GPS World

Category: Mapping

  • TerraGo Edge delivers GeoPackage to mobile users

    TerraGo Edge delivers GeoPackage to mobile users

    terrago-logo-200TerraGo has released TerraGo Edge 3.9.3, which features full support for OGC GeoPackage, a universal format for sharing maps and geographic data across mobile devices and all platforms.

    TerraGo Edge enables users to import and export OGC GeoPackage as a SQLite database optimized for performance on iOS and Android devices.

    “Because we listened to our customers, we designed TerraGo Edge from the ground up to be an open solution for exchanging field engineering, GIS, GPS and asset management data across vendor platforms and devices,” said John Timar, vice president, Worldwide Sales at TerraGo. “GeoPackage is an important win for customers because it’s a dramatic shift away from proprietary formats and technology. GeoPackage breaks through user dependence based on vendor data lock-in, enables platform-independent data exchange and refocuses customer value on software features and performance.”

    The latest TerraGo Edge 3.9.3 release closes the loop for a complete GeoPackage collaboration workflow by allowing Edge app users to import GeoPackage data from a mobile device, collect location-tagged field data and roundtrip the information back to the GIS or other enterprise systems of record.

    Register now for these upcoming TerraGo webinars:

    TerraGo Edge 3.9.3 Enhances GIS Integration and Optimizes Map Experience
    April 26, 12 to 12:30 p.m. ET.
    Learn about this workflow and the other feature enhancements.

    BYOD GPS Gets Real: Lessons Learned with the New Rules of GPS Data Collection
    Thursday, April 14    , 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT
    In this GPS World webinar, join us as we examine how five organizations from five industries (oil & gas, engineering, water utility, transportation and natural resources) made the switch from GPS handhelds to smartphones and tablets for their field data collection needs. Speakers are Michael Gundling and David Basil, TerraGo.

    Version 3.9.3 features these enhancements:

    Advanced GIS Integration

    • Deliver GeoPackage data to any TerraGo Edge mobile app user
    • Create offline map when GeoPackage is embedded in a GeoPDF
    • Simultaneously import GeoPDF and GeoPackage data back to Edge server

    Improved Mapping Experience with EdgeMap Optimizer

    • Automatic detection of best resolution (DPI) for offline maps upon import by mobile user
    • Manually select the optimal resolution upon import

    Data collection enhancements with the New Form Template Selection, including a new search function in form fields to improve user productivity and data integrity.

    Try the TerraGo Edge iOS or Android app for free.

  • Latest developments from what3words at Esri FedGIS

    Clare Jones of what3words describes the latest developments in the new global addressing system. She was interviewed by GeoIntelligence Insider columnist Art Kalinski for geospatial-solutions.com at the Esri Federal GIS Conference, held Feb. 24-25 in Washington, D.C.

  • INRIX Traffic app learns driver’s itinerary, preferences

    INRIX Traffic app learns driver’s itinerary, preferences

    INRIX Inc., a connected car services and movement analytics company, has released a redesigned version of INRIX Traffic for iOS and Android.

    INRIX Traffic is a next-generation navigation and traffic app that learns user preferences to take the guesswork out of driving. The app integrates with a user’s calendar and learns their driving habits to create a personalized itinerary that includes automatic alerts, anticipated trips, favorite destinations and preferred routes.

    Screengrab: INRIX IncAvailable worldwide now in the Apple App Store and Google Play, INRIX Traffic learns routines and preferences as users go about their day. INRIX Traffic adds favorite places automatically instead of requiring users to spend time inputting destinations such as home, work or school.

    Based on learned activities, it creates a daily, driver-specific itinerary of anticipated trips, as well as frequent and preferred routes. By accessing calendar information on a mobile device, the app also adds events with addresses to the daily driving itinerary.

    Unlike other driving apps that can provide inaccurate traffic and incidents based purely on consumer input, INRIX Traffic uses a massive crowd-sourced network of more than 275 million connected cars and devices to offer accurate map and real-time information.

    INRIX Traffic proactively monitors road conditions to alert drivers of ideal departure times, changes to arrival times and optimal routes to frequent or scheduled destinations based on real-time traffic.

