and Scotland, and will help to change the way we visualise and understand the built environment.

By applying height values to 41,083,111 buildings, Bluesky is giving planners, developers, local government, utility companies and the emergency services a brand new perspective. Including multiple values for every residential, leisure, retail, commercial and industrial structure in mainland UK, the Bluesky Heighted Building dataset will provide new intelligence to underpin decision making and service delivery.

By using a range of source data, including the most up to date LiDAR measurements, and complex data processing algorithms, we are able to apply the most accurate height measurement to each and every building polygon in the Ordnance Survey MasterMap layer. This is a first in terms of coverage, commented James Eddy, Technical Director of Bluesky International.

Standard values contained within the Bluesky Heighted Building database include maximum height, minimum height, average mean height and average median height. The Bluesky Heighted Building dataset is based on and compatible with the Ordnance Surveys MasterMap (OSMM) product range and, as Bluesky is an Ordnance Survey Licensed Partner, can be packaged with the original OSMM building polygons or, for existing OSMM licence holders, supplied as standalone attributes.

We expect the Bluesky Heighted Building database to revolutionise a range of applications, including the planning and design of new developments, the delivery and maintenance of essential infrastructure services including transport and utilities, and the provision of emergency services, continued Eddy.

The Bluesky Heighted Building database is currently available for offline sales and will shortly be available online at www.blueskymapshop.com, and complements other height products already on offer from Bluesky, including LiDAR and Photogrammetric Digital Terrain (bare earth) and Digital Surface (including buildings and trees) Models (DTM / DSM), contour, slope and aspect maps.

About Bluesky
Bluesky is a specialist in aerial survey including aerial photography, LiDAR and thermal data, using the very latest survey technology, including two UltraCam Eagles and a Teledyne Optech Galaxy LiDAR system integrated with a PhaseOne camera and thermal sensor. An internationally recognised leader with projects extending around the globe, Bluesky is proud to work with prestigious organisations such as Google, the BBC and Government Agencies. Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography and maintains national off the shelf coverage of aerial photography, DTM and DSM through an ongoing three-year update programme. By purchasing a world first sensor for the simultaneous capture of LiDAR, Thermal and Aerial Photography data, Bluesky is in the enviable position of being able to provide customers with unique and cost effective solutions. Bluesky is leading the way in developing innovative solutions for environmental applications, including the UKs first National Tree Map (NTM), solar mapping and citywide heat loss maps and is currently developing noise and air quality mapping products. www.bluesky-world.com