GPS World

Author: Tracy Cozzens

  • Google Shows Commitment to Project Tango 3D Mapping Device

    project-tango-mainGoogle has reaffirmed its commitment to Project Tango, moving it from the Advanced Technology and Projects Group (ATAP) to a new home inside the company itself, reports Digital Trends.

    Project Tango, unveiled in 2014, aims to make it possible to create a 3D model of the space around a smartphone. For instance, a user can map an area, such as a home, by walking around with the phone.

    ATAP is Google’s mobile-focused project development laboratory, and shifting Tango from there to a new base suggests Google is happy with the way the project is progressing and ready to take it to the next level, Digital Trends reports.

    Google has been collaborating with universities, research labs, and industrial partners in nine countries to concentrate the past 10 years of research in robotics and computer vision into a mobile phone.

    Project Tango devices contain customized hardware and software designed to track the full 3D motion of the device, while simultaneously creating a map of the environment. These sensors allow the device to make over a quarter million 3D measurements every second, updating its position and orientation in real-time, combining that data into a single 3D model of the space around you.

    Early prototypes run Android and include development APIs to provide position, orientation, and depth data to standard Android applications written in Java, C/C++, as well as the Unity Game Engine.

     

  • CompassData Granted ISO Certification for Quality-Management Systems

    CompassData, a worldwide provider of geospatial data and services, has received ISO 9001:2008 Certification for Quality Management Systems from Orion Registrar Inc.. The ISO 9001:2008 certification is well established in the United States and around the world as a quality-management system tool.

    CompassData completed a rigorous audit in which Orion Registrar reviewed each step in the firm’s quality-management methodologies used during the creation of GPS-surveyed ground control and other geospatial products such as orthorectified imagery, digital elevation models (DEM), sensor calibrations and GIS map products.

    This certification recognizes that CompassData has established a quality-management system that addresses the scope of the company’s core processes: supplying ground-control points and other high-accuracy products, services and content for the geospatial community. Superior ability to capture and satisfy customer requirements was a key element in the demonstration of the quality-management system to the registrar.

    “CompassData has set itself apart by becoming one of the few geospatial survey data providers in the world whose quality-management systems and processes are ISO 9001 certified,” the company said in a statement.

    ISO (International Organization for Standardization), the supplier of the ISO 9000 family of quality and management standards, is a network of national standards institutes from 163 countries working in partnership with international governments, organizations, businesses and consumer representatives.

    The ISO 9000 quality-management standards are designed to help organizations ensure that they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders while meeting regulatory requirements related to a product. More than one million organizations worldwide are independently certified, making ISO 9001 one of the most widely used management tools in the world today.

    “This certification assures our customers of our commitment to meeting their needs by using standardized procedures that have been independently verified as being in conformity with ISO 9001:2008 requirements,” said Doug Braddock, CompassData’s quality manager.  “Our customers will know that the product they receive from us has been created in an environment where internal processes are consistent and continually improving.”

  • DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data Platform Enabling New Commercial Solutions

    DigitalGlobe, Inc., has agreed to provide another commercial customer access to its Geospatial Big Data (GBD) platform, paving the way for new analytic products serving the insurance, forestry, oil & gas, and mining industries, the company said.

    Exogenesis is a provider of advanced analytics, algorithm development, and predictive modeling and simulation. The company has subscribed to DigitalGlobe’s GBD service to facilitate new product development enabled by large-scale data analysis.

    The agreement includes access to algorithms, expertise, and petabytes of high-resolution satellite imagery collected over the past 15 years. DigitalGlobe customers Orbital Insight and Cuende have also subscribed to the service and are introducing unique products to their commercial markets.

    DigitalGlobe’s cloud-based GBD offering is a “platform as a service” model that provides access to DigitalGlobe’s vast image library. It is designed to create a new ecosystem in which partners and developers can leverage their expertise and API’s to create new customer solutions without the cost of owning and operating costly IT infrastructure, DigitalGlobe said.

