GPS World

Tag: GIS

  • Bentley Systems releases open-source library, iModel.js

    Open-source JavaScript library for creating immersive connections to infrastructure digital twins.

    Bentley Systems has released its iModel.js library, an open-source initiative designed to improve the accessibility, for both visualization and analytical visibility, of infrastructure digital twins.

    iModel.js can be used by developers and IT professionals to quickly and easily create immersive applications that connect their infrastructure digital twins with the rest of their digital world, the company said.

    iModel.js is the cornerstone of Bentley’s new iTwin Services that combine iModelHub, reality modeling and web-enabling software technologies within a Connected Data Environment for infrastructure engineering.

    iModelHub manages an iModel as a distributed database with an intrinsic ledger of changes — enabling alignment, accountability and accessibility of its digital components — to form the backbone of an infrastructure digital twin.

    The iModel.js library is a comprehensive collection of JavaScript packages that build on the most open, popular and flexible standards for modern cloud and web development. It is written in TypeScript and leverages open technologies including SQLite, Node.js, NPM, WebGL, Electron, Docker, Kubernetes, and HTML5 and CSS. The same codebase can produce cloud services and web, mobile and desktop applications. The source code is hosted on GitHub and is distributed under the MIT license.

    With iModel.js, it is simple to create a web-based experience that shows interactive “nD” views (1D, 2D, 3D, 4D, etc.) of iModels that are assembled and synchronized from BIM files and other digital engineering models, as well as from data created directly with iModel.js.

    Those same views can also include digital (reality) context, real-time sensor data, and other data from enterprise sources and analytics. Since the iModel is synchronized by iModelHub, it always reflects the most recent updates from all project participants, who are thus able to visualize and analyze changes between points in time or between versions. Importantly, only users and applications authorized by the iModel owner, through iModelHub, are granted access through iModel.js.

    “iModel.js gives Hatch the ability to implement a stakeholder engagement technology that extends the iModelHub visionary technology,” said Johan Palm, program manager of digital project delivery at Hatch. “We can expose complex project information to a level that is accessible, consumable and extendable via the cloud and in context to the 3D model. Most importantly we can do so in a manner that embraces change as the project progresses. iModel.js aligns with Hatch’s internal development strategies as it is built on modern, highly portable web technology. Bentley is a key software technology partner on Hatch projects globally where our main objective is to provide a positive impact to our client’s assets and operations.”

    “The digital twin powered by iModelHub is efficiently improving project management, substantially reducing the waste of resources caused by site problems and will achieve digital handover after completion of the project for visual operations and maintenance,” said Cai Chengguo, chair and general manager at Shenzhen Expressway Consulting Group.

    “We firmly believe that iModel.js, and of course the foundation upon which it is built, is the most open, productive, intuitive and powerful development environment for capital projects and infrastructure assets, ever,” said Keith Bentley, Bentley Systems’ founder and CTO. “We’re excited to work with user organizations, strategic partners and third-party developers to build an open ecosystem around iModels to tap the vast potential of infrastructure digital twins. With iModel.js, the well-refined techniques of mainstream cloud and web development can leverage the physical and virtual reality in digital twins with near-zero impedance. By open-sourcing the libraries we use to create our iTwin cloud services, we expect to foster a substantial and vibrant ecosystem of innovation.”

  • BAE Systems demonstrates XTS Guard 5 for military cyber security

    BAE Systems’ XTS Guard 5, equipped with the company’s Geospatial eXploitation Products (GXP), has successfully demonstrated its ability to provide U.S. intelligence organizations with access to geospatial imagery and data from BAE Systems’ GXP Platform, ensuring secure sharing between networks of various security classifications and sections.

    The innovative software demonstrated secure information sharing between government agencies and networks at the Enterprise Challenge, referred to as the EC-18, held this past spring.

