Wherobots and Felt have entered a strategic partnership aimed at modernizing the geospatial data stack.
The integration combines Wherobots’ spatial intelligence lakehouse and compute engine with Felt’s collaborative mapping platform, connecting large-scale data engineering with interactive, map-based applications. The partnership allows organizations to move from processing petabyte-scale geospatial datasets in the cloud to exploring insights in a collaborative mapping environment without transferring large datasets between systems.
Organizations are handling growing volumes of location-based data, and analyzing that data has historically required specialized GIS software or custom applications that were difficult to connect with modern data systems. The integration lets users create live, interactive visualizations for uses ranging from mapping fields and creating vegetation indexes to building AI-enabled user experiences and automated workflows that monitor climate risks.
Agricultural company puts partnership to the test
Leaf Agriculture, which provides a unified API for agriculture organizations and farms working with telemetry data from tractors and field sensors, is already using both platforms together.
The company uses Wherobots to create data products from a large data lake of agricultural, parcel and tractor telemetry datasets. It recently announced a new product, LeafLake, built on that foundation. Leaf then uses Felt to build interactive maps based on the spatial data processed within Wherobots. Rather than relying on in-person screen-sharing sessions, the team now distributes maps via links viewable from any device. Here is an example of one of Leaf’s interactive maps.
“Wherobots and Felt’s new integration allows organizations to move seamlessly from processing petabytes of raw geospatial data in the cloud to visualizing actionable insights in a browser-based, collaborative environment — all without the friction of traditional desktop-based tools,” said Rachel Zack, chief strategy officer and co-founder at Felt. “For modern enterprises who rely on geographic information, this is the complete, end-to-end spatial data infrastructure that makes working with GIS data at scale finally feel effortless.”
“As climate impacts intensify — from fires to floods — maps are no longer optional; they’re critical tools for understanding a rapidly changing world,” said Mo Sarwat, CEO of Wherobots. “Yet building and scaling them has traditionally required heavy engineering effort, especially for teams working with satellite and drone data. Through our partnership with Felt, AWS users can now access, analyze and visualize spatial data directly from S3, eliminating infrastructure complexity and accelerating decision-making when it counts most.”
For more details, please see the Wherobots blog post here.
Precisely, a software company specializing in data integrity, announced that Devon and Cornwall Police leveraged its GIS software to enhance safety measures during the 2021 G7 Summit – an annual gathering of policy leaders from seven of the world’s major democracies.
The police force’s GIS team recognized that mapping software could play an important role to bring together data from a variety of sources and data formats, providing critical context in the assessment of safety protocols leading up to and throughout the Summit. The local force combined MapInfo Pro, a desktop mapping solution that provides location-based context from data, with third-party 3D visualizations to create a digital twin that enabled precise contingency planning. This model had an accuracy of up to five millimeters.
“We had two major hurdles we had to cross during the planning phase for the G7 Summit,” said Robert Goldsmith, GIS and Mapping Manager, Devon and Cornwall Police. “The first challenge was managing the sheer volume of security protocols needed for such a high-profile event, particularly given that the Summit was hosted in two locations. This meant that safety measures were required for different venues, as well as for each of the world leaders, as they traveled back and forth. The second was giving visibility to our security partners around the world, especially as the pandemic limited the ability for teams to travel to the site in the run-up to the event.”
Goldsmith and his team used MapInfo Pro to generate 2D gridded map books of the venues and enriched them with points of interest (POI) data, such as footbridges, cell masts, bus stops, and officer and partner locations. The team used aerial drone footage to build out an initial 3D model using capabilities provided by third-party providers. This was further augmented with 360-degree visualizations, using video footage that was captured by scanning more than 140,000 square meters of the Summit venues.
The resulting digital twin enabled Devon and Cornwall Police and their partners to anticipate security issues and create contingency plans using virtual reality headsets to remotely access locations during the planning phase. This removed the need to have more individuals on the ground than necessary in the run-up to the event, while still enabling highly accurate contingency planning to take place.
