East View Geospatial (EVG) is offering a new version of MapVault, a streaming service that brings together maps from around the world.
According to the company, MapVault provides access to more than 500,000 geo-referenced map sheets from more than 1,000 authoritative map series, which can save organizations the costs of procuring, storing and digitizing physical maps.
MapVault users have access to a diverse collection of topographic, aeronautical, nautical and geological map series sourced from international mapping agencies. Each series has been mosaicked for easy use and quick navigation. Robust metadata along with series index maps and individual sheet-level metadata are included.
New map series are added to MapVault on a regular basis, and subscriptions are customizable. Users can choose to subscribe to the series that cover their exact areas of interest or select from multiple regional package options.
East View Geospatial also provides custom series solutions and encourages users to contact the company about adding their own mapping resources to the MapVault platform.
MapVault was designed for a wide variety of users, both GIS and non-GIS specialists, and data is easily integrated into GIS software, the company said. The MapVault catalog can be accessed over the internet or through any WMTS (web mapping tile services) connection. Layer files formatted specifically for ArcGIS Desktop, QGIS, Global Mapper or other open-source GIS packages can be downloaded.
“What makes MapVault unique is the many advantages it brings to users,” said Kent Lee, president and CEO of East View Geospatial. “We’ve taken the time and cost out of tiling entire map series, giving users consistent, reliable data served up in a straightforward, easy-to-use streaming service. Whether you are interested in global or country-wide mapping coverage, or even county- or city-level mapping, MapVault gives users of all experience levels a simple and accessible environment in which to discover and utilize maps.”
When I entered the civilian part of my GIS career as the GIS manager for the Atlanta Regional Commission, I tried to get first responders interested in GIS. Of course, in the early ’90s we were happy to be able to accurately draw points, lines and polygons on a piece of paper. Soon we had the luxury of ortho imagery as a backdrop for our GIS data, but I still couldn’t build a lot of enthusiasm among those first responders.
That changed completely when we started using metric oblique imagery provided by Pictometry. I realized that since we live in an oblique/3D world many non-GIS users had real difficulty visualizing objects or locations using two-dimension visualizations such as drawings, blueprints, maps or even ortho imagery.
By contrast, oblique views made visualization much easier for the vast majority of non-GIS users, and use of oblique imagery coupled with GIS tools exploded. Since then, many of us have been searching for faster, easier and cheaper ways to collect oblique imagery and video, and build 3D models.
For more than a decade, major defense contractors developed leading-edge systems to capture and exploit aerial imagery and video. Although effective, as one would expect of new custom technology, the systems were very expensive and out of reach for most local government agencies. Remote GeoSystems seems to have developed a system that leverages current technology to provide capabilities that may address some of those needs at a reasonable price.
Remote GeoSystems is in the business of capturing, displaying and managing “georeferenced” video and imagery. The company has designed and built high-end geospatial video recording systems for full motion video (FMV) and GIS mapping software primarily aimed at regulatory compliance of energy corridors, grids and critical infrastructure inspection applications.
Fortunately, my UAV is a DJI Inspire 1. I chose the Inspire because of its reputation, and because it seems to be the best combination of features needed for first-responder work at a prosumer price (about $3,500). The Inspire can record up to 4K video/12-mp stills, has a 94-degree field of view so there is no wide angle “fish-eye” distortion typical of an action camera, and has “Lightbridge” technology that permits positive control up to 3 miles and the ability to stream live 720p video (now 1080p) back to the ground controller.
The controller can feed large-screen video for command center group viewing via an HDMI output. Most important, the Inspire records GPS position data and altitude along with the video/imagery stream. (The DJI Phantom 3 Pro is a cheaper alternative that also records telemetry data, but if one upgrades to a 4K camera and the Lightbridge transmitter/receiver, the price approaches the integrated Inspire 1 price.)
An .srt file.
Since I’m always leery of marketing pieces and company demos, I wanted to try the system myself, and Remote Geo was happy to oblige. My first hands-on test was very satisfying. The LineVision software downloaded, unpacked and loaded quickly with no problems. I then recorded some aerial video of our condo building on Lake Guntersville near Huntsville, Alabama. I chose this building because it was convenient, safe to fly and a multi-story building in the open.
In addition to recording the video, one needs to turn on the DJI Inspire metadata recording to generate the .srt file. This is done in the DJI application “General Settings/Camera” by toggling “Video Caption” on. The .srt file was initially designed to provide altitude and location data as on-screen captions, but the data can be used as needed for other purposes.
