earthmine, inc. is a company located in Berkeley, California devoted to "indexing reality".[1][2] The company uses vehicle mounted camera rigs to capture imagery and three dimensional data of the urban environment. It was founded in 2006 by John Ristevski and Anthony Fassero.[3]
earthmine uses technology licensed from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to capture 3D data at regular intervals while driving.[4][5] Collection is accomplished with the MARS collection system, which employs a set of cameras mounted to the roof of a car. As of November 2009, earthmine has established a network of collection partners in the United States and around the world.[6]
The collected data is processed to create a library of 3D panoramic imagery, from which measurements can be made.[7] A set of tools exists so that users can access this data through a flash application or a smart phone.[8]
In May, 2009, earthmine introduced "Wild Style City",[9] a web based model of San Francisco with surfaces where visitors
can add graffiti to virtual walls.
In November, 2012 Nokia acquired earthmine's map service.[10][11]
Award
earthmine was the recipient of the 2007 Crunchie Award for "Best Technology Innovation/Achievement".[12][13]
