19 April 2011

Nokia And NAVTEQ Challenges
Google Earth's 3D View With 3D City Maps

NAVTEQ, a Chicago, Illinois-based provider of Geographic Information Systems, wholly-owned subsidiary of Nokia has just launched beta version of Ovi Maps 3D (beta) in an attempt to challenge Google Earth's 3D view.

The concept of creating photorealistic building textures which make the 3D maps look awesome and allows you to look at, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Helsinki, Milano Barcelona, London and other cities and structures around the world is simply great.

As you may have already know, Navteq has begun outfitting its data collection vehicles with a system called Navteq True with an intention to construct detailed 3D models and maps of the United States. One big part is a lidar (light detection and ranging) system that uses lasers to construct 3D maps of the world out of a sea of data points.

The company boasts that its True system uses 64 rotating LIDAR lasers, captures 1.5 million 3D data points per second from features as far as 150 meters away and works even when the data collection vehicle is travelling at highway speeds.This NAVTEQ’s system uses 64 lasers to gather 3D data about the world from mapping vehicles.

Although 3D mapping may still sound like a research project, but it's the kind of thing that can dramatically improve online maps and car navigation devices. Working in concert with the lasers are high-resolution panoramic cameras and devices called Inertial Measurement Units--IMUs--that can precisely gauge road curvature and slope, the company said.

3D mapping may sound like a research project, but it's the kind of thing that can dramatically improve online maps and car navigation devices. Working in concert with the lasers are high-resolution panoramic cameras and devices called Inertial Measurement Units--IMUs--that can precisely gauge road curvature and slope, the company said.

The move spotlights the growing trend to create detailed computer models of the world through ground-based, aerial, and satellite photography. Second Life's virtual world still attracts some users, but a computer representation of the real world is useful to a broader audience. GPS navigation devices are one obvious way, but people also increasingly use mobile phones to find out where they are and what's nearby.