GPS World

Tag: GIS

  • GEO Business 2015 Releases Conference Program

    GEO Business 2015, which takes place at the Business Design Centre in London from May 27-28, has released its conference program.

    More than 170 abstracts were received from authors representing 28 countries — an increase of 55 percent on the previous show.

     “With such incredible industry support, we are delighted to present a programme which reflects the vibrancy of technology in the geospatial sector,” Conference Chairman Graham Mills (Chairman of Technics Group and President of The Survey Association) said. “In fact, with so much innovation within the industry, the committee felt the need to introduce two new sessions this year, making a total of 16 sessions with a variety of presentations in each.” 

    An informative keynote address opens the show each day, including a presentation on the first day from Andrew McNaughton, technical director from HS2 (the UK’s proposed new high speed rail line). Day Two opens to a presentation about the “BIM Toolkit and Digital Plan of Work Project” by Dr Stephen Hamil, director of design and innovation at National Building Specification, UK.

    One of the new sessions is on “Emerging and Developing Technologies,” focusing on the future of geospatial technology. Topics include wearable GIS tools by Jaak Laineste, founder of Nutiteq; the future of maps by Gary Gale, founder of Malstow Geospatial; and the evolution of geospatial technology by Lee Braybrooke, marketing manager at Trimble. The other new session, “Is Your Asset Management Fit for the 21st Century?”, looks at how geospatial solutions can be used to support the management of assets in a variety of different situations.

    Other highlights of the program include a talk by Andrew Thompson, director of Savills (UK), about the role of geospatial professionals in the resolution of development neighbor disputes, following an increased parliamentary interest in the subject for new legislation.

    In a session on specifications and standards, Chris Preston, a senior engineer with Network Rail, will be discussing attitudes to risk and risk mitigation, including affordable solutions to control risk associated with geospatial data capture. In the same session, David Andrews, geospatial imaging officer at English Heritage, will be presenting English Heritage’s new edition of Metric Survey for Specifications, which is due to be released in May. The new version reflects changes in technology, including digital cameras, motion software and unmanned aerial platforms, as well as BIM. The session will be of interest to all those in the commercial sector who work on cultural heritage projects.

    With BIM sweeping through businesses, the programme includes two sessions on the subject. On Day One, Tim Wood, Global Business Architect at Arup, will be “joining the dots between GIS and BIM” as he talks about Arup’s role in regenerating Croydon, a city in the UK.  Similarly, Fred Mills, founding director of The B1M, will deliver a topical paper explaining the opportunities and benefits of mass BIM adoption on the second day of the conference.

    Another important talk on the subject of data comes from John Carpenter, director of Strategy and Planning at Ordnance Survey, who will provide insight into how geospatial data has been maintained at Ordnance Survey and how there is a need for new initiatives to extend the reach and impact for the next generation of stakeholders. On a similar subject, Adam Iwaniak, president of the Wroclaw Institute for Spatial Information and Artificial Intelligence, will present information about a recent project to develop the GeoMedia Semantic Toolkit, which is able to create and integrate linked data, making it possible to deliver geospatial knowledge in the Linked Data Web.

    For more information on the conference, visit www.GeoBusinessShow.com.

  • EuroGeographics, EuroSDR to Join on European Spatial Research

    EuroGeographics and EuroSDR have announced that they will work together to provide a framework for European spatial data research and development.

    The cooperation agreement will further the development of the EuroSDR Research Plan and the activities of the EuroGeographics Knowledge Exchange Networks. As a result, members of both not-for-profit organizations will benefit from greater opportunities for professional development. They will also be able to take part in joint projects and hand over tasks more appropriate to the other organisation’s expertise.

    “We have a common interest in carrying out and applying relevant research and developments in the field of geographic information and spatial data infrastructures,” said Ingrid Vanden Berghe, president of EuroGeographics, the membership association of the European National Mapping, Land Registry and Cadastral Authorities.

    “With rapid technological advances generated by a digital information society, the time from research via development to operation has never been faster. This agreement will ensure our members remain up to date with and understand the possibilities presented by new technologies and methodologies so they can react more quickly to user demands.”

    Martin Salzmann, president of EuroSDR, which links national mapping, land registry and cadastral authorities with research institutes and universities in Europe, added: “Achieving synergy in our activities benefits both our members and society by strengthening research and development, sharing results of common interest and making these operational. At the same time, we will foster and stimulate a vibrant research community with which to capitalise on future technologies and to be responsive to user demands. By working together we also avoid the risks of duplication of work between us and our member organisations.”

