GPS World

Author: Tracy Cozzens

  • Honeywell teams with Intel on UAV inspection service

    Honeywell teams with Intel on UAV inspection service

    Honeywell has launched its first commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection service — the Honeywell InView inspection service — to help industrial customers improve critical structure inspections while helping increase employees’ safety from many of the risks associated with these often-dangerous working conditions.

    Intel Falcon 8+ octocopter drone.

    The Honeywell InView inspection service will combine the proven performance of the Intel Falcon 8+ UAV system and Honeywell’s expertise in the aerospace and industrial industries with data-driven software customized to the needs of the utility, energy, infrastructure, and oil and gas industries, the company said.

    The Honeywell InView inspection service package, which includes the components of the UAV, pilot app and customizable web portal, helps customers organize and create standards around their routine and crisis-response inspections.

    For example, the Honeywell InView inspection service can help utility customers create routine inspections of transmission and distribution systems that generate data that can be stored, searched and accessed from in the office and out in the field on demand.

    “This collaboration combines Intel’s advanced commercial Intel Falcon 8+ UAV system with Honeywell’s leadership in aerospace safety and connectivity to deliver solutions that deliver reliable, efficient and actionable information to utility and industrial customers,” said Carl Esposito, president, Electronic Solutions, Honeywell Aerospace. “Through our extensive industrial experience, our customers will also gain access to Honeywell’s customized software and data solutions that will help them log, analyze, and eventually predict or prevent outages and structural failures, while protecting the men and women called upon to complete these crucial but high-risk jobs.”

    “We are incredibly pleased to collaborate with Honeywell on this exciting new business opportunity,” said Anil Nanduri, general manager for Intel’s UAV business group. “The safety, flight precision and robust performance of the Intel Falcon 8+ system are a perfect fit for the Honeywell InView inspection service and will allow its customers to inspect, collect and analyze valuable data in a whole new way.”

    With Honeywell’s InView inspection service, customers tap into Honeywell’s experience across vertical segments such as utilities, aerospace, connected building management, and oil and gas technologies.

    In collaboration with Intel, Honeywell will utilize the intelligence and experiences of its diverse set of businesses to give customers a comprehensive solution and experience unrivaled in the marketplace.

    “Technology, along with the Internet of Things, is enabling utilities around the world to modernize the management of their energy grids,” said Nitin S. Kulkarni, president, Smart Energy, Honeywell Home and Building Technologies. ” Honeywell brings together the technology that allows utilities to transform how energy is consumed in homes and buildings with software-based systems that help safely and efficiently manage complex industrial facilities and utility grids. Honeywell also has more than 100 years of experience providing dependable products and services to a variety of industries, of which Honeywell InView inspection service is the latest entry.”

    Inspection Service goals

    Keeping workers safe. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, utility line workers have one of the top 10 most dangerous jobs in the United States, with 21.5 annual fatalities from high-voltage lines for every 100,000 workers.

    By using the inspection service, utility companies can send a UAV to perform routine inspections of substations, transmission towers and power lines while keeping boots on the ground and workers safe.

    For utilities, using a UAV for inspections offers safer and more cost-effective means than existing methods using helicopters, cherry pickers, ladders and walking inspections.

    Improving efficiency. Historically, inspections are siloed by organization and by individuals within organizations. Honeywell’s InView inspection service aims to create standardized inspections where customers can create operational efficiencies in the office and out in the field.

    Data capture and analysis. UAVs are being touted for their data-gathering capabilities, but without analytics, more data is simply more data. Honeywell’s service can synthesize vast quantities of data to identify only what is needed and actionable, translating workers’ tacit knowledge into valuable information that provides actionable insights for business.

    Connected Freight

    Honeywell and Intel also recently collaborated to create a Connected Freight platform that gives shippers and logistics companies the unprecedented ability to monitor shipments of high value and perishable goods, helping prevent costly damage and loss.

    The new Honeywell InView inspection service continues the work these two companies are doing to help various industries use connected devices to be more efficient and safer, and harness data in new and meaningful ways.