The G7 Summit went off without a security hitch, with GIS technology widely credited as being central to its success.
Geospatial mapping company GeoSLAM has expanded its mining offerings.
The company also announced an automated processing platform, GeoSLAM Connect, which provides users with the flexibility to process data to their specifications through interactive, customizable script-based workflows.
The new innovations can be used alongside GeoSLAM solutions already available, including GeoSLAM Volumes for stockpile volumetric calculations.
GeoSLAM Production Progress Mapping allows operators to make short-term decisions on newly mined production areas when coupled with the ZEB scanner and its own internal coordinate system. Once the data from each scan has been automatically processed and georeferenced using GeoSLAM Connect, it can be uploaded to compatible third-party software. Operators can overlap collected data and precisely visualize changes over time to compare with project plans.
Convergence Analysis provides mine owners with a rapid and cost-effective way to understand the environment while keeping miners safe by measuring rock support at a safe distance.
A shaft inspection cradle is built for collecting data during inspections and analyzing change. It allows users to understand the erosion of a shaft wall, view blockages and identify hanging points for ore in hard-to-reach shafts.
In 2019, the City of Hobart Sanitary and Stormwater District (HSD) in Hobart, Indiana, recognized the benefits of geospatial technology and location intelligence to transform the city. HSD reached out to Geographic Technologies Group (GTG) to write and implement a geographic information system (GIS) strategic plan.
GTG is one of the world’s leading local government GIS companies, working to advance the science of location intelligence and geospatial technology. GTG built a GIS strategic plan for HSD using high-resolution aerial imagery from Nearmap to help build on the city’s need to deliver geospatial data to customers.
“Our content integrates easily with GTG’s applications and acts as a valuable component to their strategic planning services,” said Karl Terrey, director, Global Alliances at Nearmap. “Our imagery is refreshed multiple times per year and when combined with GTG’s technology allows governments to make decisions based on conditions in their communities in near-real-time.”
Image: Geographical Technologies Group
Before GTG, HSD was maintaining a GIS viewer web app that was not user friendly, and thus underutilized.
HSD leaders recognized the need for an interface that would serve the district as well as other city departments while being easy to navigate. Nearmap’s technology corrected this, by equipping users with controls that were customized to address all the needs of its users.
Image: Geographical Technologies Group
“Our goal has always been to solve problems, and introduce a new kind of decision support for our clients,” said James Kelt, VP of Corporate Software at GTG. “Our clients love the imagery and the more we worked with Nearmap, the more we’ve been able to provide this added value to our customers.”
With the help of the user-friendly ArcGIS Hub, where citizens could access GIS tools, and GTG’s new program, the city of Hobart gained greater citizen engagement that allowed them to find information for themselves.
NV5 Geospatial has launched Trim Optimization, a predictive modeling platform that enables electric utilities to enhance vegetation management programs with risk-based assessments.
Using information from existing lidar and historical data, utilities can leverage Trim Optimization to prioritize tree-trimming activities by taking into account the risk posed by individual trees and other operational constraints.
“Trees are to blame for a large percentage of outages, and vegetation management is the single biggest cost for electric utilities. Yet, utilities have only started to look at proactive, risk-based management programs, rather than the traditional cycle-based ones,” said Ian Berdie, vice president of innovation for NV5 Geospatial. “NV5 Geospatial’s Trim Optimization platform will help utilities improve grid reliability through better decision making, while also saving them money through greater efficiency and the ability to target areas that have the most potential for problems.”
Vegetation is one of the largest sources of outages, accounting for more than half, according to a recent survey, “Geospatial Analytics, Resilience and Extreme Weather Readiness.” The majority of respondents also noted that they use data to analyze risk, but budget constraints often prevent them from investing in the data they need.
The trim optimization platform takes a phased approach to identify relative risk to target vegetation management work where it will have the most impact. With extensive expertise, NV5 Geospatial first identifies several attributes associated with vegetation-caused outages that can be modeled from high-density lidar and provide a relative risk score.
