According to Spirent, “The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is starting to take off in commercial and military sectors. The potential applications of UAVs are many – including survey, mapping, media reporting, delivery, reconnaissance, conservation and search & rescue. What’s more, in some cases the cost of using UAVs has been found to be up to 98.8% cheaper than manned aircraft.
“But it is still early days, and for designers and developers of UAVs, there are many challenges in bringing viable models to market and putting them to work.”
The ebook looks at those challenges and sets out the main positioning and navigation considerations that UAV test teams should incorporate into their test regime, Spirent said. It covers:
GNSS/GPS performance considerations — how to evaluate positioning capabilities of UAVs
UAV design considerations, including where GNSS receivers should be placed, the type of antenna needed and more
Which environmental/external factors need to be considered, such as wind, temperature and multipath effects
GeoComm has released an ebook focusing on assessing GIS data for an NG911 system (next-generation 911). In an NG911 system, GIS data development, accuracy, and maintenance are vital, and GeoComm approaches NG911 readiness in three steps: assess, improve and maintain.
The ebook, Key Steps for Assessing Mission Critical Data for 9-1-1, focuses on the assess step.
GeoComm approaches GIS data assessment by first identifying the current state of the reader’s GIS Data. NG911 GIS assessment can be completed by:
Educating stakeholders
Developing standards
Reviewing and analyzing GIS data
In addition to outlining the tasks for each of these three steps, the eBook includes an example of how the State of Iowa approached its NG911 GIS data assessment.
“Today is the day to begin preparing GIS data for its key role in a successful NG911 system. Whether you are tackling your GIS data assessment yourself, working with outside jurisdictions, or partner with a vendor; this eBook provides a valuable guide to accomplish your GIS data assessment,” GeoComm said in a statement.
GIS Research Methods provides a solid introduction to research methods using GIS.
Scientific data that’s spatially analyzed produces highly useful information for academics, scientists and other researchers, helping them answer questions and make well-informed decisions, according to a new book published by Esri.
Authors Sheila Lakshmi Steinberg and Steven J. Steinberg explain how to incorporate spatial thinking and GIS into research design and analysis. The book introduces readers to the value of thinking spatially, GIS basics, research design and ethics, data sampling and collection, volunteered geographic information, spatial analysis with Esri ArcGIS technology, and more. The authors are scientific researchers who have used GIS in their academic work.
“A unique aspect of this book is that we focus specifically on how to integrate GIS into both qualitative and quantitative research,” the Steinberg’s wrote in the book’s foreword. “Our objective in writing this book is to provide a foundation for GIS research methods and, more specifically, to integrate spatial thinking and spatial analysis into a research tool with clear methodological techniques.”
The book, which was written for social and physical science professionals and academics, provides an introduction to research methods using GIS. For example, readers will learn how to develop useful, spatial information-based interviews and surveys for collecting data in the field; select the right tools for spatial analysis; visualize spatial information; and communicate the results of analyses, Esri said.
The book also outlines what to consider — for example, geographic boundaries, the data, and a diverse group of stakeholders—when creating strong place-based policies. “Policy makers who consider space and place will be more likely to generate policy that is effective in the long run because it has a better opportunity to consider the concerns, needs, and perspectives that tie to data, people, and place,” said the Steinberg’s.
Sheila Lakshmi Steinberg is a professor of social sciences at Brandman University, based in Irvine, Calif. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara; her master of science degree from the University of California, Berkeley; and her doctorate from Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests include environmental sociology, culture and GIS.
Steven J. Steinberg is a principal scientist at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, a public environmental research agency based in Costa Mesa. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Kent State University, his Master of Science degree from the University of Michigan and his doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
GIS has quickly become an important tool for contemporary health care organizations to run more efficiently and effectively. While some organizations are using GIS to its full potential, others seek additional opportunities to apply geospatial tools and concepts and created an increased demand for GIS professionals.
“Legislation calling for the transition to electronic health records (EHRs) and pay-for-performance initiatives has brought GIS tools front and center,” said Stephen A. McElroy, Ph.D., GIS program chair at American Sentinel University. “GIS tools provide dynamic data visualization techniques to health care organizations to help them better understand the geographic relationships that affect health outcomes, public health risks, and disease transition to improve their overall strategic decision-making processes.”
The e-book provides information to those who want to learn how GIS helps improve patient outcomes; increase efficiencies; gain important career insight about the tech shifts in health care; and understand how these changes have resulted in unlimited career opportunities for GIS professionals.
Topics include:
What GIS does for the health industry
Health care’s increasing need for GIS insight
Job outlook for GIS professionals in health and human services
American Sentinel’s GIS programs
GIS program comparison worksheet
“The health care industry is strong and growing. Projected to create 28 percent of all new jobs, this industry is expected to increase its reliance on geospatial technologies. Now is a great time to consider earning a GIS degree as the future looks promising in health care for GIS professionals,” said Dr. McElroy.