     

  • Boundless partners with global special forces foundation

    Boundless has partnered with the Global SOF Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that aims to build and grow an international Special Operations Forces (SOF) network of military, government, commercial and educational stakeholders.

    The foundation fosters SOF objectives and partnerships to confront both global and networked threats.

    SOF_Logo“We’re honored to partner with an organization that supports national and international Armed Forces in such an important way,” said Andy Dearing, CEO of Boundless. “The work conducted by Global SOF plays an integral part in safeguarding national security and supporting critical decision-making; two initiatives that we’re proud to stand behind.”

    The Global SOF Foundation aids the support and growth of the international SOF network. Besides working with its partners to promote SOF capabilities, it contributes to the unification of the SOF community through a variety of annual convening forums.

    The foundation also informs national security policy to ensure the proper development, sustainment and resourcing of SOF.

    “We are thrilled to have Boundless on board,” said Stu Bradin, president and CEO of the Global SOF Foundation and U.S. Army Special Forces colonel (ret.). “They were recommended to us by one of our long-term partners, so we know they are the real deal. We are excited to see what they can bring to the international SOF community.”

    Boundless offers a complete open GIS solution through a unique combination of technology, products and experts, to give enterprises deeper intelligence and insights into their location-based data. The Boundless platform is built upon open source technology and open APIs that generate actionable location intelligence across third-party apps, content services and plugins for enterprise applications.

  • High-resolution Earth observation satellites ready for launch

    Space Systems Loral (SSL), a provider of satellites and spacecraft systems, built the six high-resolution small satellites for Planet for its SkySat Earth observation constellation — a fleet Planet gained through the acquisition of the Terra Bella business from Google in April 2017.

    Six SSL-built small satellites for Planet's Earth observation constellation have arrived at Vandenberg AFB for launch. (Photo: SSL)
    Six SSL-built small satellites for Planet’s Earth observation constellation have arrived at Vandenberg AFB for launch. (Photo: SSL)

    The satellites will double Planet’s high-resolution imaging capabilities and help provide information about the physical world.

    The satellites, called SkySat 8 through 13, are each about 60 x 60 x 95 centimeters, weigh about 100 kilograms, and capture sub-meter color imagery and up to 90-second clips of HD video with 30 frames per second.

    “Small satellites and Earth observation satellites are a growing focus for SSL,” said Dario Zamarian, group president of SSL. “SSL is known for working very collaboratively with our customers and it has been a great pleasure for our team to work together with Planet. For these satellites we have taken a fresh approach to manufacturing, learning from our GEO experience but also looking for new and more efficient processes that in turn also inform our large satellite manufacturing.”

    Working together with the seven SkySats already on orbit, the new satellites will dramatically increase Planet’s high-resolution imaging capabilities, enabling multiple imaging passes in a single day. These capabilities, combined with Planet’s more than 170 Dove satellites and their advanced software analytics platform, make it possible to derive timely insights from any location in the world.

    The Planet constellation provides a broad range of data, tools, and analytical services that help leaders in business and humanitarian sectors solve complex problems.

    “These SkySats double the amount of high-resolution data that we can capture and serve to users, and will power insights, inform smart decisions, and most importantly, help make the world a better and safer place,” said Will Marshall, co-founder and chief executive Sofficer of Planet. “The highly experienced team at SSL has been helpful and responsive as we work together to get the satellites prepared for launch.”

    SSL has deep experience in building and integrating some of the world’s most powerful and comprehensive solutions for services such as communications, Earth observation, in-orbit servicing, space robotics, and exploration.

    Four SkySats built by SSL were launched in September 2016, and SSL is currently building an additional eight LEOs for Planet in its SmallSat manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, California, where the company takes an innovative approach to satellite design, assembly and test.

  • IRNSS-1H navigation satellite launch unsuccessful

    The Aug. 31 launch of a new Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) satellite failed when the protective fairing did not separate.

    Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman AS Kiran Kumar confirmed that the mission to launch India’s eighth navigation satellite, IRNSS-1H, from the second launch pad at the spaceport of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, was unsuccessful.

