Category: Receivers

Patent awarded to PDF3D for 3D point cloud processing

Visual Technology Services, owner of the PDF3D brand, has received a patent for point cloud simplification, supporting large point cloud reduction and report generation implementations in the PDF3D software systems, the company announced in a news release. The Grant of Patent GB2521452 for Point Cloud Simplification was awarded by the United Kingdom’s Intellectual Property Office, and the technology is used for geospatial environmental survey, laser scanning and civil engineering.

“With the expanding use of terrestrial, UAV and airborne lidar, the volume of acquired 3D point cloud data is expanding rapidly,” said Ian Curington, CEO and co-author of the new patent. “Encoding point clouds into 3D PDF requires simplification to allow collaborative communication and email distribution. The granting of this critical patent strengthens our position as leader in 3D technical publishing technology using the 3D PDF standard.”

The patent covers methods used to reduce the number of samples in a large 3D point cloud, which results in optimum sample selection, minimizing distortions and preserving most feature relevant subsets of the original samples or by representative new point locations and attributes. The method achieves accuracy with computational expense compared to previous methods, the company said. The software implementation of this method is currently licensed to laser scanner manufacturers, 3D point cloud processing system vendors and to commercial survey companies.

“The company’s intellectual property strategy is very well aligned with commercial software license activities,” said Ian Bingham and Vicki Salmon, the founding partners of IP Asset LLP. “The IP strategy is closely following agile and responsive R&D as the 3D PDF use cases expand into new vertical markets. We look forward to further news of the growing PDF3D patent portfolio.”

December 14, 2015
Aerial mapping of UK rail network nears completion

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.

December 8, 2015
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.)

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.

December 3, 2015
Field Technology Conference: The forest and the fish

PORTLAND, Ore. — Two weeks ago, I attended (and hosted) the Field Technology Conference here in Portland, Oregon. This is the fifth year of the conference. In years past, it’s had a forestry emphasis primary because the Western Forestry and Conservation Association has been a major partner in organizing it.

This year, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership joined the organizing committee. The result was a 50-percent increase in attendance and a more diverse audience.

Another newcomer to the conference was a Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC) U.S. State and Local Government Subcommittee meeting, which was co-located with the Field Technology Conference, offering a direct connection between civil GPS users and U.S. government representatives who are involved in GPS.

The conference was a two-day event comprised of three technology tracks: a track for general field technology and two tracks for industry-specific (forestry and fisheries) subjects, hands-on technology demonstrations and a field trip. Although forestry and fisheries professionals were the featured user groups, nearly all of the subject matters — GPS, UAVs, smartphones, tablets, laser rangefinders, lidar, photogrammetry, and field data-collection software — is applicable for a wide range of natural resource users involved with GIS (geographic information systems) technology.

As one of the hosts of the conference, I started out moderating the general session with all of the attendees in one room. This year, my general session topics include geospatial awareness and growth, GPS/GNSS technology, mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) and UAVs.

Something new I tried this year, which worked out really well, was using audience response “clickers.” These small handheld devices were given to each audience member and allowed them to answer multiple choice questions that I posed in my Powerpoint presentation. I’ve always been a fan of audience input, and started polling the audience during webinars I conducted many years ago. For this conference, I used an audience polling system from Turning Technologies. I’d like to share with you the questions I asked the audience and the responses that I received.

Question #1: Are you here?

Comment: This was a test question to see if the audience response system was working properly. I’m still not sure if the audience just had a great sense of humor or a technical problem. I think the former was true. ☺

Question #2: Have you attended this conference before?

Comment: This was great news that the conference is attracting new attendees. It’s an annual event held in November, so keep your eyes on it for next year!

Question #3: After a brief discussion about the availability of higher accuracy geospatial data (eg. GNSS, UAVs, etc.), I was curious about the level of accuracy the audience required in their typical tasks.

What geospatial data accuracy do your typical tasks require?

Comment: I wasn’t sure what to expect with this question, but since I’ve polled a fisheries audience before, I had a feeling accuracy requirements would vary, and they did. Previously, a fisheries audience had told me that they were satisfied with 5-meter accuracy.

Question #4: The last question leads to this one. I wondered if the audience accuracy requirement was driven by requirement or by availability.

Are you satisfied with the accuracy of the geospatial data you use?