Utility-specific data, such as historic tree failures information or other factors, can be analyzed to enhance results further.
The final risk scores will provide a quantitative assessment of combined risk, enabling utilities to develop work plans that prioritize vegetation management mitigation efforts and result in greater operational efficiency.
NV5 is holding a webinar on Trim Optimization on Aug. 25. Register here.
“Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore, it is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should dwell.”
“Data! Data! Data!” He cried impatiently. “I can’t make bricks without clay.”
— Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Copper Beeches,” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Watson is to Holmes what information is to intelligence. Watson could listen to the client story, observe the situation, and recite to Holmes all the relevant facts, but he lacked the ability to string together the seemingly random pieces of information into a coherent chain of events leading to the correct hypothesis. A computer can become a Watson, but it takes a human to be Sherlock; however, a human misguided by cognitive biases will end up as Inspector Lestrade, always coming to the wrong conclusion.
When it comes to data, the analogy of drinking from a fire hose is an understatement. Consider that a digital image can be terabytes in size and every day millions of images are taken. Facebook generates 4 petabytes of data daily, and each day there are 500 million tweets and 306 billion emails. Additionally, there are 20 billion connected devices. Combined, the world creates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. If a grain of sand represents a byte of data, then every three days more data is created than there are grains of sand on the Earth, and it is only increasing.
Somewhere in all that data are signals. Real-time threat intelligence systems are looking for those signals before the next huge event occurs. It is a high-stakes hunt for Leviathan, except that Leviathan is only a packet of sand traveling at lightspeed through a cloud obscured by dust.
Nellis Air Force Base takes part in Red Flag 15-2 at its Combined Operations Center in 2015. (Photo: Senior Airman Thomas Spangler/U.S. Air Force.)
Interpreting a Signal
The massive volume, variety and velocity of continuously flowing data far surpasses the ability of humans to process. It exceeds the bandwidth most systems can handle. And it quickly overwhelms the capacity to store, manage and act on the information in a timely and cost-effective manner. Resources are not infinite. The best model to handle an overwhelming amount of data is the human brain. Humans are biological sensors. Every moment of every second of our lives, our bodies are receiving an endless stream of stimuli from internal and external sources. Most of this stimuli registers at an unconscious level, and as long as the stimuli is normal and expected, it goes unnoticed by the conscious mind. If, however, any discomfort is experienced, the conscious mind is notified. Then that becomes the focus until normalized. Externally, the same applies to computer data systems. Normal conditions are ignored, but if there is something unusual, such as a loud constant noise, or a colder than normal temperature, it draws all the processing attention.
In the realm of intelligence that is basically how things function. Algorithms are written to learn the normal patterns of life and to identify specific events, words, names, etc. As long as data is within normal parameters, it gets little attention, but as soon as an anomaly exceeds a threshold or something triggers the algorithm, it will immediately be brought to the attention of the intel center. An example can be viewed on the Global Incident Map dashboard. I encourage you to sign up for a free 72-hour membership. If you want to see what real news looks like, this would be a sampling. The number of real incidents that happen across the country and around the world that you never hear about, many of them hair-raising and all of them open source, add to the few stories the media has been able to tell about cyber attacks. Scroll down the page. There are many filters, but I recommend turning them all off to see the full extent of information. Clicking on an incident will drill down into the actual source so you can read about it more thoroughly.
Below is the U.S. Army’s real-time critical incident dashboard called the Joint Analytic Real-Time Virtual Information Sharing System (JARVISS). It tracks and monitors activity near U.S. Army installations and standalone assets of interest around the world.
Another dashboard for cyberattacks is Check Point, which shows just how aggressive cyberthreats are throughout world. Here, you can see the patterns of coordinated attacks. A war is underway. The soldiers are cyberwarriors. No country is safe. View the Live Cyber Threat Map.
