A new 3D map of Iceland has been released to the public with a resolution of 2.5 metres [8.2 feet], Vísir reports. It was created by the company Loftmydnir ehf. using data gathered over 30 years. The map is the first 3D map of Iceland of such high resolution and quality.
“There, you’re looking at all of Iceland in a great amount of detail for the first time,” explains Karl Arnar Arnarson, Loftmyndir’s CEO. “You could compare it to putting a sort of net over the whole country. The size of the mesh is 2.5 metres and that’s something that’s completely new.”
While other 3D maps are often made using satellite images, Loftmyndir’s map is created using aeroplane photos taken from a height of 30 metres [98 feet], allowing for greater density and detail. It took the company 30 years to photograph the entire country, and the images are retaken and updated on a regular basis.
Useful for Met Office and Search and Rescue
The map is open to the public, but Karl says it will be useful for professionals as well, for example in construction and infrastructure planning. Karl hopes it will also be of use to the Icelandic Met Office, the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue, engineering firms, and more.
The map that has been released is a beta version and Karl says the interface will eventually be improved. Readers should note that the map is currently not available on mobile phone or tablet and requires a newer computer to be viewed at its highest resolution.
