Behind The Maps - UltraCam | Mark Brown

Welcome to the inaugural episode of a new video series called, "Behind The Maps". In this series we'll explore all of the technology that makes up Virtual Earth and meet the scientists and engineers who bring Virtual Earth to life.

In this episode we go to Graz, Austria and meet Michael Gruber who invented the UltraCam aerial camera and Bernhard Reitinger who created our UltraMap software. We'll spend some time getting the details on this camera and software and get an up close look at both.

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Mark Brown

Jul 06, 2008 at 5:13 AM

Hope you all enjoy my first episode of this series.
Chadk excuse me - do you has a flavor?

Jul 06, 2008 at 2:38 PM

Wow, that is pretty damn amazing. That is a huge camera! :O
Mark Brown

Jul 06, 2008 at 2:57 PM

Yes and damn heavy too. You definitely need two people to pick it up at nearly 150lbs.
Ion Todirel buuu

Jul 06, 2008 at 3:49 PM

way to go, thanks!
dentaku

Jul 06, 2008 at 8:04 PM

That's fascinating stuff and I like how there's finally a video on C9 that I actually understand just about all of
I hope we get more of Canada on Virtual Earth soon. Nova Scotia is just a blurry mess at the moment.
Mark Brown

Jul 06, 2008 at 11:38 PM

Haa, funny. I just met with someone from NS who said the same thing. I have to say that as someone who is half Canadian (mom) I need to push for some love for my friends and family in the GWN.
ye110wbeard I never met a computer I didn't like. Just don't tell my wife!

Jul 07, 2008 at 4:11 AM

So hop to it! More pictures of Canada. It's not all just snow and ice (Well maybe North North North North North Winnipeg)

Hello Half Canadian, I'm a pure American that is almost Canadian. I just can't speak Yankee anymore... Been up in Ontario WAAY too long....

Damn I could go for a Dunkin Donuts right about now.

Yeah, damn. That's a BIG camera. So....er... I'm guessing it won't run of "Energizers" eh?
dentaku

Jul 07, 2008 at 5:26 AM

People are usually amazed when I show them the birds eye images. I just wish Virtual Earth 3D still worked on my computer. I just keeps asking me to install it even though it already is. Oh well, I've been meaning to re-install my OS for a while now.

Virtual Earth can keep doing all kinds of amazing stuff but if the general public doesn't use it or doesn't think it's useful because their part of the world isn't covered it will just get ignored in favour of Google Earth.
Virtual Earth should be concentrating on expanding it's coverage and getting more people interested in it FIRST, then adding new features, not the other way around.
K0ogle

Jul 08, 2008 at 7:23 PM

why didn't you guys get a group team portrait shot taken with that beast of camera while you were standing in front of it? get it stored on the spare 500gb hdd they must have had lying around for you to take back home
Mark Brown

Jul 08, 2008 at 11:32 PM

Actually that's a great idea. When I am back in Graz this Fall in front of one of those cameras with it on it's side like that I will do just that and get a photo of the team that creates it.

Thanks for the idea
LiquidBoy Silverlight

Jul 09, 2008 at 5:25 PM

Im actually the opposite, i think they should continuously be adding new features. OK they should also be extending coverage BUT but new features shouldn't be compromised!

Map's are so 2000 at the moment, I honestly feel like there should be more to maps then what we are seeing. Don't get me wrong, I love how maps behave today BUT it just seems like there should be more to them, they just don't feel like there as innovative as there counterparts in other technologies.

hmmm ...

Great video thou, wish i had 500K+ to buy me one of those!
Mark Brown

Jul 10, 2008 at 4:15 PM

Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Lot's more to come and you'll love some of the cool technology these guys are doing. Absolutely incredible stuff.

regards,
mark
Garee

Jul 16, 2008 at 7:32 AM

Great video Mark - looking forward to the rest in the series