JARVISS is designed to target criminal activity and provide natural disaster information in and around Army installations and stand-alone facilities, as well as COVID-19 threats. (Image: Steve Gardner/U.S. Army}
Fast Analysis in Real Time
Monitoring this information, analysts look for connections. If a plane veers off its flight path, the local operations center is notified. An automatic query shows if any critical-infrastructure assets or other important structures and facilities are in the area. The analyst can immediately find out the type of aircraft, the call sign, who the plane is registered to and who filed the flight plan. Weather radar can be overlaid to see if that is a possible reason for the deviation. Incident reports can be displayed in real time within the area of interest, along with social media feeds and other sources of communication. Traffic patterns can be displayed.
The important question that needs to be answered is whether this is a potential threat. Is there a connection to anything going on anywhere else? A dossier is developed on the person who filed the flight plan, the one who is assumed to be the pilot and the person or organization to which the plane is registered. All of this is being done in a matter of minutes, while the airplane either returns to its flight path or continues its diversion. The air traffic control tower is contacted to share information on the aircraft and its deviation. If the tower does not have an answer, it will radio the pilot for an answer. The passenger and crew manifest also are analyzed. All the data that can be pulled together — including the remaining fuel burn and the aircraft performance limitations — are analyzed.
Patterns emerge from the data. These patterns lead backwards to a cause and forward toward the end result. Finding those clues in the data requires a team of specialists from six primary intelligence disciplines.
An imagery intelligence analyst brings in the live-streams and remote sensing.
A human intelligence analyst seeks motivating factors and ways to deescalate the situation.
A measurements and signatures intelligence specialist defines the operating limitations and the mechanics and science particular to the scenario.
An open-source intelligence analyst accesses and queries open-source data sets to provide clues.
A signals intelligence specialist focuses on the communications and electronic signatures.
A geospatial intelligence analyst brings it all together and provides spatial context through the map the team uses that shows the events unfold in real time.
These analysts and sometimes many others will collect all these pieces of information and turn them into intelligence that decision-makers can use to take action. That is the purpose of intelligence; as CIA veteran Richard Heuer stated, “Intelligence seeks to illuminate the unknown.”
Fortunately, most alerts turn out to be false positives, but every one of them is treated as if it were “the one.” These false positives turn out to be excellent, real-world exercises that hone the skills of the team and wire the brain for speed. These events can last mere minutes or several hours. It’s an adrenaline rush.
To explore live streaming data feeds, Esri has a growing volume of data in its ArcGIS Living Atlas.
“My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere…”
— Sherlock Holmes, “The Sign of the Four,” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
William Tewelow works for the Federal Aviation Administration. He is a graduate of a management fellowship program. While on special assignment to the U.S. Department of Transportation William led the project to crowdsource the National Address Database for the White House Open Data Partnership. He is a Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) and a Maryland Scholar STEMnet Speaker. He has a degree in Geographic Information Technology and Intelligence Studies from American Military University and is currently earning a degree in Organizational Leadership. William retired from the U.S. Navy after serving 23 years as a Geospatial and Imagery Intelligence Specialist, a Naval Aviator, a Meteorologist, and a Tactical Oceanographer. He was among the first in the nation to earn a Geospatial Specialist Certification from the U.S. Department of Labor while working at NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. He is married, enjoys traveling, solving problems, playing with data, and fascinated by new technology and historical context. His favorite quote is, “A man’s mind changed by a new idea can never go back to its original dimension.” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
1Spatial, a company with location master data management (LMDM) software and solutions, has been granted a UK patent for modification and validation of spatial data.
The UK patent protects the use of 1Spatial’s rules engine technology, which is used in products such as 1Integrate and 1Data Gateway, further strengthening the group’s international patent coverage, which includes a U.S. patent for modification and validation of spatial data.
The 1Integrate rules engine solves the issue of managing the quality of data in one or more databases. Ensuring good-data quality, which is also referred to as master data management is an issue for most organizations, especially where databases are large, complex and interconnected with other systems.
Bad data quality reduces the operational efficiency of organizations and prevents effective decision making. The 1Integrate rules engine solves this issue using a rules-based validation process which checks and cleans the data in order to measure, improve and protect the quality of the data and hence improve the operations, decisions and software implementations that depend on it.