    The GBD platform is one of the strategic initiatives propelling DigitalGlobe toward its vision of becoming the indispensable source of information about the planet, the company said.

    “Exogenesis is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with DigitalGlobe, the biggest name in commercial satellite imagery,” said Sean Anklam, president of Exogenesis. “As an early adopter of DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data platform, we will be able to provide the most advanced decision support information derived from source imagery of the highest quality.”

    “It’s a privilege to bring our Geospatial Big Data capabilities to the market with an innovative partner like Exogenesis,” said Shay Har-Noy, DigitalGlobe’s Senior Director for GBD. “We are committed to investing in Geospatial Big Data in order to create a living digital inventory of the surface of the earth, enabled by our unmatched satellite constellation, commitment to ecosystem partners, and ability to convert imagery at scale into searchable, analytics-ready information layers.”

  • University of Tennessee Hosts Father of Geographic Information Science

    Michael Goodchild, emeritus professor of geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara, will speak on “Space, Place, and GIS” at the University of Tennessee Department of Geography on Feb. 12 in Knoxville.

    Goodchild will deliver the annual Hammond Lecture in the Lindsay Young Auditorium of John C. Hodges Library. A reception will be held at 3 p.m., and the presentation will follow at 3:40 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

    Goodchild is considered by many to be the father of geographic information science, also known as GIS. He is also widely credited with coining the term volunteered geographic information, which is spatial data that has been contributed for free by volunteers. His research interests focus on geographic information science, spatial analysis, and uncertainty in geographic data.

    Goodchild will explain that modern technology uses concepts of latitude, longitude, and measurements of distance to describe the geographic world. On the other hand, humans think of the geographic world in terms of places and their associations. He will discuss the possibility of “palatial” technology that will combine the two different concepts of geography to fill the gap and help people share geographic knowledge more naturally.

    “It is truly a great honor to have someone of Michael Goodchild’s reputation visit UT and the Department of Geography,” said Derek Alderman, head of the Department of Geography. “GIS has emerged as an important innovation, not just within the discipline of geography, but across the social and natural sciences and the digital humanities.”

    Goodchild will also meet with and mentor graduate and undergraduate students and faculty members to brainstorm the future of geographic information science, and he will assist in efforts to enhance the UT GIS program.

  • Topcon’s Android App Drives LN-100 Layout Navigator

    MAGNET_Construct_field_Topcon-W

    Topcon Positioning Group has released a new app designed to drive the LN-100 Layout Navigator system MAGNET Construct. The no-cost app, available for the Android market, is built to provide “out-of-the-box” productivity with LN-100W hardware.

    “The MAGNET Construct app offers intuitive options to drive an LN-100W for fast as-built measurements as well as graphical guidance to your design data.” said Oscar Cantú, senior manager of product marketing.

    “When combined with the LN-100W, the app provides an entry-level precise measurement solution for diverse 3D layout applications such as traditional construction, complex landscape layout, architecture, as well as quickly checking existing stakeout locations before proceeding on a project,” said Cantú.

    MAGNET Construct offers optional connectivity with MAGNET Enterprise for real-time data exchange from active project sites to and from the office within a user’s private company account.

    MAGNET_-Construct_Topcon-W“The addition of the new MAGNET Construct app exemplifies our focus to keep the LN-100W productive even with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) scenarios.  Android tablets and smartphones wirelessly driving precise hardware, along with secure connectivity to your office keeps projects productive and profitable,” said Cantú.

    MAGNET Construct is currently available for Android users to download for free on the Google Play store.

  • Global Mapper v16.1 Introduces 3D and UAV Video Playback Tools

    Global Mapper version 16.1, what Blue Marble terms an “interim release,” adds a UAV Video Playback Tool, new options to rotate the map view, and the ability to select and measure features in the 3D viewer. It is available for download.

    To introduce the new version, Blue Marble is presenting a free webinar titled “What’s New in Global Mapper v16.1” on February 19 at 2 p.m. EDT.