Comment: The answer is clear that, generally speaking, the audience would use higher accuracy geospatial data if it was available.

Question #5: The next question was a pure technology one. In the day of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), I’ve been very interested in monitoring the trends in mobile devices. The question about operating systems is relevant because it determines which data collection software you can use. For example, if a specific data-collection software is written only for Windows, it will not run on an Android or Apple (iOS) device.

Which operating system do you use on your mobile device(s)?

Comment: These responses surprised me a bit. They certainly don’t match the global market share figures that I’ve read. Following are the latest mobile device operating system market share numbers reported by IDC and Statista.

Question #6: The next part of my presentation discussed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, also known as UAS or drone) technology. UAVs were a significant part of the conference this year. We had many presentations and some static demonstrations on UAV technology. On this subject, I had several questions for the audience.

Do you currently use a UAS?

Comment: These answers were not surprising. Flying UAVs commercially in the U.S. requires a special permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). To date, the FAA has only issued about 2,000 such exemptions.

Question #7: Do you anticipate using a UAS?

Comment: These answers surprised me a bit. I had no idea the audience would be so interested in personally flying a UAV. This has me thinking about this the same way I think about GPS receivers — just another tool in the toolbox.

Question #8: How much are you willing to spend on a UAS?

Comment: These responses don’t surprise me, although I polled another audience at a different venue that was more engineering-oriented, and the answers were a bit different. The engineering-oriented audience was willing to spend more for a UAV.

Furthermore, in speaking with various attendees during the conference, there was quite a bit of interest in attaching different sensors to UAVs for various requirements. For example, lidar, multi-spectral and thermal (temperature) sensors were commonly mentioned as payloads they would like to see. The challenge is that the cost of a UAV rises sharply when these types of payloads are accommodated, and conflicts with the audience’s response about how much they are willing to pay for a UAV.

In next month’s column, I’ll post links to the papers presented at the Field Technology Conference as well as videos of papers presented by the CGSIC folks.

See you next month.

Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GPSGIS_Eric

Source: FTC

November 30, 2015
ION GNSS+ 2015: ComNav introduces receivers, new company trademark

LiDuan Wang, Ph.D., marketing director for ComNav, reviews ComNav’s newest receiver technology, as well as the company’s new trademark, Sino GNSS, at the 2015 ION GNSS+ show in Tampa, Fla.

November 19, 2015
ION GNSS+ 2015: NovAtel debuts new antennas

Neil Gerein, segment manager of defense and NAVWAR for NovAtel, talks about the company’s newest antenna technology at ION GNSS+ 2015 in Tampa, Fla. Learn about NovAtel’s receiver technology and SPAN technology, which were also presented at the show.

November 19, 2015
PNT Roundup: STOIC technology to augment or substitute for GPS

RANGING

The X-47B unmanned combat aircraft receives fuel from an Omega K-707 tanker on April 22 while operating in the Atlantic Test Ranges over the Chesapeake Bay. This test marked the first time an unmanned aircraft refueled in flight. The X-47B is a tailless, jet-powered, blended-wing-body aircraft capable of semi-autonomous operation and aerial refueling.

STOIC Technology to Augment or Substitute for GPS

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) selected Rockwell Collins to develop technologies that could serve as a backup to GPS. The research, being conducted as part of DARPA’s Spatial, Temporal and Orientation Information in Contested Environments (STOIC) program, aims to reduce warfighter dependence on GPS for modern military operations.

Rockwell Collins will develop new architectures and techniques to enable communication systems that will support time transfer and positioning between moving platforms independent of GPS, with no impact on primary communications functionality.

“STOIC technology could augment GPS, or it may act as a substitute for GPS in contested environments where GPS is degraded or denied,” said John Borghese, vice president of the Rockwell Collins Advanced Technology Center. “The time-transfer and ranging capabilities we are developing seek to enable distributed platforms to cooperatively locate targets, employ jamming in a surgical fashion, and serve as a backup to GPS for relative navigation.”

Borghese added that the goal of the STOIC program is to develop positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) systems that provide GPS-independent PNT, achieving timing that surpasses GPS levels of performance. The program is comprised of three primary elements that, when integrated, have the potential to provide global PNT independent of GPS, including long-range robust reference signals, ultra-stable tactical clocks, and multifunctional systems that provide PNT information among cooperative users in contested environments.