    “We designed INRIX Traffic with one specific vision: To help drivers move through their daily lives as quickly and efficiently as possible. The app uses our advanced traffic science to make even routine trips easier,” said Bryan Mistele, president and CEO, INRIX. “Users want an app that is accurate, personalized and smart enough to work proactively for them — so we’ve integrated several highly advanced technologies into one all-encompassing app.”

    INRIX Traffic uses the crowd-sourced and free OpenStreetMap (OSM) for map data. By leveraging the power of user-generated content around the world, OSM can quickly adapt to the ever-changing road network. Using OSM enables INRIX to bring a high-quality map and turn-by-turn navigation to users at no cost and without advertisements. In addition to reporting incidents along their route including accidents, police activity and road hazards, INRIX Traffic users can send map feedback directly from the app.

    INRIX Traffic is powered by the same technologies the company delivers to its automotive customers such as Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. These connected car services include real-time and predictive traffic, off-street parking information and drive-time alerts. INRIX will continue integrating features from its product portfolio into future versions of INRIX Traffic.

    INRIX Traffic is available in eight languages in 16 countries across North America and Europe, including Canada, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and United States, with additional countries coming soon.

    The app is built on Autotelligent, the company’s new software development kit and integrated cloud platform that provides machine learning and route monitoring. Autotelligent can be integrated into products in multiple industries such as automotive, enterprise and mobile.

  • Esri adds web map analytics tool to ArcGIS Marketplace

    Maptiks‘ web map analytics is now integrated with Esri’s ArcGIS platform and available on ArcGIS Marketplace. It is now possible to receive analytics surrounding use of a web-mapping application.

    ArcGIS Marketplace is a destination that enables ArcGIS users to search, discover, and get apps and content from qualified providers.

    Using Esri’s ArcGIS API for JavaScript and Esri Leaflet, Maptiks now provides user activity analytics for your web maps. It helps answer key design and U/X questions such as how and where are users interacting with a web map.

    “Many web map developers are lacking the right metrics and data to see how users are actually converting and using their maps,” reads a Maptiks press release. “Google Analytics provides some insights, but it lacks the capability to really dig into where users are looking on the map, where they are clicking and how they’re actually using it.”

    Standard websites, apps and web applications have a slew of developer friendly analytics solutions that help businesses dive into their users’ activities. But, developers building out applications based on web maps such as Uber, Nextdoor and Strava that have GIS dependent products require more detailed metrics into their users.

    Will Cadell, CEO of Maptiks, spoke about the integration. “We’re really excited to be integrating with Esri’s platform. The development community around Esri is massive and we’re looking forward to giving them an analytics tool they’ll actually use. We’ve had a lot of requests from web map developers who wanted this integration, and thanks to the Esri Startup Program, we were able to fast track the integration with our development team. The Esri team has been very supportive. We’re looking forward to help Esri development community build even better Esri maps with the help of our analytics.”

    Maptiks, is a startup based out of Prince George, B.C., founded by Will Cadell.  Maptiks is built by Sparkgeo, a geospatial web company with over a decade of experience in the GIS & Technology industries. Working with clients such as Wildlife Conservation Society, and Map My Fitness, Sparkgeo has built Maptiks to measure how users interact with web maps increasing map conversions so they can build a better map.

  • USGS reveals 6 new California seafloor, coastal maps

    MontereyCanyon_Geology-F

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released six new sets of publicly available maps that show the diverse and complex range of seafloor habitats along 80 miles of the central California coast from the Monterey Peninsula north to Pigeon Point, according to a news release form the organization.

    The new USGS publications, products of the California Seafloor Mapping Program, combine new and legacy data to reveal offshore bathymetry, habitats, geology and seafloor environments in high resolution. Environments range from the rugged granitic bedrock along the coasts of the Monterey Peninsula, to the bedrock reefs that form the surfing point breaks on the Santa Cruz County coast, to the smooth sand and mud in a large delta bar at the mouth of the Salinas River, and to the steep walls and sinuous channels of one of the largest underwater canyon systems in the world.