    The release includes a variety of updates to both the Global Mapper base product and the optional LiDAR Module. A new video playback tool allows users to play a video derived from the flight of an aircraft or UAV. The playback option displays a video file synced to any line feature with per-vertex times, fly-through lines or point features with recognized timestamp attributes.

    Version 16.1 of Global Mapper also offers the option to rotate the map view as needed, allowing the user to more clearly visualize any spatial data with a unique alignment. The automatic “Track Up” mode works when connected to a GPS device and rotates the map view based on the current GPS heading. The new release also introduces the ability to select vector features with the Digitizer tool in the 3D Viewer. This functionality links the 2D and 3D maps, allowing users the option to pan, zoom, measure, and add vector data in one viewer while automatically replicating actions and updating features in the other. The right-click menu enables users to perform many Digitizer operations on the selected features in the 3D window.

    Single-user license upgrades for version 15 are available for $169; upgrades are also available for USB dongles and network licenses. To purchase a dongle or network license upgrade, contact sales at [email protected].

  • USGIF Opens 2015 Scholarship Program

    The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) is now accepting applications for its 2015 Scholarship Program. The program assists promising students pursuing the geospatial sciences with scholarship awards to further the advancement of the geospatial intelligence tradecraft.

    In 2014, $101,000 in scholarships was awarded to 22 recipients. Since 2004 when the scholarship program began, $792,000 in scholarships has been awarded to more than 170 students.

    “The USGIF Scholarship Program is open to students with innovative ideas for advancing the use of geospatial science, data, and technology to solve human security challenges such as conflict, natural disaster, emergency response, public safety, health, the environment, transportation, and more,” said Maxwell Baber, USGIF’s director of academic programs. “We accept applicants from any discipline focused on human-scale activity and the human-environment interface.”

    Graduating high school seniors, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students studying geospatial intelligence, geography, political science, computer science, biology, anthropology, and any other field in the natural and social sciences are encouraged to apply. Applications can be found at USGIF’s website and are due no later than April 20.

    USGIF is a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and developing a stronger GEOINT Community with government, industry, academia, professional organizations, and individuals who develop and apply geospatial intelligence to address national security challenges. USGIF’s mission is to build the community, advance the tradecraft, and accelerate innovation.

    For more information on the USGIF Scholarship Program or to read about past USGIF scholarship recipients, visit usgif.org/education/scholarships.

  • Hexagon Geospatial Tech Measures Tallest Mountain in New Zealand

    Topography of Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest peak, changed following a rock avalanche. (Photo Wikipedia Commons, C.M. Lynch)
    Topography of Mount Cook, New Zealand’s tallest peak, changed following a rock avalanche. (Photo Wikipedia Commons, C.M. Lynch)

    The National School of Surveying, University of Otago, implemented Hexagon Geospatial technologies provided by Intergraph in its quest to measure the summit of Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University of Otago is New Zealand’s oldest university.

    The university turned to Hexagon Geospatial’s ERDAS IMAGINE and IMAGINE Photogrammetry (formerly LPS) to help measure the height of Mount Cook, also called Aoraki, following a large rock avalanche that changed the peak’s topography and height in 1991. For many years, the university has benefited from Hexagon Geospatial’s education licenses through Intergraph, and chose these technologies for the project because of  their image processing and photogrammetric capabilities, as well as integrated workflows.

    “ERDAS IMAGINE is the cornerstone of the project. It started from there,” said Pascal Sirguey, senior lecturer at National School of Surveying and project leader. “Using the photogrammetric capability, we were led to look more closely at what the model was telling us. The software gave us the right answer in the end.”

    Following the avalanche, a resurvey found the mountain to be 3,754 meters high — down from the surveying estimate of 3,764 meters in 1881. The university undertook the unique challenge of validating the new elevation. Photogrammetry and remote sensing were the only viable methods for measuring the summit as it is considered sacred by the Maori tribe of Ngāi Tahu and standing on it is prohibited.

    Using Hexagon Geospatial’s software, along with Global Navigation Satellite System receivers, the university determined the actual height of Mount Cook is 3,724 meters. For the university’s remarkable efforts, Sirguey received the top award from the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors in 2014 for teaching and education and the New Zealand Spatial Excellence Award 2014 in the Education and Professional Development category.