    The 1425-kg satellite was expected to expand the existing seven satellites of the NavIC constellation. The launch vehicle PSLV-C39 lifted the satellite on Aug. 31 using the XL variant, of PSLV equipped with six strap-ons, each carrying 12 tons of propellant.

    The three phases of the launch went smoothly, but unfortunately, the heat shield which was supposed to be separated in the fourth stage could not be detached.

    IRNSS-1H was planned as a replacement satellite for IRNSS-1A.

  • Per Enge appointed to Satelles board of directors

    Per Enge appointed to Satelles board of directors

    Per Enge, Professor and Director, Stanford university Center for Position Navigation and Time

    Satelles, a secure time and location solutions company, has appointed Per Enge to its board of directors. Satelles provides a time and location solutions delivered over the Iridium constellation of 66 low-earth-orbiting satellites.

    Enge is the Vance and Arlene Coffman Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics for Stanford University, where he is also the director of the Stanford Center for Position Navigation and Time.

    “I am eager to join the Satelles Board of Directors and look forward to supporting the management team,” Enge said. “I am encouraged by the progress Satelles has made and continue to have confidence in the leadership team and future growth of the business.”

    Enge’s laboratory has worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to design a medium frequency radio system to broadcast differential GPS corrections to maritime users, and this system has been implemented as a worldwide standard.

    His laboratory also worked with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to develop WAAS, the Wide-Area Augmentation System that provides GPS integrity data to airborne users. Today, WAAS is carried by more than 100,000 aircraft, and similar systems have been implemented in Europe, India and Japan.

    Enge also serves on the board of directors of Amida Technologies, and he serves as a technical advisor to Polaris Wireless.

    He has received the Kepler, Thurlow and Burka Awards from the Institute of Navigation for his work. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the Institute of Navigation.

    Enge received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois in 1983. In 2012, the U.S. Air Force inducted Enge into the GPS Hall of Fame.

    “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Per to Satelles Board of Directors,” said Michael O’Connor, Satelles CEO. “Per has distinguished himself as a technology innovator and brings to our board of directors deep expertise in global navigation satellite systems. His wealth of experience and expertise in GPS and other technologies adds new depth to our board as we continue to deliver Satellite Time and Location  to users around the world. We look forward to working with Per on our mission is to deliver trusted time and location solutions that augment and enhance existing solutions — including GPS.”

  • Can artificial intelligence fly a drone? Researchers are finding out

    Can artificial intelligence fly a drone? Can a drone catch thermals the way birds do?

    Microsoft researchers are partnering with the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) to find out.

    The artificially intelligent UAS being tested at the Nevada UAS Test Site is a 16 ½ -foot, 12 ½- pound sailplane. The sailplane relies on a battery to run onboard computational equipment and controls such as the rudder, plus radios to communicate with the ground.

    It also has a motor so that a pilot can take over manual operation when necessary.

    But once it’s up in the air, the UAS demonstrated its ability to operate on its own, finding and using thermals to travel without the aid of the motor or a person.

    Simple and complex UAS testing was conducted at the Hawthorne Advanced Drone Multiplex (HADM) Test Range located at Hawthorne, Nevada. HADM is a 230-square mile area where a variety of UAS applications can be tested, including artificial intelligence (AI).

    NIAS manages the FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site, which includes HADM and other UAS test ranges across Nevada.

    The Microsoft operation was based at the Hawthorne Industrial Airport where preliminary tests were made. Subsequent tests were conducted at an area east of Walker Lake around six miles from the airport.

    The team flew three different sailplanes that reached an altitude of approximately 1,700 feet flying almost two dozen Nevada UAS Test Site Certification of Authorization (COA) flights Aug. 7-11.

    “Innovative AI technology like what Microsoft tested with NIAS is clearly where the most dramatic global UAS Industry disruptions will occur,” said Chris Walach, test site director. “When you think of artificial intelligence or AI, there are many perspectives on the value-add to the UAS industry. Very evident to me, developing and testing AI, or machine learning technology, is going to have multiple applications that will significantly benefit the UAS Industry and the American way of life. This is one of the most exciting developments I have seen over the past several years in Nevada and globally.”

