GPS World

Tag: GIS

  • Esri ArcGIS to support SAP HANA as enterprise geodatabase

    esri-logoEsri plans to commercially support ArcGIS using SAP HANA as an enterprise geodatabase, SAP SE announced in a news release.

    sap-se-logoThis release of ArcGIS, planned for 2016, expands the existing native integration with SAP HANA and allows customers to run SAP Business Suite and ArcGIS applications within an architecture based on SAP HANA. The companies said they will further enhance the SAP HANA platform by more deeply integrating advanced ArcGIS geospatial capabilities and content across SAP’s broader application portfolio.

    The collaboration between SAP and Esri is expected to provide the ability to run both GIS workloads and advanced spatial analytics on a single SAP HANA geodatabase. The companies stated that customers will be able to apply sophisticated business rules and relationships to spatial data directly in SAP HANA, define advanced georelational models such as topologies and networks, and permit both GIS and enterprise business users to work within the same multiuser access and editing environment.

    “We’re very excited about the enterprise geodatabase support for SAP HANA,” said Jack Dangermond, Esri’s president. “It will bring our customers speed, simplicity and better integration with their enterprise information. For SAP customers, it delivers a complete platform for mapping and geospatial intelligence. By synchronizing our platforms, our respective customers will benefit across the enterprise. We’re doing the work to make sure that GIS and mapping is available to all — not just traditional mapping experts.”

    SAP and Esri have been technology partners for a number of years, providing integration of their respective platforms, SAP HANA and Esri ArcGIS. Companies invested in Esri and SAP can immediately create maps populated with data from SAP HANA and instantly access those maps anywhere on any ArcGIS client, as well as in SAP or custom applications. Today users of SAP HANA can access ArcGIS for geospatial data and geoservices and perform analytics, while Esri users can similarly access, analyze and query both spatial and nonspatial data directly in SAP HANA. Esri supports deployments of SAP HANA with query layers and features services for customers that want to dramatically increase spatial query performance by running SAP HANA side by side with ArcGIS.

    “Our customers represent a new generation of data stewards requiring an in-memory computing platform that performs at scales unseen before — including large-scale geography,” said Daniel Schneiss, senior vice president and global head, SAP HANA Platform and Databases, SAP. “As we enter a world of exponential data growth and the Internet of Things, the need to geospatially analyze Big Data will only increase from this point forward. We look forward to teaming with Esri to address this need by integrating the full power of ArcGIS technology with SAP HANA.”

  • Patent awarded to PDF3D for 3D point cloud processing

    pdf3d-main-logo_214x73Visual Technology Services, owner of the PDF3D brand, has received a patent for point cloud simplification, supporting large point cloud reduction and report generation implementations in the PDF3D software systems, the company announced in a news release. The Grant of Patent GB2521452 for Point Cloud Simplification was awarded by the United Kingdom’s Intellectual Property Office, and the technology is used for geospatial environmental survey, laser scanning and civil engineering.

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

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

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

  • Remote GeoSystems and Due North Aviation integrate DVRs for helicopter utility inspections

    geoDVR configured for multi-sensor gyro-stabilized gimbal cameras.
    The geoDVR has been configured for multi-sensor gyro-stabilized gimbal cameras.

    Remote GeoSystems Inc. and Due North Aviation have successfully implemented the geoDVR Gen2 with a SWESystem 300 gimbal video camera on a Bell Helicopter for airborne utility line inspections, according to a news release from Remote GeoSystems.

    “The geoDVR is a purpose-built geospatial DVR for the airborne utility and pipeline patrol industry and it shows” said Nathan Kayes, managing member of Due North Aviation. “Being able to record all three HD and SD video channels to a single drive, along with the Live Moving Maps and Waypoint Keyword modules, offers significant advantages both in the air and for the final inspection deliverables we provide our clients.”

    The geoDVR Gen2 is an advanced mil-spec DVR for recording multiple channels of geo-referenced high-definition full motion video in airborne and mobile mapping environments. It is ideally suited for professional utility/pipeline inspection, electronic news gathering and airborne law enforcement applications that utilize multi-sensor gyro-stabilized gimbal video cameras, Remote Geo says.

    geoDVR monitor and interface with optional Live Moving Maps module installed
    The geoDVR monitor and interface with optional Live Moving Maps module were installed.

