GPS World

Author: Tracy Cozzens

  • Remote GeoSystems and Due North Aviation integrate DVRs for helicopter utility inspections

    geoDVR configured for multi-sensor gyro-stabilized gimbal cameras.
    The geoDVR has been configured for multi-sensor gyro-stabilized gimbal cameras.

    Remote GeoSystems Inc. and Due North Aviation have successfully implemented the geoDVR Gen2 with a SWESystem 300 gimbal video camera on a Bell Helicopter for airborne utility line inspections, according to a news release from Remote GeoSystems.

    “The geoDVR is a purpose-built geospatial DVR for the airborne utility and pipeline patrol industry and it shows” said Nathan Kayes, managing member of Due North Aviation. “Being able to record all three HD and SD video channels to a single drive, along with the Live Moving Maps and Waypoint Keyword modules, offers significant advantages both in the air and for the final inspection deliverables we provide our clients.”

    The geoDVR Gen2 is an advanced mil-spec DVR for recording multiple channels of geo-referenced high-definition full motion video in airborne and mobile mapping environments. It is ideally suited for professional utility/pipeline inspection, electronic news gathering and airborne law enforcement applications that utilize multi-sensor gyro-stabilized gimbal video cameras, Remote Geo says.

    geoDVR monitor and interface with optional Live Moving Maps module installed
    The geoDVR monitor and interface with optional Live Moving Maps module were installed.

    Due North Aviation will use the geoDVR with their SWESystem 300 gimbal to perform helicopter-based electric utility inspections with HD color, infrared and corona (UV) video. Using LineVision software, Due North will combine the geoDVR videos as well as high-resolution oblique still photos to create geoProjects for their clients.

    Videos, photos, points of interest and audio notes collected with the geoDVR are compatible with Remote GeoSystems’ LineVision suite of GIS project mapping and reporting software. LineVision allows for simple desktop and browser-based playback, analysis and project reporting utilizing the Esri ArcGIS for Desktop, Server and Cloud platforms, as well as Bing Maps and PLS-CADD.

  • Taking Position: Elephants, citadels and UAVs promote social good

    By Tracy Cozzens
    Managing Editor

    As the holiday season approaches, many of us think about ways we can help others, or promote the social good. This month, our Market Watch section features three different projects designed to do just that.

    In our Mapping section, we explore how geospatial information systems can be used to help us help the homeless. Geographic information systems (GIS), community involvement and app builders are helping gather and use data to deliver critical services to the homeless in major metropolitan areas in the United States.

    In our UAV section, we discover that unmanned aerial vehicles can be used for more than commercial purposes. One company used its fixed-wing UAV to help the Peruvian government save Machu Picchu, an Incan citadel, from the 15th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    In another project, UAVs are being used in an effort to stop the poaching of rare and endangered African wildlife. Silent, stealthy UAV patrols can spot the poaching activity by providing eyes in the sky, even at night using infrared cameras.

    These are just three examples of ways we are using location and positioning technology — ways that probably didn’t even come close to the top ideas when the tech was conceived.

    As we look toward 2016, it’s exciting to think what new applicatins might be in store. If you have an application story to share, please email me at [email protected]. Perhaps your story will appear in a future issue.

  • Aerial mapping of UK rail network nears completion

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    NM Group is nearing completion on an aerial mapping project covering more than 16,000 kilometers of United Kingdom rail network.

    In 2014, NM Group was engaged to map the rail assets with a mix of high-tech laser measurement and imaging equipment, as part of a project to improve asset maintenance, operational effectiveness, efficiency and safety.

    The project used a mix of specially commissioned lidar and high-resolution multi-angle cameras mounted on helicopters, carrying out aerial operations and ground-control activities over a four-month period and completing it before winter. The survey information was rapidly transported to NM Group’s Technology Centre in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, where a team of specialists have been converting nearly a petabyte of raw data into a wide range of terrain, asset and imaging outputs.

    “I am incredibly proud of the way our team has responded to this large and challenging project, completing the data capture within an unprecedented timescale and producing a high-quality output that will serve the rail network for years to come,” said NM Group’s CEO Kevin Jacobs.

