OUR WATCH LEADS - OWL, LDA
Portugal
Using Satellite Technology, BIM and AI technologies in the creation of our products has been a key success factor for our company.
About
Our Watch Leads – OWL, Lda is democratising the access to Satellite Earth Observation Data, delivering value to majority of agents in the construction and real estate sectors. This is being achieved by developing a state-of-the-art distribution channel, the OWL Marketplace, an e-store where users can remotely select their Area of Interest (AoI), and purchase Satellite Earth Observation data, automatised by predictive algorithms, and combined with Satellite Navigation inputs.
Company size: Micro (<10)
Sector: Construction of buildings; Civil engineering; Other
Technology: Building information modelling (BIM); Other
Digital initiative
Our Watch Leads (OWL) is a start-up that participates in the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre, the company is developing the OWL Marketplace, an e-store where architects, engineers, builders or developers can remotely select their Area of Interest (AoI), and purchase Satellite Earth Observation (SAT EO) data, automatized and filtered by predictive algorithms, and combined with Satellite Navigation (SAT NAV) inputs. In the OWL Marketplace users will have the opportunity to select their AOI and purchase simple Satellite Imagery, choosing dates and resolution, or complex processed indexes such as subsidence and Digital Elevation Models, in a simple to use ecommerce logic platform. The products are delivered in non-editable PDF, GIF or Jpeg Files, as well as in editable 2D CAD, Geotiffs and 3D BIM files. OWL provides access to High Resolution, e.g. 10mx10m/pixel, and Very High Resolution, e.g. 0.50mx0.50m/pixel, Satellite Data. By purchasing in the OWL marketplace, users will also have access to dashboards that combine the SAT EO data and SAT NAV inputs, improving results and simplifying the visualisation of several important parameters at the same time, allowing to overlay parameters or to view one at a time.
Relevant construction projects
Design and technically support architectural programmes, Services of Technical Project Coordinators, transfer of Satellite Earth Observation Technology. Locations OWL operates in: Portugal, Angola.
Experienced benefits of digitalisation
OWL has used Satellite Earth Observation data, combined and automatised with predictive algorithms and Satellite Navigation inputs to create new products for architects, engineers, builders or developers, these products are able to map the site where the users are working, with several parameters, replacing travels, topographic surveys, environmental impact studies and research hours, thus, achieving great savings in the resources spent when planning and managing a construction or a real estate prospection. Unlike open-source platforms, OWL tailors the image size to the clients’ Area of Interest size, reducing storage size requirements and also simplifying the process of choosing dates and cloud cover. Unlike competitors with more complex products, OWL focuses in democratizing the access to the data, by selling simple products at a very competitive pricing, and only pitches more complex products after the first purchase and after knowing the clients' preferences.
Tips for effective implementation
The main barriers of the implementation we noticed were lack of funding to support the initial development stage, lack of expertise in the young professionals of the sector, and lack of digitalisation in the target sectors.