    Due North Aviation will use the geoDVR with their SWESystem 300 gimbal to perform helicopter-based electric utility inspections with HD color, infrared and corona (UV) video. Using LineVision software, Due North will combine the geoDVR videos as well as high-resolution oblique still photos to create geoProjects for their clients.

    Videos, photos, points of interest and audio notes collected with the geoDVR are compatible with Remote GeoSystems’ LineVision suite of GIS project mapping and reporting software. LineVision allows for simple desktop and browser-based playback, analysis and project reporting utilizing the Esri ArcGIS for Desktop, Server and Cloud platforms, as well as Bing Maps and PLS-CADD.

  • Taking Position: Elephants, citadels and UAVs promote social good

    By Tracy Cozzens
    Managing Editor

    As the holiday season approaches, many of us think about ways we can help others, or promote the social good. This month, our Market Watch section features three different projects designed to do just that.

    In our Mapping section, we explore how geospatial information systems can be used to help us help the homeless. Geographic information systems (GIS), community involvement and app builders are helping gather and use data to deliver critical services to the homeless in major metropolitan areas in the United States.

    In our UAV section, we discover that unmanned aerial vehicles can be used for more than commercial purposes. One company used its fixed-wing UAV to help the Peruvian government save Machu Picchu, an Incan citadel, from the 15th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    In another project, UAVs are being used in an effort to stop the poaching of rare and endangered African wildlife. Silent, stealthy UAV patrols can spot the poaching activity by providing eyes in the sky, even at night using infrared cameras.

    These are just three examples of ways we are using location and positioning technology — ways that probably didn’t even come close to the top ideas when the tech was conceived.

    As we look toward 2016, it’s exciting to think what new applicatins might be in store. If you have an application story to share, please email me at [email protected]. Perhaps your story will appear in a future issue.

  • Aerial mapping of UK rail network nears completion

    LEVEL-CROSSING-NMGroup-O

    NM Group is nearing completion on an aerial mapping project covering more than 16,000 kilometers of United Kingdom rail network.

    In 2014, NM Group was engaged to map the rail assets with a mix of high-tech laser measurement and imaging equipment, as part of a project to improve asset maintenance, operational effectiveness, efficiency and safety.

    The project used a mix of specially commissioned lidar and high-resolution multi-angle cameras mounted on helicopters, carrying out aerial operations and ground-control activities over a four-month period and completing it before winter. The survey information was rapidly transported to NM Group’s Technology Centre in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, where a team of specialists have been converting nearly a petabyte of raw data into a wide range of terrain, asset and imaging outputs.

    “I am incredibly proud of the way our team has responded to this large and challenging project, completing the data capture within an unprecedented timescale and producing a high-quality output that will serve the rail network for years to come,” said NM Group’s CEO Kevin Jacobs.

    NM Group’s contribution to the program provides the geospatial fabric on which other layers are overlaid, the basis for asset location mapping and the start point for the design of upgrades and modifications. Traditionally, this information would have been created by a visit to the site by a team of surveyors.

    The new method will significantly reduce the need for future field work and trackside access. It will also facilitate more efficient maintenance, allowing crews to identify and access assets more safely and efficiently than in the past, via apps on a range of mobile devices, NM Group said.

    NM Group is a specialist service provider of asset management, surveying and mapping solutions to sectors including energy transmission and distribution and road and rail transport. Applying a range of remote sensing and geospatial technologies, the company offers a full range of services from data acquisition through to analytics and web applications for wider access to information.

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to use SimActive’s Correlator3D

    SimActive’s Correlator3D has been selected by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create 3D datasets of vegetation for input into biophysical models. The software will also support generation of urban landcover maps for the agency’s GIS, EnviroAtlas.

    “Correlator3D has been serving governments globally, encompassing a wide spectrum of requirements,” said Philippe Simard, president of SimActive. “We are proud to be working with the EPA and supporting their environmental mandate.”

    Correlator3D software is a patented end-to-end photogrammetry solution for the generation of high-quality geospatial data from satellite and aerial imagery, including UAVs. Correlator3D performs aerial triangulation and produces dense digital surface models, digital terrain models, point clouds, orthomosaics and vectorized 3D features.