When done with the flight and recording, transfer the video file and .srt file to your computer. Make sure the video file .mov/.mp4 and .srt file are in the same folder. Open LineVision and you will see an ArcGIS window. From the pull-down menu, load the video and you will instantly see the video play in a separate window with red position dots on the ArcMap view. As the video plays, the dot associated with the location of the UAV will turn yellow. If you click on any dot, the video will jump to that location/position on the video.
Here are screen captures of LineVision showing the ArcGIS view of an ortho image with red dots illustrating the path of the UAV:
One advantage of LineVision for first responders is that it is a complete package with ArcGIS embedded, all for a price well below $1,500. There is no need for a separate ArcMap license. Additionally, although LineVision Esri ArcGIS can display GIS data from online sources, if you have GIS data for your location loaded on your computer the system will operate in a disconnected remote environment. These sample screengrabs don’t do the system and video justice, since I recorded at 1080p rather than 4K. My laptop, this website and the reader’s playback equipment limit accurate playback of 4K content, so I did my work at 1080p.
I can envision a disaster-response scenario where the response team arrives on site, launches a UAV, and starts recording the scene. The captured video could then be loaded, viewed, indexed and cataloged with GIS data overlays on a laptop all in a matter of minutes, even in a disconnected environment. Hours, days or months later, finding the right video clip for analysis or forensics should be significantly easier and faster.
With the explosion of UAV hardware and software, it’s going to be an exciting year as new smaller, cheaper and more capable systems hit the market. Remote GeoSystems is working with UAV manufacturers to make LineVision capability available for many of the newcomers.
Leveraging UAV and LineVision capability, Skyline has worked with Remote GeoSystems to bring yet another capability: rapid 3D model creation. Taking appropriate geo-located frames of the video, Skyline uses its PhotoMesh software to build fully metric 3D models in short order. The full capability of this system and its 3D viewer TerraExplorer is so extensive that I will cover it in a future column, after this month’s ESRI Federal Users’ Conference. If you see me at the UC Feb. 24-25, please stop me and say hello.
Leica Geosystems announced that it is taking the first step toward bringing live-streamed intelligent cloud-based imagery into all field applications, beginning with the launch of the Leica Nova MS60 MultiStation, Leica Nova TS60 Total Station, Leica Viva TS16 Total Station and Leica Zeno 20 handheld.
Geospatial professionals in the U.S. and Canada who invest in these new solutions can become part of this pioneering effort and add even more intelligence to their dataset with up to one year of introductory free access to georeferenced imagery from the Hexagon Imagery Program (HxIP), the company said.
A high-quality, accurate and professional dataset, HxIP imagery is 30-cm (1-foot) resolution, with set specification and accuracy standards and a regular refresh schedule. The natural color RGB backdrop imagery (tile cache) is fast and easy to access and gives context to survey and construction maps and overlays, Leica Geosystems said. All content is captured using Leica Geosystems airborne sensors for the highest reliability.
Access to HxIP imagery adds spatial and contextual awareness to surveys, enables better planning and decision-making for more efficient and productive time onsite, and eliminates the need to georeference data to the basemap during post-processing, the company said. Through Leica Infinity software, users can access HxIP imagery to view field measured data and imported design data in the office.
Users can also prepare job data with the HxIP imagery and then clip and store georeferenced images that can be exported to the new Leica Captivate field software for use as background imagery and basemaps on the newest robotic total stations. The imagery can also be live-streamed to the Leica Zeno 20 handheld.
The georeferenced HxIP airborne imagery is available to everyone on a subscription basis through the cloud via multiple content service providers, including Esri’s ArcGIS Marketplace, Hexagon Geospatial’s Power Portfolio and Valtus Imagery Services. Complimentary access to live-streamed HxIP image tiles is being offered through June 2016 to customers in the U.S. and Canada that have an active Leica Infinity Customer Care Package (CCP) or that purchase a Leica Zeno 20 handheld.
“We’re quickly moving toward a world in which every geospatial sensor will have cloud-based access to real-time, high-quality imagery for invaluable survey intelligence,” said Ken Mooyman, president of Hexagon Geosystems NAFTA. “The integration of HxIP with Leica Infinity, Captivate and the Leica Zeno 20 in North America is the first step in bringing that rich, detailed imagery to users where and when it is available so they can be part of leading the way into the future.”
MapVault users have access to a diverse collection of topographic, aeronautical, nautical and geological map series sourced from international mapping agencies. Each series has been mosaicked for easy use and quick navigation. Robust metadata along with series index maps and individual sheet-level metadata are included.