For this third technical element, Rockwell Collins is tasked with developing multifunction communication system solutions that yield DARPA STOIC objective picosecond-accurate time transfer and enable GPS levels of relative positioning accuracy in contested environments.

“Future applications of STOIC technology could include a variety of precision relative navigation operations, such as autonomous aerial refueling and cooperative navigation and collision avoidance within unmanned aerial vehicle swarms,” Borghese said. “It also could support precise time transfer for networking operations in contested environments.”

ELORAN

Wildwood eLoran Tests Continue

The Wildwood, N.J., eLoran 100-kHz transmitter continuously broadcast a signal from 0900 (EDT) on Oct. 20 through 1800 on Oct. 22, with plans to transmit further eLoran test signals from 0900 (EST) on Nov. 3 until 1200 on Nov. 6, and again from 0900 on Nov. 9 until 1500 on Nov. 13.

The purpose of these tests is to gather data on differential Loran performance in the Boston Metro and D.C. Metro areas. “Besides fixed eLoran receivers at our N. Billerica, Mass., and Leesburg, Va., offices, we also have additional fixed eLoran receivers located at the USNO and at the Harris Corporation offices in Herndon, Va.,” stated UrsaNav. The company also plans to gather temporal and spatial decorrelation data in both Metro areas. Note that these signals are for test purposes only and should not be used for any other purpose.

In May, Exelis, UrsaNav, the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) and the U.S. Coast Guard entered into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) for testing and demonstration at former Loran-C sites, including Wildwood. The team will evaluate eLoran as a potential complementary system to GPS.

The sites are the legacy ground-based radio navigation infrastructure of the decommissioned Loran-C service that could be retained and upgraded to provide eLoran low-frequency service.The broadcasts will provide a usable signal at a range up to 1,000 miles.

INERTIAL

MEMS Perspective on SatNav Gathering

By Alissa M. Fitzgerald

In September, I attended the Institute of Navigation GNSS+ 2015 conference, where I chaired a technical session on commercial
micro-electro-mechanical sensors (MEMS). As the founder of a MEMS product development firm, I was eager to gain perspective from the world’s largest technical meeting and showcase of satnav technology, products and services.

Overall, the navigation community is enthusiastic about integrating MEMS into navigation systems. They like the idea of getting more data from small, relatively low-cost sensors. Recently, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter declared his wish that we move to MEMS-based position, navigation and timing (PNT) information.

What navigators want from MEMS depends on who they are.

The “high integrity” navigators — the people whose systems land airplanes or steer self-driving cars — would like MEMS sensors with enough performance to enable accurate inertial navigation without GPS for at least 10 minutes. If a GPS receiver can’t see at least four satellites in the sky, it can’t produce accurate navigation data. High integrity navigators are the original developers of sensor fusion systems; they know that no one sensor is perfect, so they design systems to detect loss of a reliable signal, and then adeptly switch between sensor data streams as needed to maintain accurate navigation information. Ten minutes of GPS-independent inertial navigation buys you enough time to get to higher altitudes, out of a tunnel or around a skyscraper, to a position that improves your view of the sky.

The “consumer” navigators — the people who want you to help them find the nearest Starbucks in downtown San Francisco — would like better low-cost MEMS gyroscopes and magnetometers, specifically with improved stability, to improve pedestrian inertial navigation. Although pedestrians are relatively slow-moving compared to vehicles, a key challenge to their accurate navigation is maintaining inertial position fixes while their smartphones unexpectedly change orientation: waving about in a person’s hand or sliding around in a purse or pants pocket.

It’s clear we MEMS people need to spend more time with these end-users, to first understand how MEMS will integrate with their other sensors and GNSS, and then to derive the essential MEMS sensor specifications for each specific navigation system and use case. The quest for seamless navigation has been and will continue to be an exercise in sensor fusion.

Alissa Fitzgerald is managing member, A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates, a MEMS consulting firm serving diverse industries.

November 11, 2015
Blue Marble Offers Lidar Module Upgrade
Blue Marble’s Global Mapper V17‘s Lidar Module is an optional enhancement to its software that provides advanced lidar processing tools, including automatic point-cloud classification, feature extraction, cross-sectional viewing and editing, faster surface generation, and more. It is designed for anyone using or managing terrestrial or airborne lidar as well as other point cloud datasets.