    “Microsoft researchers have created a system that uses artificial intelligence to keep the sailplane in the air without using a motor, by autonomously finding and catching rides on naturally occurring thermals, like how wild birds stay aloft,” said Ashish Kapoor, a principal Microsoft researcher. “Birds do this seamlessly, and all they’re doing is harnessing nature and they do it with a peanut-sized brain.”

    “Nevada wholeheartedly supports the growth of the Unmanned Aerial System industry, and teaming with global technology leader Microsoft to perform these Nevada-based tests speaks to our leadership role with the global community,” said Tom Wilczek, industry specialist for the Nevada Aerospace and Defense Industry for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “Governor Sandoval and our Legislature expect us to engage in the growth of transformative technologies and I am grateful for the opportunity afforded by Microsoft to team and to do just that.”

     

  • Hurricane barrels toward Texas, maps show impact

    Hurricane Harvey is hitting Texas with wind speeds of at least 111 mph. Widespread flooding is a risk for Texas and neighboring states as public safety groups and communities prepare.

    Esri has created a new Hurricanes and Tropical Cyclones Story Map that identifies the potential impact of the storm through a variety maps, including:

    • Public Information Map — identifies the current and recent location of Harvey as well as forecast positions and probable track; additionally, the shaded area is called the “cone of uncertainty,” the likely path of the center of Harvey.
    • Impact Summary Map — shows the storm surge by identifying locations most at risk for life-threatening inundation from storm surge; accordingly, to Esri’s data, the total population at risk is 248k people, 99k households, and 10k businesses.
    • Forecast Precipitation Map — forecasts the amount of rain expected within the next 72-hour period.

    Click here to view the story map.

    Hurricane-Harvey-Esri-storymap

  • Harnessing scan-to-BIM technology on historic sites

    Attucks School in Kansas City.
    Attucks School in Kansas City. (Image: GeoSLAM)

    When it comes to renovating a building, unforeseen structural problems or lack of knowledge about the materials used can result in costly delays. Detailed site surveys help to highlight these issues before work begins — and digital technology is playing an increasingly important role in identifying them.

    The GeoSLAM ZEB REVO. (Image: GeoSLAM)
    The GeoSLAM ZEB-REVO. (Image: GeoSLAM)

    A project undertaken at a 112-year-old school highlights the advantages of using 3D mobile indoor mapping for rapid and simple site surveys.

    “The beauty of scanning an historic building is that you find yourself delving into the stories behind its life,” said Stuart Cadge, sales and marketing coordinator at GeoSLAM. “As you peel back the layers you discover how the building has been used and altered over many decades of use.”

    This was certainly the case at the Attucks school in Kansas City, Cadge said. The distinctive red-brick building was designed by local architect Charles A. Smith and built in 1905. It is known for its colonial revival influences and also played a key role in the educational history of the African-American community.

    Two decades later, the school was suffering from over-crowding, and Smith was asked to extend it with a two-storey wing that connected to the east façade of the building. While the 1905 building had been symmetrical, the extension changed the floor plans considerably. Nevertheless, Smith delivered a sympathetic design that incorporated some of the original architectural details, ensuring the new wing was in keeping with the building’s aesthetic.

    While details of the school’s building history are available on national and state registers, it would not have been possible to uncover problems in its structural condition without an accurate survey.

    A Unique Challenge

    Redeveloping and retrofitting a building like Attucks requires careful planning to uncover any existing conditions in its infrastructure. Civil engineering firm BHC RHODES was tasked with providing a 3D Revit building information model (BIM) of the building. The firm decided to use lidar 3D mobile mapping technology provided by GeoSLAM to achieve this.

    The extremely rapid and efficient workflow of the GeoSLAM solution meant that possible setbacks in the project, caused by weakness in the structure, could be identified in advance, helping to speed up delivery time and reduce the overall project spend.

    At Attucks, there were visible signs of deterioration to the wooden flooring, as well as concerns about ceiling collapses and air quality — specifically, asbestos.

