GPS World

Tag: GIS

  • Nightmare on GIS Street: GNSS Accuracy, Datums and Geospatial Data

    Sponsored by: Hemisphere GNSS
    Broadcast Date: Thursday, June 20, 2013
    Moderator: Eric Gakstatter, Survey Scene Newsletter Editor
    Speakers: Kevin Kelly, Geodesist, ESRI, Inc.; Craig Greenwald, Technical Director, GeoMobile Innovations; Michael L. Dennis, RLS, PE, Geodesist, NOAA
    Summary: A look at the challenge of dealing with horizontal datums in your GIS. We are moving into a new era in dealing with datum transformations. Geodata 2.0 is coming, and it can create big headaches when attempting to combine disparate geospatial databases. Sensors such as GPS receivers, remote sensing imagery, and 3D scanning provide much more accurate data, setting up a collision with outdated and mismatched legacy horizontal datums.

  • WorldView-4 satellite heads to Vandenberg for September launch

    Built by Lockheed Martin, the WorldView-4 satellite will expand DigitalGlobe’s constellation of high-accuracy, high-resolution satellites, and double the availability of 30-cm resolution imagery for commercial and government customers.
    Built by Lockheed Martin, the WorldView-4 satellite will expand DigitalGlobe’s constellation of high-accuracy, high-resolution satellites, and double the availability of 30-centimeter resolution imagery for commercial and government customers.

    Final preparations are underway at Lockheed Martin to ship DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-4 Earth imaging satellite to Vandenberg Air Force Base for a Sept. 15 launch.

    The Lockheed Martin team is completing final satellite testing and checkout before shipment. Testing includes calculating the weight and center of gravity of WorldView-4, completing a health check of major systems, and testing out image collection and downlinking capability.

    “The high-resolution and high-accuracy images taken by WorldView-4 will support DigitalGlobe’s worldwide customer base,” said Carl Marchetto, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Commercial Space. “DigitalGlobe’s smart imagery serves hundreds of thousands of end-users charged with the safety and security of nations, and enables the maps and geospatial applications relied on by billions of consumers.”

    “Only the DigitalGlobe constellation, with the addition of WorldView-4, offers the highest quality, and most comprehensive global coverage of our changing planet through 2030, so our customers can be confident they will have the information to make critical decisions,” said Walter Scott, founder and chief technology officer, DigitalGlobe. “WorldView-4 will help us continue to transform the way we see the world, and advance our mission of keeping our planet and its people safe and secure.”

    Once launched, WorldView-4 will double DigitalGlobe’s coverage of the world’s highest resolution imagery and increase the rate at which it grows its 15-year library of time-lapse high-resolution imagery. WorldView-4 will orbit Earth every 90 minutes, traveling 17,000 miles per hour and capturing more 680,000 square kilometers of the Earth’s surface daily (19.5 terabytes) the equivalent of the land area of Texas.

    With an orbit approximately 400 miles from Earth, the satellite will be launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket provided by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services.

  • Hexagon showcases geospatial enterprise solutions at ISPRS 2016

    Hexagon_logoHexagon AB, a global provider of information technologies, will showcase its geospatial enterprise solutions at XXIII ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) Congress 2016, July 12-19 in Prague, Czech Republic.

    Hexagon’s technologies encompass the complete geospatial information life cycle — from data capture to industry-specific information delivery. Its portfolio includes sensors for capturing data from land and air, as well as sensors for positioning and navigation.

    All of these sensors are complemented by a range of software applications and solutions that enable processing, interpretation and analysis of geospatial data for more informed decision making in industries such as surveying, construction, public safety and agriculture.

    Hexagon’s solutions support multiple sources of content coupled with meaningful analytics. They not only model the world as it is, but also how it can and should be. The main focus from Hexagon at ISPRS 2016 will be reality-capture solutions that leverage geospatial information in aerial urban mapping applications and comprehensive Smart City solutions. The newest technologies within Hexagon’s expansive geospatial offerings will be on display and available for hands-on demonstrations.

