Our automation tools will be utilized, so if we're doing mapping, for example, it will create precise maps of the roadways -- if we're doing asset management, where trying to find road signs in imagery, we have software to do that ? if we're utilizing imagery to find 3D models, we have patented tools that can do that with imagery. |
We bring the imagery from our vehicles back in-house and then we review it for spatial accuracy, for clarity and to make sure that we've captured everything within a collection zone. |
We've been doing mapping with sophisticated vehicles for a number of years ? we have vehicles with high-resolution digital cameras on board, and we drive roadways and collect imagery. |
What Microsoft is announcing today is only a small portion of what they have planned in the future - they have big plans and we're out there aggressively collecting the imagery. |
What Microsoft liked about us was that we'd done a lot of image collection. They also liked the precision of our system ? we can make very precise maps and image location from that ? we also have a very long list of patents that we've acquired over the years that deal with efficient processing of that imagery and turning it into meaningful content. |