ROCHESTER, N.Y., 28 Feb. 2008. Pictometry International Corp., provider of digital, aerial oblique imagery and measuring software systems, along with Rochester-based subcontractors ITT Corp. (Space Systems Division) and Harris RF Communications, won a Phase II contract totaling $750,000 from the Department of Homeland Security to create a Real Time Airborne Management System (RAMS) for emergency scenarios.
The contract is part of SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research), a homeland security grant managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The purpose of the homeland security grant is to provide emergency response teams with vital situational awareness information during disaster situations in which critical infrastructure is heavily damaged.
"The concept for this type of real time image capture system evolved with the demand for rapid data during 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina," says Charles Mondello, Pictometry's executive vice president of Corporate Development. "When disaster strikes, the need for instantaneous imagery becomes critical. Until now, there really hasn't been a reliable way to get that kind of visual information as quickly as it is needed."
In Phase I of the project, Pictometry, ITT, and Harris developed a real-time imagery capture and distribution concept using an innovative architecture and data dissemination strategy designed to support decision making in the early days of a major disaster to speed response and protect lives. A more detailed working system using this technology will be created over the next two years as part of Phase II.