    NM Group’s contribution to the program provides the geospatial fabric on which other layers are overlaid, the basis for asset location mapping and the start point for the design of upgrades and modifications. Traditionally, this information would have been created by a visit to the site by a team of surveyors.

    The new method will significantly reduce the need for future field work and trackside access. It will also facilitate more efficient maintenance, allowing crews to identify and access assets more safely and efficiently than in the past, via apps on a range of mobile devices, NM Group said.

    NM Group is a specialist service provider of asset management, surveying and mapping solutions to sectors including energy transmission and distribution and road and rail transport. Applying a range of remote sensing and geospatial technologies, the company offers a full range of services from data acquisition through to analytics and web applications for wider access to information.

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to use SimActive’s Correlator3D

    SimActive’s Correlator3D has been selected by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create 3D datasets of vegetation for input into biophysical models. The software will also support generation of urban landcover maps for the agency’s GIS, EnviroAtlas.

    “Correlator3D has been serving governments globally, encompassing a wide spectrum of requirements,” said Philippe Simard, president of SimActive. “We are proud to be working with the EPA and supporting their environmental mandate.”

    Correlator3D software is a patented end-to-end photogrammetry solution for the generation of high-quality geospatial data from satellite and aerial imagery, including UAVs. Correlator3D performs aerial triangulation and produces dense digital surface models, digital terrain models, point clouds, orthomosaics and vectorized 3D features.

  • VDOS Global and Cunningham Lindsey partner for drone insurance claims

    Cunningham Lindsey, a global loss adjusting and risk management services company, is partnering with VDOS Global, an unmanned inspection services company, to incorporate drone technology solutions into the insurance market.

    As the first FAA-authorized UAS-inspection company in the United States, VDOS is a provider of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) services whose commercial pilots are seasoned and fully licensed with FAA certifications. Cunningham Lindsey and VDOS will work together to achieve improved efficiencies in daily claims scenarios by assisting insurers with the creation of a drone program into their claims process, providing safer pre- and post-loss assessments with aerial flyovers, and customized UAV-training tailored to the needs of field adjusters and additional experts seeking certification.

    The partnership will provide carriers immediate access to aerial data for application efficiencies in the underwriting process as well as catastrophic claims situations for all types of property. When claims occur that require a forensic investigation, VDOS will also work with EFI Global, the forensic division of Cunningham Lindsey, to provide the UAVs needed to expedite the gathering of field data in challenging locations.

    “We are excited to partner with a highly respected and recognizable brand like VDOS to share the benefits of the emerging drone technology with our clients,” said David Repinski, president and chief client officer of Cunningham Lindsey, Americas. “It is undeniable our industry is changing constantly, and the data application possibilities using drone technology are tremendous. This partnership represents the best path forward to help insurers incorporate a UAV strategy to gain a competitive and differential advantage across all channels in the claims and risk assessment process.”

    “Working with VDOS in using UAVs in our forensic evaluations is a natural complement to EFI’s investigation process,” said Jeremy Mele, president of EFI Global. “This type of technology will enhance our technical experts’ investigative reach, and add a level of safety and security in the field when accessing sites with unsafe property conditions.”

    “We are truly excited to partner with such an incredible team at Cunningham Lindsey who understands how drones are changing traditional business models,” said Brian Whiteside, CEO of VDOS stated. “Our enterprise deployment program using UAV technology is the first of its kind, and will accelerate safe and efficient claims services for adjusters through the team’s integrated training and operations structure.”

  • Map shows flu activity throughout US

    With flu season upon us, Esri is providing a new map that shows flu activity in U.S. communities.

    Built on Esri’s ArcGIS platform, Walgreens Flu Index provides state and market-specific information regarding flu activity.

    It is compiled using retail prescription data for antiviral medications used to treat influenza across Walgreens locations nationwide.

  • Jane Goodall launches Tapestry of Hope interactive map

    TapestryofHope-Goodall

    Jane Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute have launched the Tapestry of Hope, an interactive online tool to visualize the thousands of projects led by young people around the globe who are protecting the environment.

    As world leaders struggle to make progress in Paris for the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Goodall, spreading her message of hope for our world, is calling on each of us to take action ourselves to protect our natural world.

    Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, Goodall, through her Roots & Shoots program, has inspired hundreds of thousands of people around the globe to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment. Together, these individual actions weave together a story of impact — a narrative of change for what Goodall has come to call the Tapestry of Hope.

    The launch of Tapestry of Hope reflects a snapshot of the projects young leaders have led in the past several years through Roots & Shoots,” said Erin Viera, associate vice­ president of Roots & Shoots. “Moving forward, the map will be a critical tool to document, manage, visualize and share the actions and impacts of Roots & Shoots projects that are making a positive difference for the environment, animals and people. The map will continue to grow and populate with the launch of each new Roots & Shoots community project that young people continue to pioneer around the world.”

    “Esri and the Jane Goodall Institute have collaborated on conservation programs across Africa for more than 10 years now. These projects have included applications ranging from using geospatial technologies for chimpanzee behavior research in Gombe to supporting the development and implementation of conservation action plans and improving village land use using geodesign and community mapping across East Africa and Congo basin,” said Lilian Pintea, the Jane Goodall Institute’s vice­president of conservation science.

    Esri technology that powers the mapping behind JGI’s conservation work forms the basis of the Tapestry of Hope. The map connects the work of young people around the world with other young people who are passionately making the world we all share a better place through local projects.

    In addition to documenting and visualizing the work of young people around the world, the Tapestry of Hope map serves to further Goodall’s message of hope. It brings together the critical observations, creative ideas and clever solutions of thousands of passionate young minds all working to make a difference in the world. It is designed to represent and inspire a global movement of change showing that young people care about the future of the world they are inheriting, and are taking action.

  • 2016 California GIS Conference issues call for presentations

    imgres-1The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association‘s California chapters and the California Geographic Information Association have announced a call for presentations for the 22nd California GIS Conference, which will take place May 10–12, 2016, in Anaheim, California. Presentation proposals are due by January 15.

    The conference is organized by a committee of California GIS professionals. Traditional presentations, panel discussions, maps, posters and lightning talks will be accepted by the committee. All submissions received will be reviewed and considered for the conference program.

    View conference details or an online submission form.

     

  • Sanborn Maps Glacier and Yellowstone Parks for Road Repair

    Sanborn collected this high-resolution mobile lidar image of a corridor in Glacier National Park. (PRNewsFoto/The Sanborn Map Company, Inc.)
    Sanborn collected this high-resolution mobile lidar image of a corridor in Glacier National Park. (PRNewsFoto/The Sanborn Map Company, Inc.)

    The Sanborn Map Company Inc. has completed mobile lidar data collection for two corridors in Glacier National Park and one corridor in Yellowstone National Park totaling 40 linear miles.

    Sanborn was selected for the project to provide data that could be used to determine the level of effort and cost to resurface the roads, which are in dire need of repair. In Yellowstone alone, about 185 miles of main roads are in a structurally deficient state, with poor quality road bases failing under the weight, speed and volume of modern traffic, for which they were not designed. Harsh winter weather and short construction seasons in both parks provide additional challenges.

    During the 2015 fall season, Sanborn acquired the lidar point clouds, which were particularly dense with 300-500 points per square meter, along with accompanying georeferenced imagery. The firm’s post-acquisition approach involved auto-filtering the point clouds in the ground and non-ground classes. The points in the ground class were used to derive road centerlines and edges of pavement, and the non-ground points were used to derive guardrails in vector format.

    “This project was particularly rewarding because both of these parks truly are national treasures,” notes Arjan Mooij, Sanborn program manager. “There’s no doubt that the quality data we provided will help streamline the process for their much-needed road repairs.”

    Sanborn’s mobile mapping system combines lidar with high-resolution video, delivering better than 5-centimeter accuracy and image resolution as fine as 1 centimeter with efficient data capture at vehicle speeds of up to 60 mph.

  • Story map navigates cause and effects of climate change

    Climate-Change-O

    Esri has released an interactive map illustrating the earth’s natural and human systems and how they have changed — and will change — over time. With the Atlas for a Changing Planet story map, scientists, policy makers, planners and activists can examine detailed spatial information that is critical for adapting to a warmer future.