The Lidar Module was first released with Global Mapper V15, and a host of new lidar tools have since been added. Building on the existing functionality for identifying ground, building and vegetation points in an unclassified point cloud, the latest release of the module includes a powerful new tool for detecting and automatically reclassifying above-ground utility lines.

After customizing the reclassification parameters, such as minimum height above ground and linear offset threshold, the points representing power lines are automatically attributed with the Wire – Conductor ASPRS lidar class. Analysis of linear patterns in these reclassified points can subsequently be used to create 3D vector lines.

Addressing a major concern among lidar users, the latest release of the Global Mapper Lidar Module provides an efficient and effective way to remove noise from point cloud data. This powerful filtering tool can reclassify or automatically delete any points that are beyond a prescribed elevation or height above ground threshold within a local area.

Other enhancements to the module include dramatically faster data rendering and processing as well as updated filtering tools for selecting and, if necessary, removing points based on class, return intensity, color range, and many other parameters.

Additional functionality offered in the Lidar Module includes:
- A convenient Lidar Toolbar for easy access to key editing and analysis functions
- Multiple gridding options for faster DSM or DTM generation
- Access to point cloud files containing a billion points or more
- Automatic point classification tools that automatically distinguish building, ground, vegetation and power lines and above-ground utility cables in unclassified layers
- Feature extraction functionality to automatically create 3D building footprints, trees and power lines
- Cross-sectional rendering using Global Mapper’s Path Profile tool for viewing and editing the point cloud in a vertical perspective
- Advanced filtering options to efficiently remove erroneous or unneeded points
- Detect and reclassify or delete noise points
- Lidar scripting commands for streamlining workflow
- Point colorization from underlying imagery offering photo-realistic point cloud rendering in Global Mapper’s 3D Viewer
- Support for reporting lidar statistics
- Support for importing and exporting most common lidar formats
- Support for NIR (near-infrared) data
October 22, 2015
Commercial UAV Expo: Seeking monetizable opportunity
Last month I wrote about the drone industry experiencing giddy enthusiasm. One of the points I mentioned was the upcoming Commercial UAV Expo, in which there were predicted to be 100+ exhibitors and 500-700 attendees — an exhibitor-to-attendee ratio of 1:5-7, an unusually low ratio for a conference. At INTERGEO in September, from where I wrote last month’s column, the ratio was 1:31.

Well, I attended the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas last week. The organizers reported ~1,500 attendees instead of the predicted 500-700. Apparently, attendance even surprised the organizers because they ran out of attendee bags by the time I picked up my badge the day before the conference began.

It was a very good conference because there were legitimate users and potential users of drone technology. During sessions, the audience was focused, more so than at most conferences I’ve attended. I think the reason is clear. The audience, consisting of drone users, potential users and manufacturers, wants to know where in the rapidly developing drone market is there a chance to make money?

One of the more interesting presenters was Commonwealth Edison, an electric utility based in Chicago with more than 5 million customers. ComEd discussed its experience and applications for drones from substation tower inspections to transmission line surveys. A representative from CNN, the news organization, spoke about how they are using drones to capture images and videos of breaking news events such as the recent refugee crisis in Europe. Chad Colby, a farmer who claims more than 3,500 drone flights and is active on the drone conference speaking circuit, showed the audience the value of drones in agriculture, which is one of the no-brainer markets for drones. Presentations such as these and a handful of others struck home with the audience because they present meaningful, that is to say monetizable content.

Commonwealth Edison’s use cases for drones.

CNN use case for drones.

Chad Colby/Nolan Berg describe the impact of drones in the ag market.

Moving from current uses to future uses, British Petroleum (BP) displayed its drone wish list — likely one that most drone dreamers would like to see:

Platforms (hardware/software):
- Interoperability
- Continuous operation
- Autonomous air, land, water
- Robots that can maneuver around a facility
- Non-military pricing
Regulations:
- Tech standards — iSafe, ANSI, HSAC
- Beyond line of sight
- Data exchange formats
- Certification programs
- Night operations
Payloads:
- Miniaturized
- Varied – full EM spectrum, acoustic, gas sensing
Several of the items on BP’s wish list were recurring themes at the conference, with the big elephant in the room being beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has largely not allowed BLOS operations even for 333 Exemption holders like me. Following is an excerpt from the CoA (Certificate of Waiver or Authorization) issued by the FAA:

d. The PIC is responsible to ensure visual observer(s) are:
– Able to see the UA and the surrounding airspace throughout the entire flight

The Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) requirement seriously inhibits the value of drones for commercial use. When you consider that a rotorcraft (helicopter) might be less than two feet in diameter, it doesn’t have to travel very far before it’s difficult to see (without the aid of binoculars or similar devices, which are prohibited). However, rotorcraft are very flexible in that they can be controlled in a small area. They can hover and they can land in very small or constrained areas relatively safely. Fixed-wing (airplane) drones are a different story. At 30-50 miles per hour, it doesn’t take long for a fixed-wing drone to be out of VLOS. So, practically speaking, a fixed-wing drone for production-oriented flying is very limited, unless the operator disregards the FAA VLOS rule.

The other challenge with fixed-wing drones is the take-off, and more importantly, the landing space required to bring a fixed-wing drone back to earth in one piece. One fixed-wing manufacturer said you’ll need several hundred feet to land their aircraft, and that’s assuming a full payload (maximum weight). One has to wonder how fixed-wing drones will be deployed. One can quickly see how impractical it may be to launch a fixed-wing drone in something less than a city park, high school sports field or a crop field.

Ignoring the FAA VLOS (and other) rules is clearly what is happening. There is seemingly no constraint for manufacturers to tell prospective buyers “go ahead and operate on your own property, no one will care.” Farms, mining operations and some construction sites might be so rural that there’s not a human being in sight. In those scenarios, it seems the “no harm, no foul” rule is in effect, or more likely “don’t ask, don’t tell.” It’s definitely happening, to the point that critics are arguing that the FAA rules are so restrictive that it promotes illegal operations. Even a former NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) member wrote an article entitled “Unreasonable UAS Rules Promote Culture of Non-Compliance”.

However, just when you think it’s a drone free-for-all to fly where you want, the FAA pulls one out of its hat like it did last week and proposed a $1.9M fine to a Chicago-based company, SkyPan International, for conducting 65 drone flights without authorization. Mind you, these weren’t flights in rural Iowa taking pictures of corn fields. According to the FAA, the company flew 43 missions in New York City’s restricted airspace without prior authorization. Well, now we know where the FAA’s tolerance lies.

Back to the Commercial UAV Expo. While the enthusiasm during the technical sessions showed some restraint, it knew no bounds in some areas of the exhibition area. Vendors, especially the venture capital-funded ones, were looking to book orders now. Prices ranged from sub-$1,000 for a “prosumer” drone for snapping high-resolution images to a $100,000+ for the drone equipped with lidar or other specialized payload.

The exhibit hall at the Commercial UAV Expo.

Please don’t take my message the wrong way. There’s a lot of opportunity for drones in the commercial market segments, from agriculture to utility inspection to photography — but the game is very early. While the technical hurdles can be conquered, the regulatory hurdles are substantial. The FAA is working on rules for BVLOS, but as the FAA chairman said, a solution for that is a few years from now.

Thanks, and see you next month.

Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GPSGIS_Eric
October 15, 2015
2015 Field Technology Conference Registration Opens
The Western Forestry and Conservation Association (WFCA) has announced that registration for the Fifth Annual Field Technology Conference (FTC) is open. FTC 2015 is hosted by WFCA, Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership (PNAMP) and StreamNet. The conference will be held Nov. 18-19 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Portland, Ore.

The Field Technology Conference offers attendees an insightful look at trends in field data collection hardware (smartphones, handheld/tablet computers, GPS receivers, laser rangefinders, and other data collection instruments), remote sensing (UAVs, photogrammetry, lidar) and mapping software (data collection, data processing, map building) along with outdoor demonstrations and a field trip.

“This will be our fifth conference. With the addition of the fisheries track and participation from the Civil GPS Interface Committee, we should have a significant attendance increase this year,” said moderator/co-organizer Eric Gakstatter. “We continue to attract speakers with strong expertise in their disciplines to present their work and thought leadership.”

The conference offers three tracks:
- Common field technology: Discussing field data collection technology used across all disciplines such as UAVs, GPS, and mobile devices.
- Forestry: Forestry-specific technology presentations.
- Fisheries: Fisheries-specific technology presentations.
In addition to the three technical tracks, there will be outdoor technology demonstrations as well as a fisheries field trip to a local slough for a live demonstration of field data collection technology (space limited).