    “The new high-resolution datasets and maps are stimulating research – scientists are excited,” said Sam Johnson, the USGS project lead. “Our stakeholders like to say that you can’t manage it, monitor it or model it if you don’t know what the ‘it’ is. Our seafloor mapping provides that important ‘it’ to the entire coastal community.”

    Seamless onshore-offshore geologic maps incorporating subsurface data document the location and geometry of the San Gregorio fault and show how different strands of the fault extend through Carmel Canyon — across the continental shelf west of Santa Cruz and Davenport — and combine to uplift Año Nuevo State Park and Año Nuevo Island. A separate fault system to the east in Monterey Bay is part of an actively deforming wedge of the Earth’s crust caught between the converging San Andreas and San Gregorio faults, the organization said. The six new sets of California maps are Offshore of Pigeon Point, Offshore of Scott Creek, Offshore of Santa Cruz, Offshore of Aptos, Offshore of Monterey Canyon and Vicinity and Offshore of Monterey.

    Each publication includes 10 map sheets, a pamphlet and a digital data catalog with web services. The web services are a new addition to the publications and all previous products in the map series, and can be viewed on smartphones. The USGS said the maps and data provide:

    • A foundation for assessing marine protected areas and habitats.
    • An understanding how marine species such as bull kelp, rockfish, crabs and sea otters use the seafloor.
    • Baselines for monitoring coastal change and sea-level-rise impacts.
    • Critical input data for modeling and mitigation of coastal flooding.
    • A framework for understanding coastal erosion and developing regional sediment management plans.
    • Contributions to earthquake and tsunami hazard assessments.
    • More accurate data for safer navigation.
    • Essential information for planning, siting or removing offshore infrastructure.

    “These new seafloor maps – used in partnership with the USGS – will give us an additional tool to protect Californians, as well as fish and wildlife,” said John Laird, California’s secretary for natural resources and OPC chair. “The new maps will be used to analyze offshore faults and earthquake hazards. They will also help us identify sources of sand to replenish beaches – and will help establish a scientific baseline to track changes in habitat near shore over time. This investment will pay off for Californians in ways that we cannot even imagine now.”

    The California Seafloor and Coastal Mapping Program is supported by the USGS, the California Ocean Protection Council, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California State University at Monterey Bay, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and other government, academic and industry partners.

    (Click on the images to enlarge them.)

    Maps: USGS

  • Hexagon to acquire geospatial radar technology firm

    Hexagon AB plans to acquire the GeoRadar division of the Italian-based company Ingegneria dei Sistemi S.p.A, a privately owned company with core expertise in radar-based solutions for multiple industries.

    Located near Pisa, Italy, with approximately 60 employees, the IDS GeoRadar division provides the mining and geospatial industries with innovative radar solutions for structural health monitoring and underground utility mapping.

    GeoRadar’s structural health monitoring solutions enable engineers to remotely monitor — in real time — movements and vibrations of the earth such as mine walls, landslides, and glaciers and a wide variety of infrastructures such as bridges, buildings and dams. Its underground utility detection solutions provide engineers with dimensional information such as size and location of buried pipes and/or the health condition of roads and rail tracks through the detection of underground cracks and cavities.

    “GeoRadar’s solutions nicely complement our reality capture solutions, enriching Hexagon’s portfolio across a wide variety of segments like surveying, construction and mining,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “Additionally, combining GeoRadar’s technologies with our mobile reality capture portfolio broadens our solution offering for large-scale asset management across segments like utilities, road and rail.”

    The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions. Closing is expected during the second quarter of 2016. IDS GeoRadar turnover for 2015 amounted to approximately 18 MEUR.

  • ASC sells auto division to focus on 3D flash lidar

    Advanced Scientific Concepts (ASC), supplier of 3D flash lidar vision systems for terrestrial, aerial and space applications, is creating of Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC, following the sale of its ASCar division to Continental AG.

    With the acquisition of ASCar, Continental plans to mass produce flash lidars at an affordable price to support the commercial automotive industry.

    Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC will continue to focus on providing 3D flash lidar custom and standard product solutions for space, manned airborne and underwater applications. This includes also providing UAS, autonomous vehicle and 3D mapping solutions for the domestic and international military markets.

