Simmons Aerofilms Limited Selects Z/I Imaging's POS Z/I 510 Position and Orientation System; The POS Z/I 510 Reduces Overall Ground Control Costs.

Business Editors/Technology Writers

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 6, 2002

Z/I Imaging Corporation announced today from its Earth Imaging Seminar in Breckenridge, Colorado, that Simmons Aerofilms Limited selected its POS Z/I 510(TM) Position and Orientation System with Inertial Measurement Unit. POS Z/I 510 is Z/I Imaging's OEM version of Applanix Corporation's POS/AV-DG(TM). Simmons's new POS Z/I 510 system was installed in a Cessna 402B, G-MAPP, already equipped with Z/I Imaging's RMK TOP15 camera.

"We are extremely pleased that Simmons Aerofilms chose Z/I Imaging as their complete earth imaging provider," said Derek Ireson, Director of Z/I Imaging, Limited, United Kingdom. "Simmons Aerofilms is a leading mapping organization with a very demanding photo flight and photogrammetric production workflow. Simmons depends on our solutions to deliver a high return on investment within their production process."

Simmons Aerofilms is one of the United Kingdom's largest providers of aerial photography operating two aircraft with Forward Motion Compensation (FMC) cameras. The POS Z/I 510 will be used to undertake a variety of photography and mapping projects throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean during 2002. The decision to install a POS Z/I 510 was made to reduce ground control costs and provide a more complete photography and aerial triangulation service to its customers.

The POS Z/I 510 measures the position of the camera perspective center and orientation angles of each photograph at the exact time of exposure to an accuracy of 5 - 10 cm and 20 - 30 arcsec respectively (all values RMS). This performance allows direct georeferencing of aerial photographs to produce maps that meet or exceed national standards for most scales, without aerial triangulation and with minimal ground control.

Simmons Aerofilms was founded in 1919 and is believed to be the world's first commercial aerial photography company, pioneering vertical photography for mapping purposes during the 1920's and 30's, before integration into Hunting Surveys during the 1930's and its merger with Simmons Mapping (UK) Limited in 1997.

Z/I Imaging Background

Z/I Imaging Corporation is the world's largest company dedicated to the development and support of Earth Imaging tools. Z/I Imaging provides total end-to-end imaging solutions including aerial cameras, stereo softcopy workstations, photogrammetric scanners and open Microsoft Windows-based image management, processing, and distribution software.

Z/I Imaging is a trademark of Z/I Imaging Corporation. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright 2002 Z/I Imaging Corporation. All rights reserved.