    The University of Otago was founded in 1869 by an ordinance of the Otago Provincial Council. Its School of Surveying offers the only academic qualification leading to professional recognition as a professional land surveyor in New Zealand, following a period of post-graduation training and examination by the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors. The courses offer a broad range of disciplines — surveying, land planning and development, survey measurement and Geographic Information Systems — that equip graduates for a professional career.

    Provided through Intergraph, Hexagon Geospatial’s education program provides the university with a complete geospatial software portfolio that offers support and tools for academic research projects and teaching.

  • gvSIG Conference Sessions Now Available Online

    Presentations, posters and articles presented at the 10th International gvSIG Conference are now available online. The conference was held Dec. 3-5, 2014, in Valencia, Spain.

    Videos of sessions and workshops are also available online. All of the videos are available with both English and Spanish audio, except for three workshops given on Wednesday and Thursday that are only in Spanish.

    “With this publishing, we pretend to bring the Conference closer to the interested people that couldn’t attend the event, having the possibility to access the recording of the different sessions,” gvSIG organizers said.

  • Python Scripting for ArcGIS Book Now Available

    python-scripting-for-arcgis-now-available-lgPython Scripting for ArcGIS, a new book published by Esri Press, seeks to help experienced users of ArcGIS for Desktop get started with Python scripting. The book teaches users how to write Python code that works with spatial data to automate geoprocessing tasks in ArcGIS. Experience with other scripting or programming languages is helpful but not required.

    Key topics in this book include Python language fundamentals, exploring and manipulating spatial data, working with geometries and rasters, map scripting, debugging and error handling, creating functions and classes, and creating and sharing script tools. Python Scripting for ArcGIS contains 14 chapters with corresponding online data and exercises available on the Esri Press book resource page.

    Author Paul A. Zandbergen is an associate professor of geography at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque where he teaches classes in GIS and spatial analysis. His areas of expertise include GIS applications in criminology, economics, health, and ecology, as well as spatial and statistical analysis techniques using GIS.

    Python Scripting for ArcGIS is available at online retailers worldwide, at esri.com/esripress, or by calling 1-800-447-9778. Outside the United States, visit esri.com/esripressorders for complete ordering options, or visit esri.com/distributors to contact your local Esri distributor. (Print ISBN: 978-1-58948-371-2, 358 pages, US$79.99) (E-book ISBN: 978-1-58948-362-0, 358 pages, US$79.99).

    A mobile-optimized edition is available from the Esri Books app (ISBN: 978-1-58948-402-3, US$59.99).

  • DAT/EM Systems Releases Version 7.1 of Software Products

    DAT/EM Systems International has released the 7.1 edition of DAT/EM software products, including Summit Evolution, Landscape, Capture, MapEditor, Ortho+Mosaic, Airfield3D and Contour Creator. The advancements in the 7.1 DAT/EM Photogrammetric Suite represent the latest evolution in technology and are based on customer input and growth within the geospatial industry, the company said.

    DAT/EM Photogrammetric Suite Version 7.1 Highlights

    • A new Multiple Project Solution combines different project types that have any input coordinate systems and displays them in multiple viewports. The viewport cursors move together where the diverse projects share the same geographic area. This allows use of imagery from sources such as aerial, orthophoto, ADS, and satellite RPC at the same time.
    • Oblique imagery support in the aerial project type. Oblique options will apply for any imagery where omega and phi are greater than 15 degrees.
    • Enhanced printing options, such as print preview, print in anaglyph, print with boundaries, print with full superimposition, virtually print to TIFF, and print to a higher resolution.
    • A Direct Linear Transform (DLT) model has been added to Summit close range projects. This model allows Summit to orient photos without a known camera calibration.
    • Named Image Adjustments is a new tool that saves image adjustment profiles for repeated use. It can also link to a Channel Map configuration.
    • Aerial projects can now define image scale, earth curvature correction, and refraction correction by a new Use heights method, which defines individual model scales and is used in steep terrain.
    • A second generation beta of the Global Mapper Extension. The Extension connects Blue Marble Geographics Global Mapper with any Summit Evolution edition (Professional, Feature Collection or Lite).
    • LandScape offers a new slider to adjust the intensity of color.
    • All DAT/EM products support new file formats, including LAZ format for both read and write operations, all LAS 1.4 for read only, and LAS 1.4 non-waveform formats for read and write.