    “Our expertise in developing technologies that quickly exploit massive amounts of data has allowed us to a product that brings numerous advantages to U.S. military intelligence organizations to securely transfer data from multiple sources,” said Kevin Malone, vice president of analytics systems at BAE Systems. “The EC-18 demo proved XTS Guard 5’s readiness to deliver operational success for a number of agencies.”

    EC-18 is an annual exercise sponsored by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, which allows Department of Defense agencies and international partners to demonstrate information sharing across disparate networks prior to their solution’s deployment. A guard is a cybersecurity appliance solution that resides between classified and unclassified domains for agencies using intelligence libraries.

    As an intelligence organization accesses geospatial imagery and data from BAE Systems’ GXP Platform, XTS Guard 5 provides cross-domain search functionality. This breaks down information stovepipes and secure boundaries that currently exist, providing a bridge between security domains to allow intelligence analysts to quickly and easily gather information that was previously cumbersome and time consuming to obtain. It saves analysts’ time, reduces operating costs, and allows decision makers to act more quickly, the company said.

    The product is further enhanced by SMARTXD from Sterling Computers, which is a key enabling component to secure multi-domain information sharing within an agency or large organization. It allows existing customer applications to become multi-domain enabled and share releasable data across security domains, including coalition partners. This capability has been successfully demonstrated in the last three Enterprise Challenge events.

    The XTS Guard 5 demo at EC-18 showed that the product’s architecture will support multi-enclave and multi-compartment controlled information sharing, for information that is subdivided based on its sensitivity, with advanced administration and auditing, ensuring that releasable information stored on a section of an internal network is sharable. It proved the effective transfer of multiple data types in near-real time, including email, attachments and chat.

    Offering industry-leading geospatial intelligence and movement intelligence solutions, including licensed software and professional services, BAE Systems’ GXP 5 delivers advanced data management, image exploitation, tracking analytics, geospatial production and intelligence reporting, the company said.

  • Spectra Precision becomes Spectra Geospatial for survey, GIS

    Spectra Precision becomes Spectra Geospatial for survey, GIS

    Spectra Geospatial logoSpectra Precision has launched a new brand identity and name for its survey and geographic information systems (GIS) suite of solutions. The organization will now be known as Spectra Geospatial.

    The brand will include a new logo and website domain name: www.spectrageospatial.com.

    The announcement was made at Intergeo 2018, the conference on geodesy, geoinformatics and land management, taking place Oct. 16-18 in Frankfurt, Germany.

    The new Spectra Geospatial brand builds upon the reputation and equity built under the previous Spectra Precision identity and now reflects the organization’s evolution of providing a broad range of solutions specifically focused on the geospatial industry, the company said.

    “We’ve built a strong reputation for quality and innovation over the past 25 years,” said Olivier Casabianca, general manager of Spectra Geospatial. “We are very proud to bring a new name and brand to the market that accurately reflects our customer and dedication to the industry.”

    Spectra Geospatial delivers products to the survey, GIS and construction markets, with the brand offering a complete product portfolio including GNSS, GIS, optical total stations, data collection hardware, and field and office software.

  • Boundless partners with United Nations on UN Open GIS Initiative

    BoundlessLogo: UN Open GIS Initiative is partnering with the United Nations (UN) to support the UN Open GIS Initiative, which aids UN operations around the world with open source geospatial software and services.

    According to Boundless, using its technology, the UN can leverage a hybrid architecture approach and maintain interoperability with existing software systems to maximize the value of its open technology and open data in global peacekeeping and other UN operations.

    The UN Open GIS Initiative aims to identify and develop open source geospatial software and services that meet the requirements of UN operations, taking full advantage of the expertise of mission partners including member states, technology contributing countries, international organizations, academia, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.

    The scope of the initiative covers software development for the entire lifecycle of geospatial information at the enterprise level, from data collection, management and sharing to geospatial analysis and web and mobile applications. The initiative also focuses on the technology’s sustainability and eventual transfer from the UN to other potential user groups and developing countries.