“As pioneers in the cleansing of location data, we are delighted to have been granted a UK patent for our rules engine technology, recognizing its power as a tool to ensure good quality data and facilitate trust when sharing data,” said Claire Milverton, CEO of 1Spatial. “Our understanding of the complexity of location data formats and sources, the rules that need to be applied and the issues that arise, has seen our technology be selected to power some of the world’s largest location data implementations.”
Skyward, a Verizon company, has announced its integration with Pix4D, a photogrammetry software suite for drone mapping. The partnership gives customers the ability to turn drone data into 2D maps and 3D models.
Enterprises and drone pilots can now plan flights, receive approval to fly in controlled airspace with LAANC, fly with Skyward’s InFlight ground control station, and process data using Pix4D — all from within the Skyward platform.
“Skyward has been bringing our customers tools to access airspace, plan and fly — now they can produce business-ready data deliverables without leaving Skyward,” said Mariah Scott, Skyward president. “Enterprises in construction, energy and utilities, and the public sector can get even more ROI out of their drone programs when combining Skyward’s drone management platform with Pix4D’s market-leading photogrammetry tools.”
Skyward Mapping & Modeling, powered by Pix4D, enables customers to create, view, measure, and export 2D orthomosaic maps and 3D photogrammetric models right from Skyward’s web app. With the processing power of Pix4D, Skyward customers can get business-ready data sets through a seamless plan, fly, process workflow.
“Enterprises are seeking to scale their drone operations and transform their businesses with better data and faster time to insight. Skyward’s platform, along with the power of Pix4D, delivers a powerful, comprehensive solution,” said Christopher Cressy, Pix4D managing director for North America.
To learn more about Skyward’s mapping and modeling features, join a webinar on June 8 at 2 p.m. ET. Enterprises and commercial operators can try Skyward Mapping & Modeling powered by Pix4D free for 30 days.
In recent years, sinkholes have been occurring around the world. A new service offers a sinkhole detection prediction tool using satellite imagery analysis.
Synspective Inc., a satellite data and analytic solution provider, has released a sinkhole detection feature that predicts ground sinking area.
Sinkholes are often caused by human activities (underground tunneling, oil/gas pumping, underground coal drilling, groundwater pumping, etc.). When these sinkholes occur in residential areas, they can cause significant damage to buildings and sometimes even loss of life.
The sinkhole detection function developed by Synspective is a unique prediction algorithm that uses data science and machine learning to combine and detect the characteristics of spatial and temporal variations. With this technology, it is possible to identify areas where sinkholes are likely to occur in advance, areas where cave-ins have occurred, and areas where cave-ins are in progress after they have occurred.
This function will be implemented in Land Displacement Monitoring, a solution service announced in 2020 that analyzes ground deformation over a wide area using satellite data. The input data is automatically updated, and the platform handles the processing and analysis of the complex satellite imagery. Since it can be viewed in a web environment, it can be checked at any time from the office as well as from the field.
This new service’s expected use is multifaceted — it can be applied in many land risk-management projects such as construction projects, airport maintenance projects, and subway development projects, among others.
In addition, remote area/site surveying can be extremely relevant in disaster struck areas where human access is restricted or dangerous, or where social movement is restricted due to the COVID-19 virus impact.
The physical and digital world are integrating. We are nearing the edge of the analog universe. Physical immersion is giving way to virtual immersion. It is the virtualization of products and services in the evolution of technology. Michael Saylor calls it the sixth wave of software engineering. We are moving away from externally experiencing data and are moving towards actively interfacing with data directly in virtual space.
“You can Zoom anywhere at the speed of light and bend time and space.” — Michael Saylor
The world of tomorrow is already here. We are waking up to it. The blips of information at the fringes are coming nearer. The horizons of time are as far as one can see into the future and the past. How far can you see? From wherever you are there are others who can see a little further. Look forward. Look back. Others are ahead and behind. They exist where time is most comfortable for them. Some take up positions living in the past. Some stake their place as far into the future as they are able. Look towards those early adopters. Ask them what they think. They see more clearly the blips of information out on the horizon.
