IMAGERY ACQUISITION: AERIAL, SATELLITE & UAS

Welcome to the Digital Geo-Imagery Renaissance:

This latest generation of imagery acquisition systems has given new meaning to the idea of geographic perspective.  Their capability, scalability and growing availability is impressive; revolutionizing geographic visualization and decision-making. It doesn't matter whether you're acquiring aerial photography of a redevelopment project in Wichita, Kansas or Elephant Habitats in the Virunga Heartland of Africa, you have powerful options available to you.

Access Geographic is always available to field questions and discuss how these acquisition options can benefit your project, so go ahead and feel free to contact us anytime. 

Local & Responsive:

While globalization is the order of the day, we still recognize the strength of proximity and local awareness.  Having state licensed surveyors and regionally based flight teams on hand, who are able to respond quickly and have an established knowledge of the project locale, means added efficiency, responsiveness and cost-savings. Instead of incurring mobility fees to simply transport airborne equipment long distances for data collection, our network of strategically based teams saves clients time and money. Particulary in instances of emergency response mobilizations, it can make a significant difference when hours, or even minutes, count.

Satellite Imaging:

Satellites are largely creatures of habit, endlessly circling the planet collecting endless amounts of data and, odds are, your area of interest is in there somewhere.  This passive acquisition process, along with mega government subsidies, means satellite acquisitions can offer a cost-effective alternative to the traditional airborne imagery project.  At the same time, unlike aerial photography solutions, commercial satellites are limited to a .3-meter pixel resolution and have difficulty accounting for weather and environmental conditions due to their passive routine in some situations.

UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems):

UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) offer a new level of freedom to explore and gather geographic information (Learn More About UAS).  Low profile and nimble, they provide oblique and vertical perspectives that can be post-processed as orthorectifed imagery or as the basis for surface model generation. Needless to say, we are continuously uncovering new ways to utilize this geospatial resource in the field and, no worries, we just use the friendly drones! Moreover, the FAA granted Access Geographic a 333 Exemption in 2015 to operate UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) within United States Airspace and now (dually) runs operations under the new Small UAS Rule (Part 107) which began on August 29th, 2016 with a supplmental Waiver for Nighttime Operations specifically geared to thermal mapping applications.

Color-Infrared, Thermal & Hyperspectral:

Imaging isn't just limited to Natural Color (RGB), most systems, whether aerial, satellite or UAV acquisitions, can support multispectral acquisitions sometimes even in tandem with standard true color, making Color-Infrared (Learn More), Thermal Mapping (Learn More), and hyperspectral imaging an accessible option for Precision Agricultural (Learn More)  , Environmental Analysis (Learn More), Forestry Management (Learn More), Energy Discharge Thermography (Learn More), impervious surface assessments, wildfire management, security, and archaeological applications.

Providing You Access:

Regardless of the scale or application, whether your project is located at the intersection of Boardman and Market in Youngstown, Ohio or the opposite side of the planet (which is apparently the Indian Ocean if you're in Ohio), Access Geographic works hard to plan and execute imagery acquisitions that support your specific goals, timeline and budget.

Feel free to Contact Us Today with any questions you might have and please view our Experience & Case Studies Page and  Sector Pages for more information on particular areas of interest. 

Responsiveness - Flight teams actively monitor and manage acquisition projects based on relative environmental and weather conditions resulting in efficient and quality outcomes.

Resolution - Aerial camera systems offer the strongest option for high-resolution imagery acquisitions.  Some acquisition systems can capture sub-inch resolution content for ortho production using fixed-wing, helicopter and UAV platforms.

Vantage - Aerial platforms allow for various and controlled perspectives of a subject area or 'oblique angles'.  This offers information that is only visible from a profile or as customized panoramic. 

Global Access - Satellites have free-reign of the Earth's surface - odds are if you can point it out on a map, satellites have it covered.  In recent years, orbital acquisitions have become a mainstream and cost-effective imagery option. 

Resolution - While commercial satellites are limited to a .30 Meter (1-foot) resolution, they still have a superior capability to acquire large areas for agricultural and environmental monitoring with these lower resolutions.

Frequency - Commercial satellites are scheduled or 'tasked' to acquire an assigned area based its existing orbital patterns.  If it is critical that your project is acquired promptly - there are expediting options available.

Flexibility - UAV systems (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are ideal geospatial tools for small-scale acquisitions. They have the ability to capture subject areas from various perspectives including georeferenced vertical imagery and oblique views to videography.  However, they are still low-load aerial platforms creating some limitations in capacity and capability.

Accessibility - Lightweight and compact, UAV systems can acquire imagery in environments that would otherwise present challenges for larger systems - below tree lines, highly confined spaces and even interiors are within reach.

True Horizontal - While we are used to looking 'down' using most aerial systems, UAV offer the unique possibility of analyzing an elevated feature straight-on, a true horizontal perspective, whether in the form of a high-rise building, bridge, canyon wall or cell tower, focusing directly on a detail of interest without oblique distortion.