Intermap Technologies announced the launch of AccuTerra, the Company’s newest product offering that provides existing outdoor GPS and PND products with 3D maps and off-road points-of-interest (POI) — integrated with interactive 3D rendering software. The product addresses a market that is currently limited to two-dimensional data and provides limited or no map coverage once you leave paved roads.
According to Brian Bullock, Intermap’s president and CEO, “AccuTerra’s 3D aerial maps and digital terrain model content, with overlaid route tracking information, is unique in today’s outdoor hand-held device market. The product provides the outdoor enthusiast with 3D viewing capability on a hand-held device that extends the user experience beyond what we have become accustom to from Internet search engine providers.”
The AccuTerra map content is developed from the Company’s ongoing and highly successful NEXTMap countrywide 3D digital mapping program and includes the aggregation of data from other sources. AccuTerra enables PND features that can alert individuals when they deviate from a pre-selected route or miss a turn when traveling under poor visibility.
“AccuTerra will change the way we use GPS devices in recreational activities,” added Mr. Bullock. “As an example, National Park information that is included in existing PNDs and handheld GPS devices typically contain sparse 2D national park content that has limited value to users. The AccuTerra product provides users with an unparalleled experience because they can now visualize trails and other points of interest in the context of the natural terrain where they exist — all in three dimensions.”
The user interface includes realistic 3D views; accurate elevation information; clearly identified and classified trails, paths, and roads (overlaid on the 3D terrain); outdoor-specific points of interest such as campgrounds, service facilities, and trail heads; the ability to route to points of interest and track progress; easy to reference visualization tools to improve trip planning and safety; and, a land use display that depicts the location of public and private property, including areas of restricted use.
“In addition to the new features AccuTerra makes available to device manufactures, the product inherently makes recreational activities safer by reducing the chance of taking a wrong turn and getting lost. The product presents users with a greater sense of reality by allowing them to accurately locate trails, points of interest and hazards,” continues Bullock, “even to the point of allowing users to determine where to go for help in case of injury or other types of emergency.”
The current version of AccuTerra has already been integrated to run on several PNDs available in the market today. The Company has no plans to build a PND or GPS device; rather it will offer AccuTerra under license to manufacturers of these devices. The geospatial map database embedded within AccuTerra software is available for the entire state of California today and will be commercially available for the remainder of the U.S. later this year.