What are those blips? How will they impact the geospatial community? How can you position yourself to take advantage of the coming trends?
America needs to go back to work and America’s infrastructure is old and in disrepair. In 2019, Congress introduced H.R.4687, the SMART Infrastructure Act, a $2 trillion bill but it never made it out of the House. However, that bill is being reintroduced. This time it will become a bill putting America back to work and its price tag will likely eclipse the previous bill. It will address infrastructure — all types of infrastructure: physical, data, cybersecurity, health, financial, transportation, energy, and communications. It will be a primary theme for the next two decades. Get ready! Change can happen fast and it’s about to accelerate.
“The future happens slowly and then all at once.” — Kevin Kelly
Rebuilding this infrastructure will require geospatial technologies. STEM has been the siren call for the past 30 years and for good reason. Those who heeded the call and invested their education into coding, engineering, data science, geospatial technologies, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and other STEM related fields are going to lead the coming workforce. Now is the time to get certified and establish your credentials.
Take the case of architectural design and construction. It used to be blueprints drawn on light tables. That is how I learned to do it back in the 1970s. Then it all moved to computer aided design (CAD) drawings. Now, urban planners and architects create immersive 3D virtual reality (VR) visualizations. That is becoming standard practice.
Project managers used to spend their day making their rounds walking the site ensuring the project was being built to specifications. However, that is changing. Soon, each worker’s safety glasses will have built-in augmented reality (AR). They will build their portion of a project exactly to plan. Project managers will connect with workers in the field and see the project they are working on progress in real-time while in their office on 3D models.
When the project manager does walk the site he or she will be wearing augmented reality (AR) head-up displays and able to compare the physical construction to the digital model in real-time. Backhoe and excavator operators will grade to exact precision. Robots will be common at construction sites assisting operations and enhancing current capabilities. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will fly regular patterns over construction sites. Heavy-lift UAVs will supplement cranes for some operations. Subsurface structures, whether buried beneath the ground or behind a wall will be digitized with precise location data making future replacements and repairs swift and easy. The uses of geospatially dependent technologies will continue to grow. The construction worker of tomorrow will be very different than the one of today.
Photo: Trimble
The new infrastructure will be built with smart technologies and incorporate renewables and “green energy” initiatives with a responsible approach to sustainability; for example, roadways will have embedded peizo-electric crystals in the asphalt to generate electricity from passing vehicles. The electricity will charge batteries that will power smart sensors embedded in the street and provide power to street lights with sensors and 5G networks along the roadways. Excess power will transfer to other microgrids for use elsewhere. Energy will also come from capturing wind on top and along the sides of buildings, along roadways, and at tunnel exits and entrances. Thermocouples will capture heat and generate electricity.
Solar power will be generated from panels, windows, films, and even paint surfaces. All of these sources together will feed into microgrids. Some of this renewable energy will convert water to hydrogen for fuel cells, and some will power carbon dioxide (CO2) converters to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and create synthetic fuels. In 2010, Sunexus submitted a geospatial study of the solar reforming process to the Office of Scientific & Technical Information (OSTI). The study showed that nearly 58% of industrial CO2 waste from power plants, cement plants, ethanol production, and natural gas processing could be converted to synthetic diesel fuel.
Image: U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Besides energy, other smart materials will be used such as small sensors that are geospatially sensitive nanodevices embedded in roads, bridges, tunnels, buildings and other structures. They are wirelessly connected to one another creating a 3D mesh network. These nanodevices continuously report their structural health. This 3D mesh network can detect vibrations passing through it that cause distortions in the mesh framework.
Geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) will profile devices based on their normal statistical ranges. If any data such as location, temperature, humidity, pressure, acoustics or health status exceed the device’s standard deviation the GeoAI will analyze surrounding nodes in the mesh network to depict patterns. Suspect events will immediately come to the attention of emergency services. These microdevices can provide early detection of cracks in a structure or deterioration of a surface protection layer.
The use of these devices extends beyond structural monitoring. More broadly, they have societal applications too, such as for security purposes. When fitted with acoustic sensors they can detect sounds, and by geospatially analyzing the data from many thousands of devices the epic center of a noise event can immediately be located. Take for example a gun shot, fireworks, an explosion, or a vehicle accident. The increased acoustic signal would trigger the GeoAI monitoring the devices to plot a spatial analysis of the acoustic report. The map would alert area would flash red on the monitor at the control center and nearby cameras would zoom in on the location providing images and live video feeds all within moments of the triggering event. The analysts at the control center could immediately assess the situation and dispatch the proper response units.
Embedded devices also serve as seismic sensors blanketing broad areas and are able to record surface vibrations moving through the mesh network. An earthquake would appear as a moving wave field along the network.
Additionally, data from the mesh network can integrate with other devices. It can provide smartphones with precise location data. Imagine no longer standing on a street corner turning in circles trying to figure out which way to go. When connected with the mesh network and looking through AR glasses or the smartphone view screen the path will be illuminated. Autonomous vehicles will connect with the mesh network and have absolute positional accuracy and have awareness of other vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians ensuring a more safe and efficient experience for everyone.
The mesh network can be used as a base layer for georeferencing the world. Notifications, warnings and requests for information can be sent to smartphones within an exact georeferenced location. Imagine being in your third-floor apartment sitting in your chair, listening to music on your headphones and reading an ebook. You are oblivious to the noise outside. An audible alert is sent to your phone and calls your attention. You look at your phone and a message is requesting information related to a possible gunshot at DD°MM’SS.sss N, DD°MM’SS.sss W. You click on the notification and a map opens up. You see it is right outside your window. You go to the window, look outside and see two people duck into a car. You watch as red tail lights drive away. You look back at the location on the street where the vehicle had been and a person is slumped over leaning against a stairwell.
On your phone you press the red alert button on the map application triggering a distress signal and confirming the incident may have been a gunshot and someone has possibly been injured. Emergency services immediately dispatch. Others nearby received the same alert message because it was automatically generated and sent out to all phone numbers within the area defined by the geospatial acoustic solution. Surveillance cameras on the corner of buildings were also triggered by the alert and automatically focused on the origin of the noise. Images of the assailants were captured along with the license plate of the vehicle. As the vehicle drove away a network of surveillance cameras continued following it turn by turn until it was finally intercepted and the occupants apprehended.
This world is nearer than it seems. The technologies are already here. Once the infrastructure bill is passed construction projects will begin and our physical world will begin to integrate with the digital world. The engineers design it. The construction workers and robots will build it. And it will be geospatial technologies holding it all together.
William Tewelow works for the Federal Aviation Administration. He is a graduate of the FAA management fellowship program. He served on special assignment to the U.S. Department of Transportation leading a national strategic geospatial initiative for the White House Open Data Partnership. He is a Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) and a speaker for the Maryland STEMnet Scholar program. He was among the first in the nation to earn a Geospatial Specialist Certification from the U.S. Department of Labor while working at NASA Stennis Space Center. He has degrees in Geographic Information Technology, Intelligence Studies, and is completing a masters degree in Organizational Management. William is a 23 year veteran for the U.S. Navy serving as a Geospatial Specialist, Imagery Intelligence Specialist, a Naval Aviator, a Meteorologist, and a Tactical Oceanographer. He is married, enjoys writing and traveling. His favorite quote is, “A man’s mind changed by a new idea can never go back to its original dimension.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes
Release follows $1 billion Innovyze acquisition announcement by Autodesk
Water infrastructure software company Innovyze has released Info360.com, a cloud-based, artificial intelligence-powered platform for real-world water lifecycle management.
Combined with Info360 Insight, a data visualization and workflow solution, the platform enables dynamic digital twins for the water industry.
