American Company Hexagon’s Geosystems division announced on March 19, 2020, the HxGN Content Program is making its aerial imagery library of the entire United States and Europe freely available to any government agencies and non-profit organizations managing the COVID-19 outbreak.

Hexagon HxGN Content Program provides aerial imagery library in response to COVID-19. (Picture source Hexagon)

The orthorectified high-resolution aerial imagery can be used by first responders, healthcare departments and GIS professionals to assess the spread of the virus, visualize the scope of affected areas, plan coordination efforts, and improve responses. The imagery is also needed to create maps, spatial data products and geo-information for those responding to national emergencies. Hexagon will make the data available for 90 days through WMS/WMTS protocols directly into all GIS or enterprise applications including Esri, MapInfo, and Global Mapper, not requiring any additional software.

“As we are all going through these uncertain times, we are keeping those directly affected by the virus in our thoughts, from family and friends to co-workers and neighbors to partners and customers," said John Welter, President, Geospatial Content Solutions, Hexagon’s Geosystems division. "With the release of this high-accuracy aerial imagery, our hope is it will be used as a key source of information for an effective response by authorities and others working to contain and treat the virus.”

Hexagon is a global leader in sensor, software and autonomous technologies. Hexagon’s Geosystems division provides a comprehensive portfolio of digital solutions that capture, measure, and visualise the physical world and enable data-driven transformation across industry ecosystems.