    The Value of Technology

    “The process of mapping a historic building can expose site personnel to a number of risks, so BHC RHODES wanted to ensure they spent as little time on-site as possible,” Cadge explained.

    As well as entering the Attucks building, personnel were required to move across the site safely, climb stairs and go into places that a trolley scanner could not.

    On this basis, the firm chose the GeoSLAM ZEB-REVO, a handheld, lightweight, mobile mapping scanner, which employs 3D Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) technology. In this case, it was seen as a much more time- and cost-effective alternative to terrestrial, static or trolley-based systems.

    The complete 3D scan of the building comprises four separate scans and over 160 million data points. (Image: GeoSLAM)
    The complete 3D scan of the building comprises four separate scans and over 160 million data points. (Image: GeoSLAM)

    “The ZEB-REVO is an incredibly useful tool for indoor mobile mapping, particularly in buildings with multiple storeys,” Cadge said. “It enables users to simply ‘walk and scan’ the building, in order to generate building footprints, 2D plans, area measurements for real estate and facility management, 3D BIM models — the list goes on.”

    In the case of Attucks, just four-and-and-half hours were needed to scan the whole building, with the ZEB-REVO recording more than 43,000 measurement points per second. This was helped by the fact that operation of the device requires minimal staff training.

    Results

    Data from the ZEB-REVO and a trolley-based scanner were registered with Cyclone 9.1.4 to a common coordinate system before being exported to Autodesk ReCap as a .pts file format. From this, data was divided into 10-GB files to be used in ReCap and Revit 2014, where a level 200 BIM model was generated. The smooth and hassle-free workflow resulted in the entire building model being completed two weeks earlier than predicted.

    The Jazz District Redevelopment Corporation (JDRC) in Kansas City has plans to transform Attucks into a new community performing arts facility, with office space, paying tribute to its African-American history. By supplying the JDRC with the geospatial data, the organization was better able to understand the structural condition of the building and consider how the space could be used.

    The 3D point data was used to build a level 200 BIM model in Recap and Revit 2014. (Image: GeoSLAM)
    The 3D point data was used to build a level 200 BIM model in Recap and Revit 2014. (Image: GeoSLAM)

    The development will form an integral part of the 18th and Vine historic district in Kansas City, known as the Jazz District. The area is recognized as one of the cradles of jazz music in the 1920s and 1940s, and a historic hub of African-American businesses.

    To secure approval on the plans for Attucks, JDRC must produce detailed drawings that show what materials will be used, as well as full dimension drawings, floor plans, site drawings and elevations. In addition, it must provide details, both graphically and in written form, on what parts of the building will remain and what renovation techniques will be used.

    All this might present a number of challenges, but the scans produced by GeoSLAM’s ZEB-REVO show that the existing buildings are of exceptional quality. When the project does proceed, it will be able to do so quickly and efficiently thanks in part to the speed, simplicity and ease of use of the ZEB-REVO.

  • Seeing the Great American Eclipse

    Photo: 2017 Eclipse/NASA
    Photo: 2017 Eclipse/NASA

     

    A total solar eclipse will cross the United States from coast to coast on Monday, Aug. 21 — the first solar eclipse in nearly 40 years.

    Not only is this is the first eclipse in the age of social media, it is the first with a path of totality crossing the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the U.S. since 1918.

    Also, its path of totality makes landfall exclusively within the United States, making it the first such eclipse since the country’s independence in 1776.

    An interactive story map from Esri, Seeing the Great American Eclipse, features a collection of eclipse data such as the amount of exposure per location, traffic analytics and more.

    An estimated 1.85 to 7.4 million people will be traveling to the path of totality. The rapid population influx presents a unique challenge for national public safety agencies as well as state and local governments across the cities and towns where eclipse enthusiasts are expected to gather.

    Aside from potential record-breaking traffic jams, many are anticipating a significant strain on emergency resources and infrastructure (both physical and digital).

    Oregon in the Hot Seat. As the first state to experience the eclipse, Oregon is in the hot seat. It is not only one of the most populous states in the path of totality, but is expected to receive the most out-of-state visitors as well.