    EuroGeographics and EuroSDR are both committed to supporting wide range of initiatives that will benefit people across Europe, the companies said. These include the European Spatial Data Infrastructure, Copernicus, Galileo, Horizon2020, European Location Framework and the European Digital Single Market.

  • SuperPad GIS App to Receive NTRIP Solution

    SuperPad_NTRIPGIS software provider Supergeo will release an NTRIP solution on SuperPad, its Windows Mobile GIS app, for high-accuracy field data collection and geospatial workflow enhancement.

    SuperPad is a feature-rich mobile GIS application for field-based personnel to collect, edit, display and measure spatial data. The flexible development environment and customized extensions enable users to create a custom platform. SuperPad supports synchronizing data with an enterprise’s server to improve efficiency.

    SuperPad version 3.3 will support an NTRIP solution with RTK technology. Real-time kinematic (RTK) satellite navigation, one of the latest and widely used technologies within the field of differential GNSS, significantly enhances the precision of the positioning data. RTK positioning can raise accuracy to the centimeter-level.

    With the NTRIP solution, SuperPad is not only be capable of handling post-process DGNSS workflow, but also allows users to connect to network RTK service providers with NTRIP protocol, such as a virtual reference station RTK service provider or private station services. Its operations for turning on the module and quick-to-use settings will save surveyors time, while supporting GNSS receivers from makers such as  u-blox, Hemisphere GNSS and NovAtel.

    Progress of the SuperPad NTRIP Extension is also visualized as a condition monitoring informer on the map intuitively. Users looking for high accuracy or precision status with the RTK correction will find more details about the fixing mode and GNSS information presented clearly with the renewed GPS Status pages.

    A free trial of SuperPad can be downloaded here. A webinar about SuperPad is available here.

  • Trimble VRS Now Service Now Available in Australia, Oregon

    Trimble VRS Now coverage in Australia.
    Trimble VRS Now coverage in Australia.

    Trimble, together with its distribution partner Ultimate Positioning Group (UPG), announced the availability of Trimble VRS Now correction service in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.

    Trimble is also now offering the Trimble VRS Now correction service in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

    The commercial subscription service provides surveyors, civil engineers, geospatial professionals and other industry specialists in these areas with instant access to real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS corrections without the need for a base station.

    Using both GPS and GLONASS constellations, the Trimble service delivers centimeter-level RTK corrections customized for each GNSS receiver’s location anywhere in the network via cellular communications. The Trimble VRS Now service supplies accurate, reliable and easy-to-use GNSS positioning for a variety of applications including surveying, urban planning, urban and rural construction, environmental monitoring, resource and territory management, disaster prevention and relief and scientific research, Trimble said.

    “The addition of VRS Now to Trimble’s current portfolio of corrections technologies and services in Australia highlights our ability to meet any accuracy, delivery, availability and financial consideration across a variety of applications and markets,” said John Sprivulis, business area director of Trimble’s Positioning Services Division in the Asia Pacific. “Trimble is effectively creating a national positioning infrastructure to meet Australia’s future needs.”

    Trimble VRS Now in Australia is a continuation of Trimble’s focus on providing solutions that enable customers to increase productivity by simplifying access to high-precision accuracy around the world. Similar VRS Now services are operating in parts of the U.S. and Europe.

    In addition, the Australian VRS Now service supports the Trimble Pivot Field Mobile App, which provides up-to-the-minute information on the VRS Now system status for users in the region.

    Because OmniSTAR CORS service in the area is being phased out, existing Australian users will be automatically transitioned to the Trimble VRS Now service, which provides easy access to high accuracy and reliable positioning within the network coverage area.

    Service in Australia and Oregon is a continuation of Trimble’s focus on providing solutions that enable customers to increase productivity by simplifying access to high-precision positioning around the world. Similar VRS Now services are operating in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and parts of Europe.

  • Trimble VRS Now Service Now Available in Australia, Oregon

    Trimble VRS Now coverage in Australia.
    Trimble VRS Now coverage in Australia.

    Trimble, together with its distribution partner Ultimate Positioning Group (UPG), announced the availability of Trimble VRS Now correction service in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.

    Trimble is also now offering the Trimble VRS Now correction service in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

    The commercial subscription service provides surveyors, civil engineers, geospatial professionals and other industry specialists in these areas with instant access to real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS corrections without the need for a base station.

