Photo: COWI A/S

Aircraft and cameras for aerial photography 

With four aircrafts in the hangar, new digital cameras and a new laser scanner, COWI is preparing for an increased demand for height models and other mapping products.

A modern air fleet well suited for performing stable flights at different speeds in up to 10,000 metres above the earth, combined with gyro stabilized, professional cameras with forward motion compensation, lenses and GPS-controlled navigation equipment, ensures the quality of COWI's aerial photography and mapping assignments.

COWI carries out aerial photography all over the world, e.g. in Scandinavia, Great Britain, Namibia and Serbia.

New digital cameras ensure better products

In 2007, COWI invested in new digital cameras from Vexcel/Microsoft. The new cameras allow us to process data in a completely digital production flow. 
The use of digital cameras also reduces the subsequent data processing considerably. An example is the scanning of photos that becomes unnecessary when using digital cameras. A digital photo is also a much better product than a photo taken by a traditional camera, as the risk of dust on the final photo is eliminated.

COWI's new camera systems are characterized by the following advantages:

  • High accuracy
  • High sample rate
  • Large format - 90 and 216 mega pixels respectively
  • Better colour resolution
Photo: COWI A/S

New laser scanner for making height models

Also at the market for height models, COWI prepares for meeting a growing demand. In the spring 2007, COWI bought a new laser scanner from Leica. The laser scanner can make approx. 150,000 measurements per second and is characterized by ensuring a high accuracy.

Two new cameras for oblique photos

COWI also experiences an increasing interest for oblique photos that are excellent for providing a visual overview of e.g. cities combined with exceptional details. The increased interest has made COWI invest in two new camera systems (MIDAS) for oblique photos. Each system consists of 5 digital, 4 oblique and 1 nadir cameras.