One of the first commercial high-resolution digital city models in the United States is slated to launch at the end of next month. GeoSim Systems has created Virtual Philadelphia at a clarity and resolution that I have yet to see in a digital model. The images below show the model on the left, with a photograph on the right.
The geodetic foundation for GeoSim’s city models is based on 3D-polylines derived from 1:6000 scale aerial photography stereo-pairs. These high-precision photogrammetry measurements (10-15cm) are used to generate accurate, GIS-standard compliant 3D-models that can be used in a variety of engineering and scientific applications.
I’ve followed the company’s previous forays, with models for the University of Pennsylvania, but this model looks to be the largest and most comprehensive. The literature even indicates that there will be seamless integration with indoor models.
The Virtual Philadelphia business plan is to turn the model into an application platform with three main revenue streams:
1. Advertising fees.
2. Development/maintenance fees for hosting certain e-commerce applications (e-Shopping).
3. Licensing fees from 3rd parties interested in using the data/applications.
You can view movies and images of this model in the showroom. You can also test drive the BETA version of the model online. The expected release date of the Virtual Philadelphia model is the end of March 2008.