  • VDOS Global and Cunningham Lindsey partner for drone insurance claims

    Cunningham Lindsey, a global loss adjusting and risk management services company, is partnering with VDOS Global, an unmanned inspection services company, to incorporate drone technology solutions into the insurance market.

    As the first FAA-authorized UAS-inspection company in the United States, VDOS is a provider of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) services whose commercial pilots are seasoned and fully licensed with FAA certifications. Cunningham Lindsey and VDOS will work together to achieve improved efficiencies in daily claims scenarios by assisting insurers with the creation of a drone program into their claims process, providing safer pre- and post-loss assessments with aerial flyovers, and customized UAV-training tailored to the needs of field adjusters and additional experts seeking certification.

    The partnership will provide carriers immediate access to aerial data for application efficiencies in the underwriting process as well as catastrophic claims situations for all types of property. When claims occur that require a forensic investigation, VDOS will also work with EFI Global, the forensic division of Cunningham Lindsey, to provide the UAVs needed to expedite the gathering of field data in challenging locations.

    “We are excited to partner with a highly respected and recognizable brand like VDOS to share the benefits of the emerging drone technology with our clients,” said David Repinski, president and chief client officer of Cunningham Lindsey, Americas. “It is undeniable our industry is changing constantly, and the data application possibilities using drone technology are tremendous. This partnership represents the best path forward to help insurers incorporate a UAV strategy to gain a competitive and differential advantage across all channels in the claims and risk assessment process.”

    “Working with VDOS in using UAVs in our forensic evaluations is a natural complement to EFI’s investigation process,” said Jeremy Mele, president of EFI Global. “This type of technology will enhance our technical experts’ investigative reach, and add a level of safety and security in the field when accessing sites with unsafe property conditions.”

    “We are truly excited to partner with such an incredible team at Cunningham Lindsey who understands how drones are changing traditional business models,” said Brian Whiteside, CEO of VDOS stated. “Our enterprise deployment program using UAV technology is the first of its kind, and will accelerate safe and efficient claims services for adjusters through the team’s integrated training and operations structure.”

  • Map shows flu activity throughout US

    With flu season upon us, Esri is providing a new map that shows flu activity in U.S. communities.

    Built on Esri’s ArcGIS platform, Walgreens Flu Index provides state and market-specific information regarding flu activity.

    It is compiled using retail prescription data for antiviral medications used to treat influenza across Walgreens locations nationwide.

  • Jane Goodall launches Tapestry of Hope interactive map

    TapestryofHope-Goodall

    Jane Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute have launched the Tapestry of Hope, an interactive online tool to visualize the thousands of projects led by young people around the globe who are protecting the environment.

    As world leaders struggle to make progress in Paris for the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Goodall, spreading her message of hope for our world, is calling on each of us to take action ourselves to protect our natural world.

    Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, Goodall, through her Roots & Shoots program, has inspired hundreds of thousands of people around the globe to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment. Together, these individual actions weave together a story of impact — a narrative of change for what Goodall has come to call the Tapestry of Hope.

    The launch of Tapestry of Hope reflects a snapshot of the projects young leaders have led in the past several years through Roots & Shoots,” said Erin Viera, associate vice­ president of Roots & Shoots. “Moving forward, the map will be a critical tool to document, manage, visualize and share the actions and impacts of Roots & Shoots projects that are making a positive difference for the environment, animals and people. The map will continue to grow and populate with the launch of each new Roots & Shoots community project that young people continue to pioneer around the world.”

    “Esri and the Jane Goodall Institute have collaborated on conservation programs across Africa for more than 10 years now. These projects have included applications ranging from using geospatial technologies for chimpanzee behavior research in Gombe to supporting the development and implementation of conservation action plans and improving village land use using geodesign and community mapping across East Africa and Congo basin,” said Lilian Pintea, the Jane Goodall Institute’s vice­president of conservation science.

    Esri technology that powers the mapping behind JGI’s conservation work forms the basis of the Tapestry of Hope. The map connects the work of young people around the world with other young people who are passionately making the world we all share a better place through local projects.

