In its continuing quest to simplify access to earth observation imagery, SkyFi is expanding its perspective and analytical capabilities through a new partnership with Blue Nose Aerial Imaging.
The agreement marks SkyFi's first collaboration with a provider of unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) photography adding to the company’s offerings of low-earth-orbit images from satellite constellations.
“At SkyFi, we understand the importance of having a well-rounded and comprehensive understanding of the earth,” noted Payton Barnwell, SkyFi’s Business Development Manager. “That's why we're excited to offer both satellite and drone imagery on our platform in conjunction with Blue Nose Aerial Imaging.”
Based in Denver, Blue Nose is the only franchised commercial drone services provider in the United States. With operators spread across the continental United States, the company offers customized, rapid response services to clients in the agriculture, construction, solar, marketing, facilities management, and other industries. Blue Nose is veteran-owned and most of its franchisees are former or current military or commercial pilots.
"Our goal is to expand our network of pilot-entrepreneurs into every major city while building a common brand that's recognized for safety, standardization, and professionalism,” explained Blue Nose President and Founder, Tanner Harris. “We eliminate common barriers to entry for business owners, provide technical training conducted by subject matter experts, and enable a streamlined path towards profitability.”
Barnwell explained that while satellite imagery remains SkyFi’s primary focus in the short-term, gaining access to Blue Nose’s precise pictures and a range of altitude-defined perspectives will give clients additional options and develop new use cases. The field of view for drones is typically smaller but of higher resolution than satellite images, allowing for finer and more detailed evaluation.
Blue Nose’s Harris said combining his team’s data collection capabilities with SkyFi’s analytics resources will make a winning combination.
"We know that data alone doesn't tell the whole story,” he said. “The value lies in our ability to collect data effectively and analyze it appropriately. Through our partnership with SkyFi, we can accurately and affordably map large areas and broaden the scope of services we can offer.”
This is possible thanks to complementary image-generating technologies and sophisticated data analytics. Satellites produce images through mounted sensors that collect the earth’s reflected electromagnetic energy. Each pass captures wide swaths, enabling high-frequency observation. Drones, operating much closer to the ground, take photographs with ultra-high resolutions as low as 1-3 centimeters per pixel. Their maneuverability also allows them to navigate around trees, into caverns, and through remote areas.
These distinctions open a world of opportunity for combining the total spatial imaging capabilities of satellites with drones’ clear, multispectral, thermal, and RGB imaging to give researchers, government agencies, and business owners a comprehensive picture of the earth.
“We're building a tiered service model that combines aerial and satellite imagery,” Harris said.
“This collaboration enables a more robust collection. By integrating with SkyFi, we can provide more comprehensive data, more efficient data collection, and more accurate results for a variety of clients across the world.”
The agreement with Blue Nose gives SkyFi the ability to offer commercial and individual customers the combined strengths of both media. Partnerships with data analysis companies completes the circle, ensuring precise coordination of satellite and drone images and flawless interpretation of the pictures they present.
“The unique perspective offered by Blue Nose Aerial Imaging’s drone data allows for more targeted and precise observations,” Barnwell said. “With both satellite and drone imagery at their fingertips, our users will have all the tools they need to make informed decisions and take appropriate action based on the insights they gather. SkyFi users can order closer-view aerial imagery to understand the details within their satellite imagery (without the need for in-person or ground-based verification) or use it as the primary tool for their earth observation needs.”
By extending its services to include drone-based photography, SkyFi is responding to the needs of industry and science. Coupled with its robust expansion of affiliations with satellite operators, the company is strategically democratizing the availability of earth imagery. The SkyFi platform empowers customers to browse, select, and pay for images right from their desktops or mobile devices. By bringing eCommerce convenience and product lines to the satellite and aerial photography niche, SkyFi is eliminating the hassles often associated with obtaining these images.
Blue Nose joins 23 other SkyFi partners in the company’s portfolio of imaging and artificial intelligence analytics companies around the globe. Arrangements with multiple partners reduce SkyFi’s supply chain and geopolitical risk and gives customers a wider selection of images and mitigate limits and constraints regarding coverage, revisit rate, resolution, swath width, and other variables.