On the second day of the two-day conference, there will be presentations from the Civil GPS Interface Service Committee (CGSIC). CGSIC is the only forum in which civilians have the opportunity to interact directly with US GPS authorities.

FTC 2014 attendees included representatives from Federal/State/Local government, Fortune 1000 companies, Native American tribes, higher education and natural resource consultancies.

The registration fee is $250 if registered by Nov. 5 and $295 if registered after that date. The government rate is $195 and $245 if registered after that date. Attendance to the CGSIC presentations on November 19 is free of charge and open to the public (lunch not included).

The registration fee includes lunch on both days as well as refreshments during breaks. The conference room rate is $99/night plus tax. After Oct. 27, the reduced rate will be subject to availability.

To register or learn more about the conference agenda, go to the conference website.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Richard Zabel [email protected], 503/226-4562.
October 15, 2015
New Esri Book Guides Use of Lidar

A new book published by Esri teaches how to use GIS software to analyze and visualize lidar data. Lidar is an optical remote-sensing system that uses a laser to measure topography, vegetation, objects such as buildings, and the ocean floor at some depths. Data collected from lidar can be used to create highly accurate elevation and terrain models.

Making Spatial Decisions Using GIS and Lidar: A Workbook presents problems that need to be solved using lidar data and the geospatial analysis tools in Esri’s GIS software, ArcGIS for Desktop. The book contains 10 learning modules that focus on how to use lidar data with GIS to answer questions and make informed decisions about real-world situations. Exercises include determining how much land to excavate for an underground parking garage, locating cell-phone towers for maximum signal coverage, placing solar panels based on the amount of solar radiation in an area; analyzing how a coastline has changed after a major hurricane; and making flood insurance rate maps based on hurricane inundation zones.

The workbook covers basic lidar data analysis techniques, 2D and 3D modeling, volumetric analysis, shadow maps, forest vegetation height analysis, and other lidar-related analyses. The book is a college-level textbook for students and geospatial technology professionals and was written with the assumption that readers are familiar with lidar and have some experience using ArcGIS for Desktop software.

Making Spatial Decisions Using GIS and Lidar: A Workbook is the third book in the Making Spatial Decisions series written by Kathryn Keranen and Robert Kolvoord. Keranen is an instructor at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Kolvoord is a professor of integrated science and technology at James Madison University. They wrote Making Spatial Decisions Using GIS and Remote Sensing: A Workbook and Making Spatial Decisions Using GIS: A Workbook, also published by Esri.

Making Spatial Decisions Using GIS and Lidar: A Workbook is available in print (ISBN: 9781589484290; 264 pages, $79.99 or as an e-book (ISBN: 9781589484344). The book 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 a local Esri distributor.

October 7, 2015
Tallysman Introduces High-Gain, High-Rejection Timing Antennas

Antenna maker Tallysman announces the availability of a family of high-gain (50 dB) and high-rejection timing antennas.

The antennas are specifically designed for timing applications in high-density cell/telecommunications tower applications where high levels of near-out-of-band interfering signals can be expected. They feature a 50-dB LNA gain to handle long cable runs often associated with installation on telecommunications towers.

The TW3150/52 antennas cover the GPS L1 and SBAS (WAAS, EGNOS and MSAS) frequency band and employ Tallysman’s unique Accutenna technology to provide excellent cross-polarization rejection and greatly enhanced multipath rejection.

The TW3150 antenna features a four-stage dual-filtered LNA, while the TW3152 antenna includes an additional SAW pre-filter to provide exceptional rejection of close out-of-band signals and additional protection against saturation by high-level sub-harmonic and L-Band signals. This provides better than 80-dB of signal rejection above 1610 MHz and below 1545 MHz, Tallysman said.

The antennas have a permanent mount, IP67 and MIL-STD-801F Section 509.4 compliant housing with metal base and an extended temperature range plastic radome, and is specifically designed to withstand the most challenging environmental conditions.

Two options for mounting are available: an L-bracket (P/N#23-0040-0) or a pipe mount (P/N#23-0065-0).

The new antennas are REACH and ROHS compliant.

September 30, 2015