    In addition to documenting and visualizing the work of young people around the world, the Tapestry of Hope map serves to further Goodall’s message of hope. It brings together the critical observations, creative ideas and clever solutions of thousands of passionate young minds all working to make a difference in the world. It is designed to represent and inspire a global movement of change showing that young people care about the future of the world they are inheriting, and are taking action.

  • GEO Business 2016 issues call for abstracts

    The organizers of GEO Business 2016 have issued a call for abstracts for the 2016 conference, which will be held May 25–26 at the Business Design Centre in London, according to a news release.

    The conference committee is seeking revolutionary and thought-provoking abstracts that “truly demonstrate the remarkable impact geospatial technologies and solutions are having on our global environment.” Over the two-day conference, expert presenters will explore how geospatial solutions have enabled projects to run more efficiently, ensuring that they are delivered on time, whilst saving money and reducing risk, organizers said.

    Topics include:

    • Geospatial Economic Efficiency – case studies are welcomed that show how significant cost-savings were made following the implementation of geospatial technology.
    • Geospatial Infrastructure – with more building recently promised by the government, papers are invited showing how geospatial technology is key to efficient infrastructure solutions.
    • Geospatial Innovation – with geo-technologies being implemented in more and more industries case studies should explore new and innovative solutions.
    • Geospatial Sustainability – with sustainability becoming more crucial to business practices, examples should show how geospatial technology supports ecological monitoring and management.

    Abstracts are due before Jan. 22, 2016. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the technical conference committee, including Ian Bush, conference chairman.

    “On behalf of my fellow committee members, it gives me great pleasure to welcome interested parties to submit an abstract for the GEO Business 2016 Call for Papers, Bush says. “We look forward to receiving thought provoking abstracts from all corners of the industry and formulating an exciting program that will educate, entertain and entice delegates from around the globe.”

    Along with the conference will be an exhibition showcasing 200 of the most innovative international geospatial companies, GEO Business says, and a full schedule of workshop sessions.

    The full conference program will be launched in March 2016.

  • 2016 California GIS Conference issues call for presentations

    imgres-1The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association‘s California chapters and the California Geographic Information Association have announced a call for presentations for the 22nd California GIS Conference, which will take place May 10–12, 2016, in Anaheim, California. Presentation proposals are due by January 15.

    The conference is organized by a committee of California GIS professionals. Traditional presentations, panel discussions, maps, posters and lightning talks will be accepted by the committee. All submissions received will be reviewed and considered for the conference program.

    View conference details or an online submission form.

     

  • Sanborn Maps Glacier and Yellowstone Parks for Road Repair

    Sanborn collected this high-resolution mobile lidar image of a corridor in Glacier National Park. (PRNewsFoto/The Sanborn Map Company, Inc.)
    Sanborn collected this high-resolution mobile lidar image of a corridor in Glacier National Park. (PRNewsFoto/The Sanborn Map Company, Inc.)

    The Sanborn Map Company Inc. has completed mobile lidar data collection for two corridors in Glacier National Park and one corridor in Yellowstone National Park totaling 40 linear miles.

    Sanborn was selected for the project to provide data that could be used to determine the level of effort and cost to resurface the roads, which are in dire need of repair. In Yellowstone alone, about 185 miles of main roads are in a structurally deficient state, with poor quality road bases failing under the weight, speed and volume of modern traffic, for which they were not designed. Harsh winter weather and short construction seasons in both parks provide additional challenges.

    During the 2015 fall season, Sanborn acquired the lidar point clouds, which were particularly dense with 300-500 points per square meter, along with accompanying georeferenced imagery. The firm’s post-acquisition approach involved auto-filtering the point clouds in the ground and non-ground classes. The points in the ground class were used to derive road centerlines and edges of pavement, and the non-ground points were used to derive guardrails in vector format.

    “This project was particularly rewarding because both of these parks truly are national treasures,” notes Arjan Mooij, Sanborn program manager. “There’s no doubt that the quality data we provided will help streamline the process for their much-needed road repairs.”

    Sanborn’s mobile mapping system combines lidar with high-resolution video, delivering better than 5-centimeter accuracy and image resolution as fine as 1 centimeter with efficient data capture at vehicle speeds of up to 60 mph.