[OSGeo-Discuss] Inquiry: Help please! [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

[Bruce Bannerman]

Sid,

A search on the term photogrammetry may also help. This is a very specialised discipline.

You will find that some photogrammetric software already exists.

Bruce

________________________________________
From: discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org [discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Pat Tressel [ptressel at myuw.net]
Sent: Saturday, 2 August 2014 4:34 PM
To: S.A. Mouti
Cc: OSGeo Discussions
Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Inquiry: Help please!

Hi, Sid!

I would like to develop an algorithm that uses remote geographic sensing data to automatically identify, highlight, and measure rooftops and buildings surfaces and contours using  Geospatial data. My preference is to overlay the results on one of the existing  map providers such as Google Earth/maps or Bing .

 My aim is to get the following outputs from the proposed model:

 *   Accurately highlighted and identified rooftops on Google maps (using geo sensing data, elevation? and
 *   Property Address or GPS coordinate.
 *   Surface and square footage available for solar power generation including the position of the property(N-S or E-W). At the exact surface of the south facing portion of the roof.
 *   Integrate sun tool in google maps to calculate shading for each building.
 *   Total surface/square footage of the roof.

I would appreciate your guidance on the following:

 *   Any individual developers or companies active in this area who would be willing to undertake this challenge
 *   View on technical do-ability of the project…
 *   What free geospatial data is available/needed to build the model and who the providers are? (I understand that  US cleared higher resolution imagery for domestic )
 *   An idea about the overall cost  for such a model.

Best regards,

Sid

Just want to mention two things:

1) Building outlines are available for some locations in both commercial maps (Google and Bing, for instance).  In OpenStreetMap, if buildings have not been mapped for a specific area you're interested in, you might be able to get local mappers to do it.  (Of course, the building outlines obtained that way may not be accurate.  Many times, the building outline is simplified from the actual building as it's only needed to indicate, "there is / was a building here", e.g. for rescue workers looking for survivors after a natural disaster.)

2) If you use satellite imagery (or possibly low-elevation imagery if you have accurate info on the camera path and orientation), then the shadows cast by buildings can be used to estimate their height.  A very brief web search turns up a fair number of papers on this -- just one example, with references to earlier work that may be more relevant:

http://www.asprs.org/a/publications/pers/98journal/january/1998_jan_35-44.pdf

-- Pat