Dynamic Digital Twins are virtual models of real-world assets and systems that can learn and adapt to changing circumstances. Built upon Amazon Web Services (AWS), Info360.com is uniquely designed to support Dynamic Digital Twins by gathering and unifying asset information, connecting live and historic performance data to Innovyze as well as third-party applications.
Autodesk Inc. announced March 1 it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Portland, Oregon-based Innovyze for $1 billion net of cash subject to working capital and tax closing adjustments. Autodesk’s digital-twin strategy creates a clearer path to a more sustainable and digitized water industry, the company said.
This context-aware platform can predict future performance using synchronized computational models that become more intelligent as they’re used. Info360.com provides recommended best-case actions that can help water utilities maintain the highest levels of service, capacity and efficiency.
Due to water system complexity and static operating budgets, many water utilities have struggled to adopt the digital transformation technologies that would allow them to improve predictability and performance. Using the power of the cloud, Info360.com is financially and operationally more accessible, powerful and flexible than traditional on-premise systems.
“The complex, physical properties of water and massive, underground infrastructure that must be monitored and managed make digitization extremely challenging for water utilities,” said Colby Manwaring, Chief Executive Officer at Innovyze. “We’ve combined 35 years of expertise in water management with the power of the cloud to bridge the data and technology gaps that have kept water utilities from truly capitalizing on Digital Twins with our new Info360.com platform. This is a game-changer in making digital transformation achievable for water utilities of any size.”
The new Info360 Insight SaaS application provides utilities with customizable dashboards and KPIs that track and visualize the real-time performance of the entire water distribution system. Performance data can be used and analyzed for daily operations, such as pipe break detection and water loss. The same data can also be used to plan for future maintenance and capacity fluctuations, with seamless integration into the hydraulic model.
“Info360 Insight is the first of several SaaS applications we’re delivering for the Info360.com platform, all offering advantages to utilities like easy onboarding, infinite scalability, and rigorous security out of the box,” said Rick Gruenhagen, CTO at Innovyze. “Better yet, the Info360 platform architecture incorporates cutting-edge technologies like predictive analytics and artificial intelligence tuned specifically for the water lifecycle, allowing utilities of all sizes to stay at the forefront of innovation without the need to maintain complex software or hire hordes of IT experts. As a result, utilities will have the technology foundation they need to deliver the highest possible service at the lowest possible cost.”
Info360 Insight provides real-time ingestion and analysis of SCADA data, along with 24/7 event monitoring, enabling utilities to detect incidents within their infrastructure. The system can check multiple resolution scenarios and apply recommended actions to resolve the failure as quickly as possible — ensuring a higher level of service and reliability.
Blue Marble Geographics has released version 22.1 of Global Mapper, a GIS application that provides both novice and experienced geospatial professionals with a comprehensive array of spatial data processing tools.
Globe Mapper provides access to a variety of data formats and includes numerous spatial analysis tools at a genuinely affordable price.
The version 22.1 release includes enhancements to the software’s 3D Viewer including, a new Save 3D Views function and 3D View navigation tools to target the camera on specific features and lock the pivot axis around a feature of interest.
The data graphing and charting feature has been updated with support for creating graphs from multiple layers, and several new spatial operations functions have been added, including Union and Difference. As with previous releases, numerous new data formats are now supported including, support for exporting to COG (Cloud-Optimized GeoTiff) format and importing of IFC (Buildings) and GeoSLAM files.
“Every release of Global Mapper demonstrates Blue Marble’s commitment to continually expanding our software,” said Patrick Cunningham, Blue Marble President and CEO. “Version 22.1 includes countless improvements throughout the software but especially in 3D visualization and analysis, reflecting the rapidly increasing importance of 3D mapping.”
Blue Marble Application Specialists will be conducting a live webinar on Global Mapper v22.1 on March 3. During the hour-long presentation, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Time), attendees will see the latest tools in action and will have the opportunity to ask questions about the new functionality. Registration is required.