    During this unprecedented event, government agencies are going to need real-time situational awareness of personnel; resources; and infrastructures, such as freeways, in highly populated areas. Knowing who and what are at risk is critical, but knowing where when it matters most enables a cohesive response to any situation that might arise.

    In recognition of those needs, Oregon has developed the RAPTOR app (Real-time Assessment and Planning Tool for Oregon). Leveraging Esri technology, the online government resource adds the path of totality and other eclipse event layers to its situational awareness data.

    RAPTOR also allows users to quickly and easily digitize information from these events and put them onto maps, providing agencies with up-to-the-moment info on everything from traffic to weather.

  • HxIP announces updates to 2017 airborne imagery collection plans

    Latest imagery collection covers U.S., Canada, Europe; plans include territories, cities

    The Hexagon Imagery Program (HxIP) has updated its 2017 airborne imagery collection plans of Wide Area Coverage (WAC) at 30-centimeter accuracy and Urban Area Coverage (UAC) at 15-cm accuracy in North America and Europe.

    By the end of 2017, the HxIP will update its content for more than 3.9 million km² in North America. This includes a refresh of 18 previously captured U.S. states and completes the full coverage of the continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and select areas of Alaska.

    The HxIP announces updates to 2017 airborne imagery collection plans of Wide Area Coverage (WAC) at 30-centimetre accuracy and Urban Area Coverage (UAC) at 15 cm accuracy in North America and Europe.
    The HxIP announces updates to 2017 airborne imagery collection plans of Wide Area Coverage (WAC) at 30-centimetre accuracy and Urban Area Coverage (UAC) at 15 cm accuracy in North America and Europe.

    In addition to the 30-cm program, the HxIP expands its 15-cm collection by 100 cities for a total of 347 U.S. urban areas covering more than 492,000 km². The HxIP also includes 23 Canadian cities at 30 cm with efforts underway to refresh and expand the Canadian library.

    This year will see the addition of approximately 650,000 km² in Europe bringing, the Western European coverage to more than 2.2 million km². Including countries such as Italy, Germany, Spain, France and Poland, this coverage expands the HxIP on the global stage, making it one of the most comprehensive, imagery programs in the world.

    Hexagon-Europe-W

    “Over the last three years since we launched the program, we have been extensively growing our coverage through adding new imagery acquisition partners and increasing our resources to support the program,” said John Welter, Hexagon Geosystems Content and Engineering Services president. “We are well on track to meet our 2017 goals, and we are continuously improving our offerings to better support our users, including completing coverage and reducing the time it takes to refresh our content.”

    Quality control by experts. Launched in June 2014, the HxIP provides valuable geospatial content and delivers professional-grade airborne images captured with Leica Geosystems’ airborne sensors, including enhanced-resolution, four-band orthos, rasterized point clouds, and stereo imagery.

    Captured by a network of Leica Geosystems airborne users, the data is processed by experienced photogrammetry professionals who ortho rectify, and correct colors and seam lines. Using the latest processing technology, these experts clean the data to be used in various applications, such as corridor mapping, real estate assessments and flood planning.

  • Intergeo preview: Photogrammetry heads for new markets

    We’ve entered a new golden age for photogrammetry, powered by the ease of digitizing images and their ubiquitous availability.

    Photogrammetry is the science of making measurements from photographs. While science drives the process, business is driving a wealth of associated applications.

    “Photogrammetry is ahead of its time because everything is already fully digital in this discipline,” said Heinz-Jürgen Przybilla, professor of Geodesy at Bochum University of Applied Sciences.

    UAVs, digital cameras and image sensors on the Internet of Things, in aircraft or on satellites are opening up applications that only the world of science was predicting a few years ago.

    Intergeo Show. The developments that photogrammetry is setting in motion will be on display at Intergeo 2017, Sept. 26–28 in Berlin.

    The art of using photographs for surveying, which laid the foundation for present-day photogrammetry, dates back 150 years and involves developing processes to derive information from images that go far beyond simply viewing them. In recent years, the discipline has made huge progress, with businesses discovering new application areas.