    “Boundless is honored to be a critical part of the UN Open GIS Initiative, and proud to see the real-world impact our open source software and technology is supporting for UN peacekeeping operations around the world,” said Anthony Calamito, chief geospatial officer at Boundless. “The ability to use Boundless in a hybrid architecture enables the organization to share freely with other UN operational partners and nations and interoperate with existing technologies already in use. It enables rapid innovation and prevents single vendor lock-in.”

    The UN deployed Boundless’ technology after nearly two years of planning and development and a successful demonstration in a simulated UN field operational environment. In addition to providing technological support for the UN Open GIS Initiative, Boundless is also a sponsor of the OSGeo UN Committee Educational Challenge, a program focused on developing open geospatial educational material for the initiative.

  • Blue Marble Geographics adds NEXTMap as an online service

    Blue Marble GeographicsLogo: Blue Marble Geographics added NEXTMap worldwide elevation data — which includes Intermap’s newest generation of NEXTMap One — as an online streaming service within Global Mapper.

    According to Blue Marble, NEXTMap One, developed by Intermap Technologies, offers both digital terrain model (DTM) and digital surface model (DSM) datasets at one-meter resolution for detailed analysis. With an active NEXTMap subscription, Global Mapper users can quickly and easily render these 3D datasets for an area of interest and make sure of the software’s extensive terrain and 3D analysis capabilities for contour generation, viewshed analysis, volume calculation and more, the company added.

    The addition of NEXTMap elevation data as an online service complements Blue Marble’s 3D functionality. By offering immediate, on-demand access to the latest DSM and DTM datasets, geospatial professionals throughout the world can now efficiently conduct high-quality terrain analysis procedures without the need for locally collected data, Blue Marble said.

    NEXTMap elevation data is available to Global Mapper users as a global dataset at one- to 10-meter spatial resolution. The DSM version contains both natural and man-made features, and the DTM is a clean bare earth model.

    “Global Mapper users throughout the world often ask us about the availability of high-quality elevation data for their location and the inclusion of NEXTMap meets their needs perfectly,” said Patrick Cunningham, president at Blue Marble. “This data effectively expands the reach of Global Mapper by providing the opportunity for more and more uses to utilize the software’s 3D analysis functionality.”

  • NCTech to unveil iSTAR Pulsar developments at Intergeo

    Photo: NCTech
    Photo: NCTech

    NCTech, a developer of reality imaging systems, will showcase its iSTAR Pulsar mobile 360-degree data capture system at Intergeo in Frankfurt, Germany.

    Companies at Intergeo, including GeoSLAM and Orbit Geospatial Technologies, will also unveil innovative developments that incorporate iSTAR Pulsar.

    iSTAR Pulsar is NCTech’s professional edge-to-cloud big data system, optimized for capture on the move. iSTAR Pulsar is designed to capture 360-degree data while mounted on a vehicle, drone or on foot.

    At Intergeo, NCTech will be showing a demonstration of a future feature in its cloud-based processing software VR.WORLD that uses artificial intelligence and image recognition to analyse the images captured by iSTAR Pulsar. This means that objects like cars, trucks, traffic lights, road signs, pedestrians and cyclists can be automatically identified in images, the company said.

    Photo: NCTech
    Photo: NCTech

    Handheld 3D mobile mapping company GeoSLAM also will introduce new developments at Intergeo, including an innovation that integrates with iSTAR Pulsar.

    “We immediately saw the potential for collaboration when NCTech introduced the iSTAR Pulsar,” said Mark Reid, head of strategic business development, GeoSLAM. “And now we’re excited to show the attendees at Intergeo what we’ve been working on.”

    Orbit GT has updated its mobile mapping software to enable iSTAR Pulsar data to be integrated into its smart 3D mapping solutions.

    “We’re very pleased to announce that Orbit GT solutions now support data from NCTech’s iSTAR Pulsar,” said Peter Bonne, CEO, Orbit GT. “We’ll be showcasing the great 360-degree imagery captured by iSTAR Pulsar at our booth.”