    Using both GPS and GLONASS constellations, the Trimble service delivers centimeter-level RTK corrections customized for each GNSS receiver’s location anywhere in the network via cellular communications. The Trimble VRS Now service supplies accurate, reliable and easy-to-use GNSS positioning for a variety of applications including surveying, urban planning, urban and rural construction, environmental monitoring, resource and territory management, disaster prevention and relief and scientific research, Trimble said.

    “The addition of VRS Now to Trimble’s current portfolio of corrections technologies and services in Australia highlights our ability to meet any accuracy, delivery, availability and financial consideration across a variety of applications and markets,” said John Sprivulis, business area director of Trimble’s Positioning Services Division in the Asia Pacific. “Trimble is effectively creating a national positioning infrastructure to meet Australia’s future needs.”

    Trimble VRS Now in Australia is a continuation of Trimble’s focus on providing solutions that enable customers to increase productivity by simplifying access to high-precision accuracy around the world. Similar VRS Now services are operating in parts of the U.S. and Europe.

    In addition, the Australian VRS Now service supports the Trimble Pivot Field Mobile App, which provides up-to-the-minute information on the VRS Now system status for users in the region.

    Because OmniSTAR CORS service in the area is being phased out, existing Australian users will be automatically transitioned to the Trimble VRS Now service, which provides easy access to high accuracy and reliable positioning within the network coverage area.

    Service in Australia and Oregon is a continuation of Trimble’s focus on providing solutions that enable customers to increase productivity by simplifying access to high-precision positioning around the world. Similar VRS Now services are operating in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and parts of Europe.

  • LandWorks Tightens Integration with Esri in Land Management Software Upgrades

    Landworks-webmaps-spain2

    LandWorks Inc., a developer of innovative land management solutions, has introduced Release 5.20 of its three primary software suites — LandWorks Property Management, LandWorks GIS, and WebMaps Enterprise GIS. All three have been re-written for easier use, enhanced industry-specific functionality, and tighter integration with Esri GIS solutions.

    “In Release 5.20, we rebuilt the software from the ground up with a combination of C# [Sharp] .NET and a service-oriented architecture,” said LandWorks President Jerry Bramwell. “This modern architecture allows for integration of live Esri GIS maps and builds a foundation for hosting in the cloud.”

    Deployed extensively for land asset management and mapping in the oil and gas, utility, mining, pipeline, renewable energy and government sectors, the upgraded LandWorks software suites are expected to appeal to an even wider audience. In addition, their applicability within organizations will expand beyond land management to project planning, acquisition and development.

    The flagship LandWorks Property Management (LPM) suite is a complete solution for land asset management designed for easy storage and retrieval of data relating to any type of land right. In the new LPM version 5.20, clients may open an oil and gas lease or right-of-way agreement and instantly access a live GIS map displaying the relevant polygons. Direct integration with Esri’s ArcGIS Server gives the client full web-based GIS functionality from within the LPM interface and the ability to update the live map with new information on the fly.

    “LPM is the only land asset management software with embedded live access to Esri GIS maps,” Bramwell said.

    The LandWorks suites, used worldwide, also have been internationalized to support the language, date, currency and measurement formats preferred by individual end users based on their locations. A large mining company with operations in multiple countries, for example, may deploy the LandWorks suites across its enterprise. End users in Portugal, Spain and Canada are able to view the same information presented in Portuguese, Spanish or English.

    In addition to a more intuitive interface with a modern look and feel, LandWorks has added new functionality to the software products designed for greater ease-of-use in specific industries. The ability to make land royalty payments for mining and wind energy operations has been expanded. LPM and LandWorks GIS have been enhanced to better manage and present linear-based land rights.

    “The enhancement of our products to better manage land rights associated with linear assets will make the LandWorks suites more attractive to transportation and telecommunications industries,” said Bramwell.

    LandWorks has built new modules to the LPM suite to extend its usability across the entire land management workflow. LPM now manages land-related projects of any type or size including acquisition, surveying and encroachment investigation.

    The three LandWorks suites comprise a total of 18 individually licensed software products, many of which can function alone or interface with LPM. LandWorks GIS integrates the Esri GIS functionality into LPM. WebMaps Enterprise GIS Suite extends web-based mapping via ArcGIS Server across the enterprise to all departments, not just the land department.

    “All LandWorks software products currently reside behind the client’s firewall, however, we will soon offer hosting in the cloud as an additional licensing optional for our clients,” said Bramwell.

  • Google Maps Takes Street View Camera through Amazon

    The Street View Trekker on a zipline in the Amazon Rainforest.
    The Street View Trekker on a zipline in the Amazon Rainforest.