    “We are excited once again to present at ISPRS and showcase our comprehensive portfolio of solutions with geospatial professionals across diverse industries,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “This event offers a valuable platform to shape smart change in the geospatial arena by sharing new ideas with industry thought leaders from around the world.”

    At stand 42-49, 2nd Floor, Hexagon will be represented by its Geospatial and Geosystems businesses. During the event, Hexagon executives will address digital advancements in the geospatial industry:

    • Digital Realities
    • Geosystems President Juergen Dold will share how Hexagon’s technologies are effectively managing the rapid change in the latest digital disruptions of the geospatial industry.
    • The M.App of the Future is Now
    • Geospatial President Mladen Stojic will express the power of a new form of delivering dynamic information through digital visualisation.

  • White House seeks public input on plan for civil Earth observations

    The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is seeking public input on development of the second U.S. National Plan for Civil Earth Observations, the 2017 National Plan for Civil Earth Observations.

    Today, the Federal Register posted OSTP’s Request for Information (RFI) on the development of the plan, which will build upon the priorities and supporting actions identified in the 2014 National Plan for Civil Earth Observations. Through it, OSTP aims to advance the United State’s capabilities to ensure stable, continuous and coordinated Earth observations for the benefit of society.

    The RFI is publicly accessible here.

    The public input provided will inform OSTP as it works with federal agencies and other stakeholders to develop the plan.

    OSTP welcomes input to develop the plan, and encourages anyone interested to respond via the RFI’s electronic template (to be posted here), which should be sent to [email protected].

    Comments of up to approximately 2,000 characters per question are requested and must be received by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time), July 15, 2016, to be considered.

  • Handheld NAUTIZ X2 rugged Android device now available

    Photo: Handheld Group
    Photo: Handheld Group

    Handheld Group has launched the new Nautiz X2 enterprise handheld, which integrates a high-quality scanner, camera and mobile phone.

    The rugged Nautiz X2, available now, can be used in challenging outdoor environments with moisture, dust, extreme temperatures and potential drops, the company says.

    The Nautiz X2 features include:

    • Computing power from a quad-core processor and Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.
    • High-quality, high-speed scanners with 1D or 2D capability.
    • An integrated camera with8-megapixel clarity, autofocus and flash.
    • 4G/LTE Android phone functionality.
    • Google GMS, which gives users access to Google Maps and Play Store apps.
    • A sunlight-readable, 4.7-inch capacitive display with multi-touch sensitivity.

    “The challenge in designing market-leading devices in a given product category is to balance key factors like technology, design, materials and general usability as well as keeping the cost in mind,” says Johan Hed, Handheld Group director of product management. “The brilliance of the Nautiz X2 is that it has that tangible in-the-hand sense of form and fit of a high-end technology device, and we are still able to offer it at an impressive value.”

    The Nautiz X2 measures 150 millimeters by 73.5 millimeters, is 16 millimeters deep at the keyboard and weighs 230 grams.

    It has an IP65 ingress protection rating against dust, sand and water immersion, the company says. The handleld also meets stringent MIL-STD-810G military test standards for overall durability and resistance to humidity, shock, vibrations, drop, salt and extreme temperatures, and the touchscreen is made of Gorilla Glass for durability.

  • Dam repair monitored by robotic total station

    The project raised the dam height by 60 centimeters, reinforcing existing abutments and adding two piano key spillways.
    The project raised the dam height by 60 centimeters, reinforcing existing abutments and adding two piano key spillways.

    At the Razisse dam in southwest France, a Spectra Precision Focus 35 robotic total station was used to monitor structural movements during major repairs.

    The Focus 35 total station on the job.
    The Focus 35 total station on the job.

    The Focus 35 monitored to a half-millimeter accuracy movement of the arch dam abutments during a critical six-week period in the project. Raising the height of the dam was expected to cause the abutments to settle, so the Focus 35 was positioned to measure XY movement to ensure they were settling properly and within expectations.