    “ASC’s product line for military and aerospace has matured over the past couple years to a high technology readiness level (TRL) through rigorous design and development,” said Jim Curriden, president of ASC LLC. “ASC LLC will now be entirely focused and well positioned to provide affordable solutions for the military and aerospace community by providing either off the shelf or tailored products to meet a user’s unique requirements.”

    Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC is aimed at concentrating on the key markets at the foundation of their technology, ready to invest in the future advancement of 3D flash lidar.

  • Harxon offers new GNSS helix antenna

    Harxon offers new GNSS helix antenna

    Photo: HarxonChinese antenna maker Harxon has launched a new GNSS helix antenna for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and geospatial applications.

    The HX-CH6601A receives GPS L1/L2, GLONASS L1/L2 and BeiDou B1/B2 signals. It offers exceptional pattern control, polarization purity and high efficiency in a very compact form factor.

    The antenna is equipped with a high-quality, durable IP65 sealed radome housing and terminated with a SMA connector, which has high gain and wide beam width to ensure the signal receiving performance of satellites at a low elevation angle.

    The 25-gram antenna is designed for applications across various markets, including aerial photographs, telemetry technology, disaster monitoring, traffic patrol and security monitoring.

    HX-CH6601A offers a significant improvements compared to its predecessor HX-CH4601A GPS/GLONASS L1L2. The built-in low noise amplifier (LNA) and filtering offer up to 35-decibel gain with a single 50-Ohm SMA connector.

    Customers samples of HX-CH6601A are now available.

  • Fugro delivers surface current data with new system

    ROCIS is an airborne system for mapping surface current conditions over a wide area of ocean for current-sensitive offshore operations.
    ROCIS is an airborne system for mapping surface current conditions over a wide area of ocean for current-sensitive offshore operations.

    Fugro and technology partner Areté Associates have successfully delivered near real-time, synoptic, surface current data to characterize Loop Current and Loop Current eddy conditions in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico during a period of intense current conditions.

    Over the course of the five-month program, Fugro used the new ROCIS (Remote Ocean Current Imaging System) to survey currents over a distance of more than 125,000 kilometers — the equivalent of 3 times around the world.

    ROCIS is the first commercially available system of its kind and represents a step change in technology for mapping surface current conditions over a wide area of ocean for current sensitive offshore operations.

    Optimizing recent advances in remote sensing and aerial survey, Fugro and Areté Associates developed a system that uses a combination of digital camera technology and highly accurate positioning systems, together with advanced algorithms, to derive surface currents from wave spectra measurements. It can be installed on a suitable survey aircraft, together with an inertial navigation system augmented by Fugro’s Starfix satellite positioning system.

    Current data are reviewed in real time on board the aircraft, providing continuous assessment of data quality and the location of strong currents. Within an hour of the aircraft landing the system produces a “quick-look” map of the currents over the area while processed data files are available a few hours later.

    During the program, ROCIS data supported day-to-day operational planning and enhanced the accuracy of 3D hydrodynamic current forecast modeling.

    The key technical benefits of ROCIS are the near synoptic, wide area, high resolution, high integrity surface current measurements that allow sub-mesoscale circulation to be measured and monitored. During a four-hour flight, the system can survey ocean currents at 250-meter intervals over a track of 900-1,100 kilometers. To map currents over a similar distance using traditional methods would take a combination of four vessels 24 hours. Given sufficient daylight hours, two ROCIS flight missions can be conducted each day.

    ROCIS services can be provided to single or multiple clients to monitor offshore current conditions over specific locations or a broad area. The system can also provide support in emergency situations such as oil spill and search and rescue, as well as in oceanographic research programs.

    Fugro and Areté Associates are working on further development of the ROCIS system and services, including the use of expendable probes and the incorporation of additional airborne sensors. In 2016 Fugro will add a second ROCIS unit to further enhance its support of offshore operations.

  • OGC announces oil spill response recommended practice

    Oil-spill

    A new recommended practice has been issued for GIS and mapping professionals responding to an oil spill.