    New imagery of the highest canopy in the Amazon rainforest is now available on Google Maps. The Amazon rainforest is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, with many species high in the canopies of the forest still undiscovered.

    “Starting today, with the help of our partners at the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), you can begin to unlock some of the wonders of the forest, by traveling from the upper canopy to the forest floor with Google Maps’ first zipline Street View collection,” wrote Karin Tuxen-Bettman, program manager, Google Earth Outreach on a March 1 blog.

    The project is part of Google’s partnership with FAS, who three years ago invited Google Maps to the Rio Negro Sustainable Development Reserve. “Their hope is that sharing the imagery of their local communities, rain forests and rivers with the world will raise awareness and support for their efforts to conserve these areas,” Tuxen-Bettman writes.

    The imagery was collected through Google Map’s Trekker Loan Program, which loans out the Street View camera and technology to tourism boards, non-profits, universities, and research organizations to help collect imagery of remote places.

    The Amazon map imagery was gathered through boat travels on 500 kilometers of rivers, hiking on 20 kilometers of forest trails and ziplining through forest canopies.

    “We hope it inspires you to embark on your own virtual expedition of the Amazon (you can leave the bug repellent at home!),” Tuxen-Bettman writes.

    The map on this page  shows where Google Maps has yet to collect Street View imagery.

    Google_trekker_river-W

  • Harris Offers Geiger-Mode Lidar Sensor

    Harris Corporation has developed a commercially available Geiger-mode lidar sensor. The Harris IntelliEarth Geospatial Solutions Geiger-Mode LiDAR sensor will provide customers with the ability to collect high-quality, wide-area elevation data faster and more affordably than before, Harris said.

    Additionally, the company’s fully automated, high-volume production capabilities allow for rapid processing of large amounts of raw sensor data and automates quality control. Thousands of square kilometers of data can be processed in a few hours.

    Harris is applying technology and processing methods it has perfected over the past 15 years in support of the U.S. Department of Defense to deliver superior, LiDAR-based data and derived products to commercial users at cost-effective prices, the company said.

    With 10 times the collection speed and resolution of today’s best traditional lidar sensors, the Geiger-Mode lidar sensor makes wide area collections affordable for the first time.

  • Report: Esri Has 43 Percent Share of GIS Market

    ARC Advisory Group reports that Esri has a 43 percent share in the geographic information system (GIS) market, compared to an 11 percent share from the second-largest supplier. ARC Advisory Group published its findings in an October market study and forecast through 2018.

    “Esri is, without a doubt, the dominant player in the GIS market,” the Geographic Information System Global Market Research Study authors stated.

    The Esri business model relies on a constantly improving core GIS, on which more than 2,000 partners develop Esri industry-specific solutions, Esri said. In electricity transportation and distribution, Esri’s partner-driven solution model, which combines Esri and Schneider Electric software, amounts to a total market share of 29 percent.

    “Our success in the utility sector stems from Esri’s platform technology, which makes it easy for companies to share, communicate, and collaborate on location information throughout their businesses,” Esri utilities solutions manager Bill Meehan said. “Partner solutions, such as those Schneider Electric provide, add additional capability to an already powerful platform.”

    Esri’s core GIS is used by more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, helping businesses add a location strategy to operations, Esri said. Esri’s ArcGIS platform has grown during the past 45 years to include cloud, mobile, server, dashboard, and firewall components in addition to desktop applications.

    Partner products target utility-specific issues (such as regulatory compliance or critical-infrastructure management). Partners include Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, Dell, HP, Citrix, and Lenovo.

    Esri — with its partners — plays a leading role in more than 10 industries: electric power transmission and distribution (with partner Schneider Electric), engineering and business services, government, public health and safety, health care, natural resources, oil and gas refining, retail, telecommunications, transportation and logistics, and water/wastewater.

    Esri is privately held by founders Jack and Laura Dangermond. ARC Advisory Group is a separately owned and operated business and is not affiliated with Esri.

  • Air Pollution Monitoring Rocket Set for Second Launch Attempt

    air_pollution_rocket_blueskyScientists at the University of Leicester will make a second attempt to launch a rocket equipped with air pollution monitoring equipment on June 11 at the university’s Capesthorne Hall in Cheshire. The first launch attempt on Feb. 4 failed, according to airqualitynews.com.

    As part of a wider air pollution mapping project supported by Bluesky, an aerial survey company, a pollution monitoring system was developed by scientists at the University of Leicester to record how dangerous gases such as nitrogen dioxide dissipate with vertical distance from the earth. The micro sensors will be integrated with other technologies and launched into the atmosphere using Starchaser Industries‘ Tempest Research Rocket. The launch follows previous work mapping air pollution across entire cities from planes, cars and ground sensors.

