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Level 10

Sydney's Outdated Satellite View

In my work, I generally need to use up-to-date satellite imagery to keep up with what's happening in major infrastructure projects throughout the region. Applications such as Nearmap and HERE Maps are great tools to use for the most-current satellite images for these areas.

Unfortunately, as I primarily like to use Google Maps for almost everything, it's actually really disappointing to see that the majority of the Sydney region still use satellite images from early 2016. Late late year, there was a complaint about how satellite images were outdated in the suburb of Marsden Park, NSW and even though there was feedback given we've still yet to receive an update on the satellite views for the region.

 

Caption: A frame comparison animation of five of Australia's biggest cities.Caption: A frame comparison animation of five of Australia's biggest cities.

Meanwhile, other major cities in Australia enjoy metropolitan-wide 3D coverage with updated satellite views and model rendering. In the animation above, cities like Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Newcastle have vivid, beautiful satellite maps with comprehensive 3D photogrammetry models, whereas Sydney is seriously falling behind.

 

Caption: Sydney's current satellite view images and the current coverage of the new view. Note there is a stark difference between certain areas.Caption: Sydney's current satellite view images and the current coverage of the new view. Note there is a stark difference between certain areas.

That isn't to say that the team isn't actively working on updating these images. The new satellite view appears in the Eastern Suburbs, and to my memory, seems to have recently moved across the Pacific Highway to North Sydney. I can understand how difficult it's going to be processing the Sydney CBD since everything is clumped up together, but indeed, the images are quite outdated. You can really tell the difference between the two satellite views, such as in the suburb of Neutral Bay where the line explicitly splices the transformation.

 

Caption: Bay Street, Neutral Bay - Where the old flat satellite view meets the vivid, 3D modelled view.Caption: Bay Street, Neutral Bay - Where the old flat satellite view meets the vivid, 3D modelled view.

In the Maps' team's defence it looks like they've reached Dawes Point, so I'm hoping that we will eventually see a beautiful 3D model of Sydney on Google Maps, and then naturally seeing this new view roll out to the rest of the Sydney Metropolitan Area with the most current of maps. I really love the vivid sun-kissed greens, all the trees, the details of the buildings, absolutely looking forward to them.

Although it really is an oddity how there is a Google office in Sydney and why Sydney doesn't have this new view yet. But if this shiny, new satellite view of Sydney is going to be the norm for Google Maps, I am definitely looking forward to it!

 

For the meantime though, Sydney is still alive and kicking, and I just wanted to write about this from my mind. What I'm really looking forward to is when Parramatta gets its buildings remodelled, now that would be a sight to behold.

Sydney NSW, Australia
5 comments
Connect Moderator

Re: Sydney's Outdated Satellite View

@Briggs

Long time ago I have seen a post from you! Welcome back... Or I missed the others.

 

Interest post about Sydney from above. Maybe once my dream will be true and I'm visiting your continent !

 

Is the town really in such a hurry to change the face? I believe I could see 10 year old picture and would not recognize a different in most towns in Germany, but maybe I'm wrong or it is with children when they grow in face of you.

Regards 

https://goo.gl/maps/6ascMbAtC6r
Connect Moderator

Re: Sydney's Outdated Satellite View

The principle difference between services like Nearmap and Google Maps is that one of them is free :).

 

Nearmap specialise in six monthly imagery and detection services to find changes. 

Level 10

Re: Sydney's Outdated Satellite View

Great to hear from you again @TorM! I seldom frequent the Local Guides Connect forums, but when I am I'm cooking up a storm! Would love to visit Europe as well in a near lifetime also!

 

You would be surprised, in the majority of cities in Sydney, if the town centre isn't already subjected to urban sprawl, come five years later and you'll see all these sky-rise apartments! Ten years ago in the suburb of Zetland, there were only small single-family homes and three-story flats, nowadays there are towering 20-storey skyscrapers all attached to one single avenue. Essentially everywhere in Sydney that has a train station has been gentrified and are now full of apartments. It's pretty riveting actually.

 

Yes, I completely understand Google Maps is free @PaulPavlinovich, but considering other cities such as Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth have these comprehensive, and excellent 3D models of their cities (as you can see in the comparison animation in my original post), it baffles me as to why Sydney gets the short end of the stick. I'm guessing it has to do with congested airspace since Sydney Airport is operating at near capacity, based on how these images are taken (I read it about it somewhere that they fly around the city and take a whole bunch of photos from an aerial view, can't remember where)

 

It's slowly encroaching, but why Sydney, why?

Connect Moderator

Re: Sydney's Outdated Satellite View

We source similar imagery from Digital Globe's 8 wavelength infrared satellite, we use it for ground and vegetation surveys. You can buy almost identical faux 3rd imagery from them. We've got similar 3d mapping built from Digital Globe data and visualised within a Hexgon Geospatial system. Fun stuff. It's amazing what you see pop up on a 3d visualisation that you'd have no idea bout in 2d. It's cool stuff @Briggs 

Level 10

Re: Sydney's Outdated Satellite View

SYDNEY FINALLY HAS 3D RENDERING AND IMAGES ON GOOGLE MAPS!

And it looks oh so darn beautiful. Seeing the amount of detail in a city that I've been in over and over again, and now having a 360, flyover view of the entire CBD makes my heart tick.