    Measurements were taken at each step, with results communicated in real time to the contractor through an Excel file. The results enabled engineers to make critical decisions on whether to move further into the project. The final movement was less than a tenth of a millimeter, well within the acceptable value.

  • SAP debuts Geographical Enablement Framework

    SAP debuts Geographical Enablement Framework

    SAP-geo-framework-W
    Insurance company Munich Re uses spatial data-processing capabilities in SAP HANA with predictive analytics to assess risk and identify natural hazard profiles for millions of locations around the globe, so that it can efficiently coordinate loss adjustors after a major catastrophe or calculate hospitals, schools and roads impacted by an impending hurricane or flood. (Image: SAP)

    SAP SE unveiled its SAP Geographical Enablement Framework, powered by SAP HANA, at the 2016 Esri User Conference, held June 27 to July 1 in San Diego, California.

    SAP Geographical Enablement Framework helps organizations enrich business applications with geographic data from geographic information systems (GIS), such as Esri ArcGIS.

    “In many asset-intensive industries such as energy, transportation and public sector, the ability to visualize business objects on maps is critical to improving efficiency and decision making,” says Irfan Khan, GM and global head, database and data management, SAP. “SAP Geographical Enablement Framework, powered by SAP HANA, can help organizations streamline the processing of both enterprise and spatial data for greater location awareness across business processes.”

    To develop spatially enabled business applications, organizations can use the framework to:

    • Enable smooth integration and bidirectional navigation between SAP applications and Esri ArcGIS. Developers can use application programming interfaces published by GIS to fetch geospatial data. Also, business data augmented with geometric attributes can be published as a service, so that GIS users can access SAP business data from within their GIS tools.
    • Embed a responsive map user interface in a business application to display both business and spatial data simultaneously to provide greater insight.
    • Store the geometry of any SAP business object in the SAP HANA platform and accelerate spatial data processing in memory to deliver real-time insights, enriched with spatial context, to improve decision making.
    • Visualize, filter and search for business objects — such as functional location, equipment, linear assets, notifications or work orders — on a map from within a spatially enabled application. From a desktop or a tablet, users can also drill down through multiple map layers to gain better insight.

    With continued collaboration between SAP and Esri, organizations can gain contextual insight from business and spatial data, enabling business and GIS users to work within the same multiuser access and editing environment, the company says.

    “At EDF Renewable Energy, we have built a truly innovative enterprise business intelligence and data warehouse platform that combines Esri geospatial data along with asset sensor data and ERP transactional data in SAP HANA,” says Devang Shah, manager of database and business intelligence, EDF Renewable Energy. “This provides us with near real-time insights to help us operate more efficiently.”

    As an open platform, SAP HANA is certified with the Open Geospatial Consortium, enabling organizations to easily consume spatial data from third-party spatial solutions that also adhere to the standard. SAP HANA also supports synchronous and asynchronous imports of data from any spatial reference system or coordinate reference system to ease access to local, regional or global geographic entities.

    Native geocoding delivered by SAP HANA smart data quality helps rapidly convert addresses to latitude and longitude within SAP HANA, the company says.

    “Munich Re is one of the leading reinsurance companies in the world,” says Andreas Siebert, head of geospatial solutions at Munich Re. “We use spatial data processing capabilities in SAP HANA, in conjunction with predictive analytics, to assess risk — such as to identify natural hazard profiles for millions of locations around the globe, to efficiently coordinate loss adjustors after a major catastrophe or to calculate how many hospitals, schools and roads may be impacted by an impending hurricane or flood.”

  • Dewberry completes US hydrography study for business uses, requirements

    National-Hydrography-Requirements-and-Benefits-Study-2-W

    Dewberry, a privately owned professional services firm, has completed the National Hydrography Requirements and Benefits Study (HRBS) for the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

    The firm conducted the study — sponsored by USGS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service — to establish a baseline understanding of national business uses, needs and associated benefits for national hydrography data and to inform the design of an enhanced future program that balances requirements, benefits and costs.