    The document — the final report of a joint project — guides professionals in using GIS technology and geospatial information to form a “common operating picture” for a spill response, so various organizations can deal with it effectively.

    According to the report, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico showed the need for a coordinated response based on timely geographic data.

    The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) through the Geomatics Committee and IPIECA (the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues) issued the recommended practice in cooperation with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and Resource Data.

    Officially named the OGC IOGP/IPIECA Recommended Practice for a Common Operating Picture for Oil Spill Response, the document is the final report of the IOGP/IPIECA Joint Industry Project to produce a recommended practice for GIS/mapping in support of oil spill response and for the use of GIS technology and geospatial information in forming a Common Operating Picture (COP) for management of the response.

    “The report lays the groundwork for coordinated activities by multiple stakeholders that need to come together quickly to respond to a spill,” said Rob Cox, Technical Director, IPIECA. “Having the report endorsed as an OGC Best Practice gives it the authority it needs to act as a focal point in support of that coordination.”

    As stated in the report:

    “Responding to an oil spill requires access to and understanding of many types of information. Effective, coordinated operations for the response are based on a shared, common picture of the situation. Interoperability provides shared situational awareness of the crisis and the response activities. What is needed is a common picture of reality for different organizations that have different views of the spill so that they all can deal with it collectively.

    “Recent oil spills have provided lessons learned and recommendations on forming a Common Operating Picture for oil spill response. Through a joint project, industry is responding to the call, moving from recommendations to reusable best practices supported by open standards that can be deployed quickly in any region of the globe.

    “This architecture report is part of the IOGP and IPIECA Oil Spill Response – Joint Industry Project (IOGP–IPIECA OSR-JIP) to produce a recommended practice for GIS/mapping in support of oil spill response and for the use of GIS technology and geospatial information in forming a Common Operating Picture to support management of the response.”

    About the players

    The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is an international consortium of more than 515 companies, government agencies, research organizations, and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available geospatial standards. OGC standards support interoperable solutions that “geo-enable” the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT. OGC standards empower technology developers to make geospatial information and services accessible and useful with any application that needs to be geospatially enabled.

    The International Association of Oil & Gas producers (IOGP) is a unique global forum in which members identify and share best practices to achieve improvements in every aspect of health, safety, the environment, security, social responsibility, engineering and operations. IOGP encompasses most of the world’s leading publicly-traded, private and state-owned oil & gas companies, industry associations and major upstream service companies. IOGP members produce more than half the world’s oil and about one third of its gas.

    IPIECA is the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues. IPIECA was formed in 1974 following the launch of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). IPIECA is the only global association involving both the upstream and downstream oil and gas industry on environmental and social issues. IPIECA’s membership covers over half of the world’s oil production. IPIECA is the industry’s principal channel of communication with the United Nations. When IPIECA was set up in 1974 the acronym stood for the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association. In 2009, recognizing that this no longer accurately reflected the breadth and scope of the association’s work, IPIECA stopped using the full title. The association is now known as IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues.

    Resource Data, Inc. (RDI) has been supporting the oil & gas industry with information technology for spill response since 1989. RDI brings unparalleled experience to oil spill response, leading the geographic information system (GIS) and database teams for the Exxon-Valdez spill and more recently the GIS response team in the Macondo/Deepwater Horizon spill. RDI has developed numerous spill response data systems, participated in multiple drills, and developed risk analysis systems for major pipeline networks. Our depth and breadth of expertise in spill preparedness and response uniquely positions RDI to assist in the development of a Common Operating Picture for the oil and gas industry.

  • Woolpert contracted by USGS to map, survey throughout US

    Woolpert has signed a five-year, multimillion-dollar Geospatial Product and Services Contract 3 (GPSC 3) with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to provide mapping and surveying services.

    The GPSC is a suite of contracts used by federal, state and municipal government entities to partner with USGS for the purpose of fulfilling their geospatial data requirements.

    The contract will be administered through the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) in an effort to obtain geospatial data services throughout the United States and its territories. The contract also will be used to support the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and used by other federal, state and local agencies.