    “Mitigating the effects of climate change is a global, geographic challenge,” said Jack Dangermond, president of Esri. “Understanding how the earth’s systems interact and transform is an essential first step in measuring the threat of climate change and making informed decisions to reduce it.”

    Atlas for a Changing Planet explores a sample of maps, imagery and data from Esri ArcGIS Online. The story map covers five themes: understanding natural systems, mapping human systems, mapping ocean impacts, predicting the future, and international cooperation.

    Complex issues, processes, and concepts — such as biomass and ocean acidification — are clearly and succinctly explained with maps and multimedia, Esri said. For example, users visualize the density of carbon stored in living plants (biomass) with an explanation of how this information is key to estimating how land-use change affects the climate. Interactive maps illustrate which areas will be severely affected by rising sea levels, the changes in sea ice extents in the Arctic Ocean, and population growth in urban cities around the world.

    The story map also models data from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in three scenarios. With this data, users navigate the story map to see projected changes in temperature and precipitation based on the level at which greenhouse gas emissions increase or decrease over time.

    Esri created the story map in time for the Nov. 30 start of the United Nations 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21). World leaders are gathering at the annual meeting to negotiate an international agreement with the goal of keeping global warming’s increase below 2 degrees Celsius.

  • GeoMobile Innovations hosts ‘Evaluating the Mobile GIS Landscape’ workshop

    Mobile GIS expert GeoMobile Innovations is hosting an Evaluating the Mobile GIS Landscape workshop on Jan. 14, 2016. The inaugural course will provide an extensive overview and best practice assessment for those seeking solutions in an often confusing menu of choices for Mobile GIS.

    The workshop, which will be conducted via live instruction at GeoMobile’s headquarters in Corvallis, Oregon, will be led by GeoMobile’s Technical Director Craig Greenwald. Greenwald is a highly experienced ESRI/Mobile GIS expert and software developer, the company said.

    When asked about the impetus for the class, GeoMobile President Rich Ash responded, “We are hearing about a lot of confusion in the Mobile GIS marketplace. There are many new offerings being aggressively marketed to organizations and it can be tempting to jump in to a new tool without a clear line of decision making. Advancements and new options are exciting, but Mobile GIS tools are not a one size fits all proposition; professional organizations need to adequately assess their project needs, considering multiple criteria.”

    Evaluating the Mobile GIS Landscape is a consultative workshop that is proposed to offer meaningful real-world information without the sales pitch, the organizers said. It will help an organization assess appropriate GIS workflows and ask meaningful questions about deploying software and hardware tools suitable for their projects.

    Lead instructor and mobile GIS software developer Craig Greenwald emphasized his approach in the workshop is helping students in seeking practical solutions. “Having provided consulting and professional software services to organizations large and small, I’m often brought in after decisions have already been made about software and hardware,” Greenwald said. “By being proactive, we can save folks headache and expense in having to make significant adjustments mid-project. The beauty of this course is in that in a short, focused period of time, each student will have a chance to assess their own requirements and we will take them through a decision-making worksheet “

    The class is $195 per participant and includes lunch. More information and a downloadable registration form is available at the event website, or by email if requested from [email protected].

  • Proteus Strengthens Satellite Imagery Procurement Service

    Proteus, a provider of satellite derived mapping, bathymetry and geospatial products, said it has strengthened its Professional Satellite Imagery Procurement Service by signing up as a reseller with international satellite imagery provider Airbus Defence and Space. Proteus is now an official reseller of Airbus’s satellite imagery data and value-added products.

    “We are very excited to formalise our relationship with Airbus Defence and Space,” said Proteus CEO David Critchley. “We are currently providing our clients with a successful Satellite Imagery Procurement Service, adding the large product portfolio of Airbus Defence and Space to our current catalogue of data provides our customers with even more choice of high quality product and satellite tasking services.”

    Proteus has been delivering geospatial solutions for mapping and classification projects using multispectral satellite imagery since 2011 and their experienced staff have all been working in the geospatial industry for over 15 years. Proteus’s satellite imagery projects have been delivered for environmental consultancies, oil and gas, engineering and other coastal zone applications in Europe, USA, the Middle East and Caribbean.