    Dewberry collected more than 400 responses from federal agencies; commissions; non-profits; private and commercial entities; and local, state, and tribal governments from across the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and American Samoa.

    Participants were asked to provide detailed information about the hydrography data required to accomplish their missions, including positional accuracy, stream density, smallest contributing watershed, smallest mapped body of water, update frequency, post-event updates and level of detail. They were also asked what analytical functions and integration levels are required between hydrography data and other datasets.

    Dewberry collected responses regarding hydrography data access methods, including required data types or formats, geographic extents, data or service access methods, required elevation-hydrography data integration, and the impact of hydrography data errors.

    Study respondents reported budgets associated with annual programs supported by hydrography data and what future annual benefits they anticipate from an enhanced data program.

    “Hydrographic data is integral to a variety of mission-critical activities performed throughout the U.S.,” said Dewberry associate and project manager Sue Hoegberg. “Our report gives USGS a far greater understanding of the requirements and benefits associated with potential enhancements to a national hydrographic data program, one that — if all reported requirements were met — would help users realize an estimated $602.5 million in annual program benefits.”

    Based on Dewberry’s results, the top business uses of hydrographic data are to manage river and stream flow, riverine and stream ecosystems, water resources, flood risks and wildlife and habitat, as well as track water quality — six uses that account for $545 million of the estimated future annual benefits.

    The top requirements for integration with other datasets are elevation, stream flow, wetlands, soils and land cover.

    National-Hydrography-Requirements-and-Benefits-Study-1-W

    Maps: USGS

  • GammaTech introduces customizable, rugged PC

    Durabook-v10bb-03GammaTech Computer Corp.is offering a new all-in-one computer, the Durabook V10BB. The unit is a highly customizable, ultra-rugged, all-in-one computer designed specifically for military and homeland security applications.

    The unit is compliant with multiple military standards and IP67 specification to meet extremely harsh conditions while providing highly reliable CCCI and battle management capabilities.

    The V10BB can be tailored to meet specific applications or requirements through optional military connectors, programmable function buttons, and various military I/O interfaces.

    “When it comes to engineering and manufacturing computer devices that can withstand the most hostile, toughest military applications, GammaTech stands head and shoulders above the competition,” said Tom Wang, GammaTech president. “The rugged Durabook V10BB all-in-one computer provides our military and homeland defense personnel with the accuracy, efficiency, reliability, and durability they deserve and need, whether in actual combat or preparing for it.”

    The Durabook V10BB is compliant with multiple military standards, including:

    • MIL-STD-461F for control of electromagnetic interference (EMI)
    • MIL-STD-810G for vibration, water, temperature, shock and dust proofing
    • MIL-STD-1250 for corrosion prevention and deterioration control
    • MIL-STD-1275 for military ground vehicles (Optional)

    Because of its functionality and safety features, the Durabook V10BB is designed for combat or non-combat military operations in extremely harsh environments.

    Other key features of the Durabook V10BB include:

    • Multi-function display withspecial night mode; and optical bonding with EMI mesh to optimize direct sunlight readability
    • Intel Broadwell MCP processor which supports both 4 GB or 8 GB onboard memory and a 2.5-inch wide temperature 500-GB SATA SSD
    • Thin all-in-one tactical PC: 2.25 inches; 11 pounds
    • Supports SSD quick-release and quick data erase/distract function to protect valuable data.

     

  • Esri agreement to provide access to Chinese maps, imagery

    Dean Angelides, director of International Operations, Esri (left), and Feng Xianquang, director for NGCC, signed the historic agreement to share data with users around the world.
    Dean Angelides, director of International Operations, Esri (left), and Feng Xianquang, director for NGCC, signed the historic agreement to share data with users around the world.

    Esri and the National Geomatics Center of China (NGCC) have signed an agreement providing access to NGCC’s mapping web services, starting this fall.