    “This provides Woolpert with the opportunity to continue working with USGS on their 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), an eight-year program to provide highly accurate 3D elevation data of the entire U.S.,” said John Gerhard, Woolpert project director. “This data will be collected via lidar (light detection and ranging) to create the most accurate surface model, and will be used to evaluate flood risk and natural resources, support FEMA, help farmers with precision agriculture, assess and manage infrastructure, and much more.”

    Jeff Lovin, Woolpert senior vice president and director of government solutions, said the Woolpert staff is proud to have had the opportunity to work with the USGS for nearly 25 years. “Over those 25 years, we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate on different layers of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), from the development of nationwide imagery in the 1990s to 3D elevation and hydrography today,” Lovin said.”It’s very gratifying to have the opportunity to play a part in such an important program for our nation.”

  • ESA to research monitoring of ground hazards affecting transportation

    ESA to research monitoring of ground hazards affecting transportation

    Operators of UK transport networks will be the first to benefit from Live Land, a satellite-based land monitoring system developed through the European Space Agency (ESA).

    Transport operators across the UK face significant challenges in monitoring and detecting landslides and subsidence across their networks. Geological hazards in the vicinity of roads and railways can disrupt business and communities.

    The Live Land demonstration project will help to assess and monitor high-risk areas by providing more information on geological hazards along rail and road networks using integrated data from GNSS and Earth observation satellites.

    CGG GeoConsulting‘s NPA Satellite Mapping group has been awarded a contract to lead the Live Land project, sponsored by the ESA within its Integrated Applications Program (IAP). Over the next two years, the Live Land consortium will develop a number of products for two prominent Scottish transport operators, Network Rail (Scotland) and Transport Scotland.

    Once successfully demonstrated in Scotland and regions of England, Live Land is expected to expand across the UK and continental Europe as the project team engages with other transport operators who could benefit from the new information that will be available on geohazards.

    The Live Land demonstration project is the follow-on of a previous ESA IAP feasibility study concluded in 2014 and draws on expertise from a team of internationally respected authorities in their respective fields:

    Live Land is a satellite-based land monitoring system developed under ESA’s ARTES Integrated Applications Promotions programme. It offers transport operators increased information on geological hazards, such as landslides and subsidence that affect assets. (Photo: ritish Geological Survey NERC)
    Live Land offers transport operators increased information on geological hazards, such as landslides and subsidence. (Photo: ritish Geological Survey NERC)

    How it works

    Radar images from Europe’s Sentinel-1A observation satellite detect surface motion changes with millimeter precision. This is complemented with data from satnav receivers and sensors installed for in-situ monitoring in specific locations. This space-based information is combined with knowledge about the geology of the area and weather forecasts. For example, an area of steep slopes and wet soil that is expecting heavy rainfall is at a higher risk of a landslide.

    Furnished with such knowledge, transport operators can assess the risks and improve their planning and response to incidents.

    “Live Land integrates data collected from different sources to assess and monitor potential geological threats for transport operators,” said ESA’s Roberta Mugellesi. “Combining space-based data increases the confidence in risk assessment and predictions.”

    NPA Satellite Mapping

    The NPA Satellite Mapping consultancy derives geospatial intelligence from satellite imagery. Its mapping solutions are used around the world by a client base ranging from oil and gas operators to transport asset owners to maximize operational insight and minimize risk. The company has considerable experience in geohazard research projects for ESA and European Commission, and, with its expertise in satellite InSAR (surface deformation) mapping, is optimally placed to coordinate and bring to market the unique monitoring solutions that will be developed within the Live Land project.

    The services are expected to range from regional geological hazard susceptibility and activity datasets that exploit satellite InSAR measurements, to hazard forecasting models using geological and meteorological data, and the development of cost-effective, multi-sensor devices (GNSS receiver and inertial sensors) for in-situ monitoring.

    “Live Land will initially play a crucial role in helping to better understand, monitor and forecast geological hazards across the UK’s road and rail networks,” said Claire Roberts, Live Land project manager and remote sensing consultant with NPA Satellite Mapping. “The developments targeted in the project are ambitious but necessary given the scale of the issues we want to address.”