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From the commercial site, prnewswire, an amazing new tool to help plan the rebuilding and recovery of the earthquake-impacted area of Christchurch.  See Immersive Imagery to Help Christchurch Rebuild Post-Earthquake; Website revealing before and after panoramic photos being used by Christchurch City Council.

Almost four months after its 6.3 magnitude earthquake, the city of Christchurch, New Zealand is getting ready to rebuild, and a series of panoramic images shot by Jason Mill, an EveryScape Ambassador, are providing critical assistance. Together with the Christchurch City Council, Mill has launched a website which lets you explore large 360-degree panoramic images of damaged sections of the city and, using a split screen, view side-by-side images of the streets and buildings before and after the earthquake.

Mill, a New Zealand native and 3D modeling expert, used technology created by EveryScape that converts 2D photographs into incredibly realistic 360-degree images – “scapes” – that immerse the viewer into the scene. Since 2009, Mill has been capturing images of Christchurch streets and businesses as part of EveryScape’s ongoing project to “scape” the world. Following February’s earthquake, Mill quickly reshot images to document the damage, create a way to visualize the before and after, and aid in the rebuilding program.

“When the earthquake happened it was, of course, gut wrenching to see the damage to my city. As soon as it was safe, the natural thing for me to do was grab my camera and get out there to shoot new images,” said Mill. “These panoramic images put the viewer at the heart of the scene – visually and emotionally. Meshing the before and after scapes tell a powerful story.”

“Technology is playing an increasingly pivotal role during times of disaster. If immersive imagery can contribute even a small part to the overall recovery and rebuilding effort, then we are humbled to be a part of it,” said EveryScape CEO, Jim Schoonmaker.

This could be a useful tool for educators in the fields of urban planning, architecture, emergency management etc.  Interesting product, in my opinion.

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