    “We launched iSTAR Pulsar earlier this year, so it’s great to see that key industry players like GeoSLAM and Orbit GT are already leveraging its capabilities in their own developments,” said Andrew Baddeley, technical sales director, NCTech. “Combined with the exciting new AI developments from our labs, we look forward to showing everyone at Intergeo how we are helping to virtualize the world.”

  • U.S. Army recognizes GeoDecisions for modernizing convoy mapping module

    Automated Movement and Identification Solutions (AMIS), a division of the U.S. Department of the Army, has bestowed a Certificate of Appreciation to GeoDecisions, Gannett Fleming’s geospatial technology division.

    The certificate recognizes GeoDecisions for its outstanding technical expertise and dedication in the modernization of the Transportation Coordinators’ – Automated Information for Movements System II (TC-AIMS II) Convoy Planning Highway Regulation (CPHR-M) module.

    TC-AIMS II CPHR-M is an advanced software solution used to plan the Army’s convoy movement around the globe. GeoDecisions integrated the Transportation Geospatial Information System (TGIS) map and routing tool through the TGIS application programming interface to embed the map within the TC-AIMS system.

    The TGIS integration with TC-AIMS provides enhanced, real-time mapping functions, faster processing speeds, and a more user-friendly experience.

    The recognition also honors the GeoDecisions team for its technical knowledge, attention to detail, and ability to recognize, understand and address issues quickly to allow CPHR-M to stay on schedule.

    The team’s efforts resulted in more than a dozen changes to the baseline to provide better performance and additional capabilities that were not identified at the start of the project.

    “It’s almost unheard of to receive an award like this from a government program, so we feel especially humbled by this honor,” said Brendan Wesdock, MCP, GISP, president of GeoDecisions. “We’ve built an exceptional team of geospatial professionals who continuously push the boundaries of geospatial technology to deliver the most effective and valuable solutions to our clients.”

    AMIS is the primary source of providing automated movement and identification solutions across the DOD and around the globe. AMIS is the essential supplier for Transportation Coordinators’ – Automated Information for Movements System II (TC-AIMS II) with approximately 5,000 active users.

    The GeoDecisions team (from left): Jay Ross, senior software test specialist; Jeff Carter, TGIS lead system administrator with sub-consultant Aegis Strategies, LLC; Steve Kraabel, senior client manager; Debra Houser, director of Application Development; Bret Huber, lead and software developer; (not pictured) Andrew Miller, developer. (Photo: GeoDecisions)
    The GeoDecisions team (from left): Jay Ross, senior software test specialist; Jeff Carter, TGIS lead system administrator with sub-consultant Aegis Strategies, LLC; Steve Kraabel, senior client manager; Debra Houser, director of Application Development; Bret Huber, lead and software developer; (not pictured) Andrew Miller, developer. (Photo: GeoDecisions)

     

  • Hexagon Geospatial launches HxGN Smart Census

    Hexagon’s Geospatial division has launched its total population and housing census management and workflow solution, HxGN Smart Census.

    HxGN Smart Census makes each phase of the census process smarter and more manageable, the company said. HxGN Smart Census pricing is agile, taking into account a nation’s surface area, population, and Human Poverty Index to ensure that all countries can participate in the digitalizing of their census processes.

    Image: Hexagon
    Image: Hexagon

    HxGN Smart Census integrates traditional GIS functionality with a powerful workflow and workforce management tool to provide a total solution for census strategies: from pre-enumeration mapping, to digital enumeration, to post-enumeration dynamic mapping. It can be used on its own or integrated with a nation’s or organization’s existing GIS infrastructure.

    The solution was developed in consultation with South African GIS experts GeoSpace International, and has already been procured by South Africa and Botswana.

