Digimap is now within millimetres of perfection

DIGIMAP has become even more accurate. The latest global positioning system technology enables buildings and map features to be located to an accuracy of 10mm.

It first appeared in 1996 and organisations as diverse as builders and teachers subscribe to it.

'We are striving to keep the map 100% accurate and we are getting a lot closer to achieving this with the use of our latest GPS equipment,' said Guernsey Digimap Services administration and systems manager Dave Wakeford.

Data collection engineer Ian Le Page goes out to sites identified by engineers so that new buildings, estates and road layouts are precisely positioned.

'Most people are really helpful when I explain that we are trying to put them on the map,' he said.

'It sometimes helps to explain some of the uses made of the map for them to understand how important it is to be accurate.'

The GPS is carried in a backpack and draws data from satellites. It corrects any positional errors by checking with a base station transmitter located at the airport.

Teachers use the map to make learning exciting by using images that children can recognise. A builder or one of the utilities may use it to take preliminary measurements of a site without leaving the office.

Digimap also provides a living history of the island.

'Admiral Park is a good example,' said Mr Wakeford.

'Comparing the area on the 1999 images with the way it looks now shows just how extensive the development has been.'

Even a small house extension could mean updating the map.

Mr Le Page's site visits present him with many different challenges. He was once given permission to go to the back garden of a house, but with a gentle warning to beware of the goose.

'The lady was quite right to warn me,' he said. 'I'm not very tall and when the goose stood up, it could almost look me straight in the eye. I certainly kept a close eye on him and tried to finish that particular reading quickly.'