    The high level of automation makes it possible to interpret huge volumes of data from sources such as large-scale satellite imagery. The process also works in real time — a prerequisite in applications such as autonomous navigation.

    “Automation in image evaluation makes people incredibly flexible. We’re no longer restricted to viewing the world from our own height,” said Christian Heipke, president of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS).

    Photogrammetry applications are moving into numerous sectors and tackling a host of challenges. Global change is being documented using images from space. Image data is being used to forecast crop sizes. Inaccessible structures are being monitored with the help of images from UAVs.

    As Przybilla said, image evaluations from UAVs are already being used for high-precision land register surveys. What took days manually can now be accomplished in minutes.

    Disaster Prevention. Other applications include disaster prevention and monitoring refugee movements. In many cases, drones provide a rapid overview, while satellites offer the large-scale basis for evaluating a situation.

    In architecture, 3D models from aerial images complement computer-aided design (CAD) plans.  In conjunction with virtual reality, 3D models enable design variants for a building to be depicted in the actual environment.

    Information is also being shared with disciplines such as computer vision and robotics, with “seeing robots” increasingly recording and mapping their surroundings.

    Industrial site in 3D: A digital elevation model from a series of overlapping photos taken from a UAV at 300 feet above ground level.
    Industrial site in 3D: A digital elevation model from a series of overlapping photos taken from a UAV at 300 feet above ground level. (Image: Eric Gakstatter)

    More and more, the processes and algorithms on which image evaluations are based are becoming like a “black box” for users — hard to understand from the outside. While the black box is getting bigger, scientists are refining their methods.

    “We’re increasingly combining existing data and this will leverage a huge amount of new potential,” explained Heipke. The black box for photogrammetry will be discussed at Intergeo.

    Once the process of image content recognition is automated, applications are limitless.

    Several sessions organized by the German Society for Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Geoinformation (DGPF) at Intergeo will be looking at topical issues in photogrammetry. The contents of the presentations range from new sensors and remote sensing to “engineering geodesy meets photogrammetry.” Numerous companies will also be showcasing their image-evaluation solutions at Intergeo’s specialist exhibition.

  • Grade control integrates 3D automatics

    Grade control integrates 3D automatics

    Trimble Earthworks for Excavators and Earthworks for Dozers brings integrated 3D aftermarket excavator automatics capability to machine control.

    A new dozer configuration moves the receivers from the blade to the roof of the cab. Reengineered from the ground up, Trimble’s next-generation grade-control platform features intuitive software that runs on Android.

    (Photo: Trimble)

    Android System. The Trimble Earthworks grade-control application is built on the Android operating system. It was developed based on feedback from construction equipment operators, resulting in an interface optimized for productivity.

    Colorful graphics, natural interactions and gestures, and self-discovery features make the software easy to learn. Each operator can personalize the interface to match their workflow, and a variety of configurable views make it easier to see the right perspective for maximum productivity, the company said.

    Using Android, users can download other applications that provide the operator with useful tools inside the cab. Contractors can use the Trimble TD520 display or a third-party Android device.

    Excavator Automatics. When the excavator is placed in Autos mode, the operator controls the stick, and Trimble Earthworks controls the boom and bucket to stay on grade, reduce overcut and increase production. This allows operators to achieve grade consistently, with high accuracy and in less time.

    Mastless Dozer Configuration. Trimble Earthworks for Dozers mounts dual GNSS receivers on top of the cab to eliminate masts and cables traditionally located on the blade. The dual GNSS receivers are designed for steep slope work and complex designs with tight tolerances. According to Trimble, the new configuration keeps valuable receivers safer and can also save contractors time by reducing the time needed to remove and reinstall them each day.

    Earthworks Highlights

    • Grade-control app runs on the 10-inch Trimble TD520 touchscreen
      Android display.
    • Excavators can work semi-automatically, allowing operators to create smooth, flat or sloped surfaces more easily.
    • Software and hardware give operators of all skill levels the ability to
      work faster and more productively.
    • Allows data files to be transferred to or from the office wirelessly and automatically, keeping designs current.