    “With HxGN Smart Census, the census gets completed much faster, and the mobile application has made things much simpler for the field workers who are conducting the interviews,” said Shonisani Maranda, senior GIS officer at Statistics South Africa. “It also significantly increased the data quality, which allows us to achieve the UN sustainable development goals more easily.”

    “Census data informs policy development, the running of public services, and the allocation of resources within a country. It is vital that all nations are able to utilize the right technology to ensure an accurate and effective census,” said Mladen Stojic, president of Hexagon’s Geospatial division. “HxGN Smart Census is capable of democratizing the collection of accurate demographic data, and transforming this information into insights to make informed decisions to shape Smart Change.”

  • Esri to monitor illegal activities in Argentine waterways

    Argentina’s coast guard Prefectura Naval and Aeroterra S.A. have partnered to implement Esri’s ArcGIS platform for a real-time tracking system.

    The new system, called Guardacostas Pro, uses a combination of satellite imaging and signal processing to monitor vessels for illegal activities such as drug smuggling and fish poaching in the coastal waters of Argentina’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

    As Argentina’s coast guard, Prefectura Naval deploys patrol vessels, helicopters and airplane spotters to protect its economic interests and to guard against the decline of its fishery.

    This year, the Guardacostas Pro system allowed Prefectura Naval to track a Spanish vessel that entered the EEZ and attempted to return to international waters. The coast guard was able to catch the ship, which had poached roughly $380,000 worth of fish; escort it back to port; impound it; and fine the crew.

    The captain had little ground to refute the charges because the coast guard had the data to prove the illegal activity.

    “As of five years ago, we had very little information about the use of our seas,” said Ernesto Miguel Klocker, Prefectura Naval director of informatics and communications. “Now we have a good picture, which gives us electronic control of the sea, allowing us to send our air and naval units directly to the places where ships operate.”

    Until recently, its primary enforcement tool was constant patrolling and investigation of all ships. Now Guardacostas Pro monitors signals that every vessel transmits to avoid collision and to provide data on vessel type, speed, and location. It combines this with satellite imaging and Esri’s spatial analytics capabilities to give coast guard personnel real-time alerts when a vessel is entering their waters.

    “Prefectura Naval is setting a truly cutting-edge example of a forward-thinking organization,” said Dean Angelides, Esri head of international alliances and partners. “The best way to effectively enforce laws over such a large scale as the EEZ is to know exactly where things are happening and when, and Argentina is now leading the way in data-driven public safety.”

    After being successfully proven at sea, the Guardacostas Pro system has been moved ashore and is now a multiagency tool to aid Argentina’s Ministry of Security’s homeland security mission. The Ministry of Security will use the system to track and locate its operative units through mobile phones, radio equipment, vehicles with location sensors, and search and rescue aircraft.

  • Hurricane Florence impact revealed in Nearmap aerial imagery

    Newly captured aerial maps show before and after images to support cleanup efforts by public safety organizations, utility companies and insurance agencies.

    Aerial mapping company Nearmap has flown and captured aerial imagery in the areas in North and South Carolina impacted by Hurricane Florence.

    The imagery is already supporting the extensive cleanup and reconstruction efforts for public safety, utility companies, insurance agencies and numerous contractors in many industries.

    High-resolution captures from the Wilmington and Myrtle Beach areas are now online and available for immediate use with more areas scheduled to come online over the next several days.

    The post-hurricane coverage includes about 4,530 square kilometers around the coastline from Newport, N.C., to Myrtle Beach, S.C., covering a population of about 752,000 people.

    High-resolution imagery shows the impact of Hurricane Florence at Southport, North Carolina, comparing September 2017 to September 2018. (Image: Nearmap)
    High-resolution imagery shows the impact of Hurricane Florence at Southport, North Carolina, comparing September 2017 to September 2018. (Image: Nearmap)

    Before the hurricane, Nearmap had already covered more than 30,000 square kilometers in North and South Carolina with ortho imagery and more than 12,000 square kilometers with oblique imagery. With previous aerial maps taken at least once a year totaling over 140,000 square kilometers online, some of them dating back to 2014, users are able to compare current imagery with historical photos.

