ISRO Bhuvan Online - Bhuvan Indian Map Website launched

BHUVAN, the Indian Mapping Service is going be launched by ISRO today. Here is the news:

ISRO will unveil its version of Google Earth, the iconic mapping service for the common man to zoom into any part of the world on their personal computer using satellite images.

However, the new mapping service — Bhuvan, which means earth in Sanskrit — will allow users to have a closer look at any part of the subcontinent barring sensitive locations such as military and nuclear installations.

ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair will unveil the Bhuvan webportal at a function here tomorrow in the presence of Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan.

Bhuvan will use images taken by ISRO’s seven remote sensing satellites at least a year ago. These eyes in the sky can capture images of objects as small as a car on the road to build three-dimensional map of the world.

Imagine if you could count the lions in Gir or fishermen find concentration of fish in the sea, just by dragging a mouse
on a computer screen. Space Applications Centre of ISRO has just made that possible by an innovation called Bhuvan.

Bhuvan, meaning earth, is the addition to the numerous scientific innovations by SAC and is a satellite mapping tool, just like Google Earth or Wikimapia, but allows you to zoom far closer than the aerial view from a chopper. If Google Earth shows details upto 200 metres distance and Wikimapia upto 50 metres, Bhuvan will show images upto 10 metres, which means you can easily see details upto a three floor high building and also add information.

Announcing this at the Indian National Cartographic Association (INCA) International Congress here on Tuesday ISRO chairman Dr G Madhavan Nair said, “Bhuvan will use the data recorded by the Indian satellites only. The prototype of Bhuvan will be ready by the end of November and ISRO is hoping to officially launch the service by March next”.

He added that while other mapping sites take four years to update, Bhuvan will be upgraded every year. “This will be able to give you an image from only 10 meters away”, he said to the excited gathering.

Unlike the other two webmaps, Bhuvan will focus only on the Indian sub-continent.

“With Bhuvan we will be able to produce very local information which will be specific to only to our own country. This information available from this mapping system will be useful in addressing very local problems like floods, famines, infrastructure development, education and much more,” Nair said.

“The information on Bhuvan will be layer wise and the options of viewing filtered information will be available. Inputs from a lot of local players, like farmers, fishermen and likes who know the local area in and out, will also being integrated in Bhuvan. This is for the primary reason to make it of more use to the general public,” he said.

Google Earth Vs ISRO Bhuvan

Google Earth

• Zoom levels up to 200 mt
• Single layer information
• Images upgraded every 4 years
• No alternate viewing options
• Uses international satellites

Bhuvan

• Zoom levels up to 10 mt
• Multi-layer information
• Images upgraded every year
• Options of viewing on different dates
• Uses Indian satellites

UPDATE: You can now view the BETA version of ISRO’s BHUVAn at http://bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in

Note: You have to register on the website to take advantage of all the features provided by the ISRO’s BHUVAN. Registration is easy and quick. Once registered you will be asked to install the Bhuvan Plugin on your web browser to view the maps. That should also be easy. So, why wait, go go and check the new Indian Google Earth. It’s indeed exciting!

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Comments/Queries

( 24 Comments so far )

• jatinder singh sandhu
  
  Aug 12, 2009 at 11:07:pm

  it is a marical achaivement for us.
• Shyam
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 02:28:am

  Finally India is also coming on this front. It’s good that the our govt and tech people are coming towards the web technology.
• guru
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 02:58:am

  It’s indeed a miracle!!!! I am proud to be an Indian. Good work ISRO.
• Matey
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 04:03:am

  Jai Hind!
• Saranya
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 04:01:am

  Cool. At least something is coming up on the web from India too. Great.
• Gulsan
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 04:02:am

  sounds like a terorist weapon to me.
• Gulsan
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 04:56:am

  anyone else feel like me? they can plan attacks more accurately now.
• Ranjith
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 05:29:am

  Not loading!!! Best example of Govt employees work..
• pradeep hegde
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 06:36:am

  this one is very needful thing for indian users because,this is our own bhuvan earh.congradulation to bhuvan team.
• Ganesh
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 07:04:am

  Hi gulsan, i think u are right in some point. But terrorist can use google earth also. And if want to attack, they will attack whether or not we have Bhuvan or not. Why hinder our progress in the fear of terror?
• Suresh.K
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 07:54:am

  Simply love it (the idea). Haven’t tried yet though
• Maya
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 07:41:am

  LOL Ranjith… whatever Sarkari sucks. Anyway, congrats to ISRO on such a great achievement.
• Suman
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 07:40:am

  Hey it is not opening………………the website is not opening……
• Murli
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 08:16:am

  Down down down…what the h**l
• karthik
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 11:31:am

  hey , doubt the resolution offered by isro. i only saw blurred image. is it some kind of a technical problem.
• Josp
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 11:37:am

  Same here Karth. Same blury images. Maybe it beta that’s why?? Hope it comes up to our expectations.
• Urmi
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 11:40:am

  Great.
• Ankit
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 12:54:pm

  Will we be able to look into china with this tool? If yes then only helpful to me. Otherwise I can make use of Google Earth.
• pintub
  
  Aug 13, 2009 at 06:30:pm

  Let me make it very very clear that Google Earth or Google Map is far better in terms of commercial and common public man perspective.

  ISRO Bhuvan is an achievement and may be beneficial for govt. But in general, common man will not be benefited directly.
• Gokul
  
  Aug 14, 2009 at 05:25:am

  Pintub is right. it sucks