    View all of the upgrades and highlights by visiting the DAT/EM Release Notes.

  • ArcGIS 10.3, ArcGIS Pro Modernize GIS for Organizations and Enterprises

    ArcGIS Desktop

    ArcGIS 10.3 is now available with the release of ArcGIS Pro, Esri announced. ArcGIS 10.3 realizes the vision of web GIS, which empowers customers to use information anywhere and on any device. It includes new apps and enhancements that continue to advance the science of geography and GIS and enable users to more readily share their work throughout their organizations, Esri said.

    “ArcGIS 10.3 is a very large release that fully completes the picture of ArcGIS for organizations and enterprises,” said Sud Menon, director of software development and engineering, Esri.

    The release of ArcGIS 10.3 transforms the entire ArcGIS platform and is headlined by the introduction of ArcGIS Pro.

    ArcGIS Pro

    ArcGIS Pro is a new desktop GIS application from Esri. Designed as a multithreaded 64-bit application for Windows, ArcGIS Pro takes advantage of modern technology that allows users to visualize, edit, and analyze data faster than ever before. With ArcGIS Pro, users can create and work with geographic layers in both 2D and 3D and share map information as feature layers, imagery, maps, analysis services, 3D web scenes, and web maps.

    “ArcGIS Pro is an integral part of the ArcGIS platform,” said Menon. “It’s our premium application for authoring maps and scenes that can be easily shared through the web GIS model.”

    ArcGIS Pro is included at no charge with every license of ArcGIS 10.3 for Desktop. Users can run ArcGIS Pro simultaneously with any version of ArcMap.

    SmarterBetterCities, a start-up based in Switzerland, uses ArcGIS Pro to help cities understand the impacts of zoning changes in 3D. “We understand our world in 3D. ArcGIS Pro is a fantastic platform for us to create affordable next generation planning tools for small town and big city planning,” said Antje Kunze, CEO of SmarterBetterCities.

    ArcGIS in Your Own Infrastructure

    At ArcGIS 10.3, Portal for ArcGIS is now included at no charge with ArcGIS for Server Standard or Advanced licenses. With Portal for ArcGIS, users can bring the full ArcGIS experience into their own infrastructure for secured stand-alone or hybrid deployments in ArcGIS Online. Portal for ArcGIS also gives organizations access to the full suite of ArcGIS apps, including the new Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS, so that they can more easily share maps and analyses across their enterprise.

    Better 3D across the Platform

    ArcGIS 10.3 features improved support for 3D data across the entire ArcGIS platform. In addition to the 3D capabilities in ArcGIS Pro, Esri has also released a new web scene viewer in ArcGIS Online that lets users create 3D scenes by mashing up existing layers directly within a browser.

    Real-Time GIS

    ArcGIS 10.3 fully integrates real-time, streaming data into the ArcGIS platform. ArcGIS GeoEvent Extension for Server delivers improved performance and throughput capabilities, as well as faster spatial filtering. ArcGIS GeoEvent Extension for Server also offers better scalability by allowing organizations to create clusters that can handle higher volumes of data. Users can take advantage of new spatial operators and processors in ArcGIS 10.3 to perform more powerful spatial filtering and real-time analytics.

    More Opportunities for Developers

    From the launch of Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS to the enhanced JavaScript API, ArcGIS 10.3 offers new capabilities for developers across the board. This release also marks the beginning of a wave of releases that will further help developers build mobile applications using ArcGIS Runtime.

    For more information on the dozens of other improvements in ArcGIS 10.3, visit esri.com/whatsnew.