    The historic agreement will allow more users outside of China to access the country’s authoritative cartographic and imagery data. Users of the Esri ArcGIS platform will have access to the maps for no additional charge.

    NGCC is a government agency attached to National Administration of Surveying, Mapping (NASG) and Geoinformation of China. NGCC is responsible for national data that is used in surveying and mapping projects in China, as well as facilitating the scientific and technological communication between agencies in China, in the areas of sharing geographic data and services over the web.

    “The cooperation between NGCC and Esri will enable a large number of ArcGIS online users to gain access to the rich regional online geodata of China,” said Zhigang Li, NASG chief engineer, on behalf of NASG. “The agreement will facilitate the scientific and technological communication between agencies by sharing geographic information and services over the web in the Asia Pacific Region. NGCC hopes this joint work is able to promote regional, even global, promotion of spatial data.”

    “We are honored to work with the government of China to provide access to the most current and authoritative basemaps for the country,” said Jack Dangermond, president of Esri. “We look forward to continued collaboration.”

    The web services will be available in the third quarter of 2016.

    Photo: Esri

  • Hexagon launches SMART Build for construction management

    Hexagon-SMART-Build

    Hexagon AB has launched HxGN SMART Build, an enterprise construction management software solution designed to alleviate cost overruns and delays.

    SMART Build facilitates the convergence of construction planning and execution through real-time clarity, accountability and management of the project lifecycle. This empowers construction executives with top-down visibility of progress and deviations and field crews with automation and real-time access to the relevant and up-to-date information they need every day on the job site, Hexagon said.

    “General contractors face an almost impossible challenge with the number of variables they deal with every day,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “SMART Build will deliver cost savings, improved workflows, increased productivity and countless other benefits to an industry seeking a better way to deliver projects on time and on budget. Hexagon has long been a leader in information technology software solutions for large scale construction in the process, power and marine industries and HxGN SMART Build is our next-generation offering, providing the AEC/BIM industries with a fully integrated solution that did not previously exist.”

    Leveraging industry leading technologies from Hexagon’s Process, Power & Marine and Geosystems businesses, SMART Build is a fully integrated construction solution that brings all relevant project information together on a single platform — from design down to the smallest tasks — in a secure, cloud-based environment.

    Participants at all levels can access data and information any time, from anywhere — from 2D drawings and 3D models, to work packages, detailed instructions, point clouds, and as-built measurements, to project progress and deviations from plan. This real-time visibility and transparency clarifies, connects and simplifies the construction management process, the company said.

  • New ArcGIS Full Motion Video release gives faster access

    Esri’s latest version of ArcGIS Full Motion Video (FMV) presents new capabilities to improve the way analysts and managers interact with videos.

    ArcGIS FMV allows users to view, organize and analyze video from drones and other collection platforms.

    The new release includes a performance boost in playback and panning, and in zooming the video during playback. It offers full support for JP2, and TIFF support for video mosaics including full image transformations for better accuracy. A new search tool makes it easier to find video segments based on location, time, and selected features.

    “ArcGIS FMV expands the capabilities of ArcGIS as a complete, professional platform for managing, sharing, and extracting value from geospatial data,” said Gerald Kinn, Esri’s lead product engineer for imagery. “Imagery from video is one of the most important sources of data in ArcGIS.”

    The previous version of ArcGIS FMV included a multiplexer tool that allowed users to transform non-MISB format videos, such as from UAVs or drones, into MISB-compliant videos compatible with the FMV add-in.

    “ArcGIS FMV tools add a dimension to our remote sensing analysis not previously possible,” said Verne LaClair, general manager for Vertex Geo, an Esri partner that specializes in civilian, municipal, defense and intelligence initiatives. “The ability to map FMV content will play an important role in search-and-rescue operations, wildlife tracking and monitoring, and cinematography projects.”

    For specific and technical details about this and the latest version, visit Esri.com/FMV.