    “A key element to the recovery efforts is having access not only to high-resolution imagery from after the storm, but also to historical aerial captures from before the storm hit,” said Rob Newman, CEO and managing director of Nearmap. “Historical captures provide consistency and contrast, enabling crews to look at the current truth on the ground and compare it to previous time periods to help assess the damage along the coastlines.”

    All pre- and post-hurricane imagery can be accessed through a standard web browser using Nearmap’s MapBrowser, through Nearmap partners or via APIs to integrate with common GIS, CAD and other applications.

    All the Nearmap pre- and post-hurricane imagery is published at sub-3-inch ground sampling distance, which allows users to see great detail on the ground. At this resolution, they can clearly identify important ground conditions such as roof blow-off, property damage and flooding. The same is true for streets and all other ground features, providing details for users to complete analysis both pre and post storms.

    “Our thoughts are with the residents of North and South Carolina recently impacted by the hurricane,” Newman said. “We are pleased that Nearmap customers are using our imagery to help restore these neighborhoods, and help residents fix and rebuild after rooftop, flooding and other damage.”

    Nearmap customers use aerial imagery to assist in the following aspects of post-disaster cleanup:

    • Public Safety: Access to immediate, crystal-clear aerial imagery of areas affected by storm damage for emergency response routing and safety.
    • Utilities: View all areas where above-ground utilities have been affected and also see where infrastructure is down or damaged and causing hazards.
    • Reconstruction Efforts: Compare historical image captures with post-event imagery to see structure elements and provide proper measurements to rebuild.
    • Insurance: View impacted properties to see first-hand damage and potential structural damage.

  • Caliper supplies US traffic count data for Mapitude

    Image: Caliper
    Image: Caliper

    Caliper has released a free average annual daily traffic (AADT) map layer for Maptitude 2018 users.

    The latest version includes fields with total AADT traffic count, semi-trailer truck count, single-unit truck and bus count, number of through lanes and road classification.

    AADT is the total volume of vehicle traffic on a highway or road for a year divided by 365 days. It is a useful and simple measurement of how busy a road is, and is useful for:

    • selecting a new site or facility location, evaluating a site, or designing a territory
    • determining funding for highway maintenance and improvement
    • forecasting road maintenance needs and expenditure
    • identifying the best location for your business based on traffic patterns
    • analyzing how traffic may impact store construction
    • analyzing the environmental hazards of sound and pollution related to road transport

    The downloaded layer can be added to any Maptitude 2018 map.

  • Extensis and LizardTech unite as one company

    logos

    Extensis and LizardTech are uniting as one global company to help organizations increase their return on investment and the value of their digital assets, fonts and large imagery.

    In 2017, Extensis and LizardTech collaborated on the development of new portfolio asset geo-referencing capabilities for applications in the geospatial, infrastructure, architecture/engineering/construction and building information modeling segments.

    With Extensis’ market leadership in digital asset and font management combined with LizardTech’s expertise in image management and image compression technology, the united company is situated to provide a suite of solutions and support for digital asset challenges.

    “Organizations today are investing in imagery of all kinds, including photography, aerial, and spatial, to name a few,” said Osamu Ikeda, CEO of Extensis. “Fully leveraging these digital files means having an easy and efficient way to organize, store, access and distribute them.”

    Ikeda continued, “Uniting Extensis and LizardTech strengthens our ability to support our customers’ success and give them effective and time-tested solutions for maximizing the value of digital assets of all kinds.”

    The combined company will operate under the Extensis brand, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with an office presence in Seattle.

    Starting now, LizardTech products (GeoExpress, Express Server, GeoViewer) will become part of the Extensis suite of solutions, which spans digital asset management, font asset management, brand asset management, image management and image compression.