    “We have already had great success mapping air pollution from an aerial survey plane giving us a better understanding of how dangerous gases, such as nitrogen dioxide, operate in the vertical plane,” says James Eddy, Bluesky’s technical director and industrial associate at the University of Leicester. “However, we hope this launch will take air pollution monitoring to another level.”

    The Tempest is a 14-foot-tall rocket that can reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour and will hit an altitude of 3,000 feet on its flight before being safely recovered via parachute. In addition to the air pollution monitoring sensors, Tempest will also be carrying vital electronic systems that will be used aboard Starchaser’s future Space Tourism Rockets, an experimental GPS package with video cameras.

    “Air Quality continues to be a critical issue in our urbanising society, requiring us to explore novel solutions for monitoring, management and damage mitigation. We are grateful to Starchaser Industries for the opportunity to test our novel air quality monitoring techniques as part of this spectacular launch event,” says Dr. Roland Leigh, academic supervisor at the University of Leicester. “This project builds on work to date of Starchaser Industries, key academic expertise in instrument design and data manipulation, and once again benefits from a strong industrial partnership with Bluesky.”

    The latest phase of the Bluesky supported air pollution monitoring project will add to results already obtained from trials of the University of Leicester’s Compact Air Quality Spectrometer. Originally mounted on a dedicated aerial survey aircraft, the device monitors visible light and measures how much light is lost at specific wavelengths absorbed by nitrogen dioxide. The technology has previously been used as part the CityScan project with devices mounted on tall buildings in Leicester, Bologna and London during the Olympics to build 3D maps of pollution across the cities, according to the company.

  • ASPRS Releases New Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data

    The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) has released new Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data. The PDF is available here.

    The new ASPRS accuracy standards fill a critical need for map users and map makers alike. For centuries, map scale and contour interval have been used as an indication of map accuracy. Users want to know how accurately they can measure different things on a map, and map makers want to know how accurate maps need to be in order to satisfy user requirements. Those contracting for new maps depend on some form of map accuracy standard to evaluate the tradeoff between the accuracy required vs. how much time and expense are justified in achieving it, and then to describe the accuracy of the result in a uniform way that is reliable, defensible, and repeatable, ASPRS explains in a statement.

    The new ASPRS standards address recent innovations in digital imaging and non-imaging sensors, airborne GPS, inertial measurement units (IMU) and aerial triangulation (AT) technologies. Unlike prior standards, the new standards are independent of scale and contour interval, they address higher levels of accuracies achievable by the latest technologies (such as unmanned aerial systems and LiDAR mobile mapping systems), and they provide enough flexibility to be applicable to future technologies as they are developed. Finally, the new standards provide cross references to older standards, as well as detailed guidance for a wide range of potential applications.

    No prior U.S. accuracy standard comprehensively addresses the current state of mapping technology, which is why the new ASPRS standards were developed. The National Map Accuracy Standards (NMAS), developed in 1947, are still used because they are simple, but there is no scientific correlation between those standards and current mapping methodologies.

    The ASPRS 1990 Standards were an improvement over NMAS; however, they did not do well in representing the capabilities of LiDAR, orthoimagery, digital mapping cameras or other current technologies in wide-spread use today.

    The National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy (NSSDA) is a reporting standard that references the old ASPRS 1990 standards and is cross-referenced in the new ASPRS standards.  NSSDA provides no accuracy thresholds and does not by itself provide any new or updated guidance on how to select or specify an appropriate accuracy for intended applications.

    The new ASPRS standards were developed by the ASPRS Map Accuracy Standards Working Group, a joint committee under the Photogrammetric Applications Division, Primary Data Acquisition Division and LiDAR Division, which was formed for the purpose of reviewing and updating ASPRS map accuracy standards to reflect current technologies. A subcommittee of this group, consisting of Qassim Abdullah, David Maune, Doug Smith, and Hans Karl Heidemann, was responsible for drafting the document.

    Draft versions of the standard underwent extensive review, both within ASPRS as well as through public review by other key geospatial mapping organizations, prior to final approval by the ASPRS Board of Directors on November 17, 2014.

  • Agency9 Brings WebGL Streaming of 3D Cities to iOS and Android

    Agency9-2

    Agency9, a provider of online 3D visualization, is extending its 3DMaps WebGL support to iOS and Android devices. Large, highly detailed 3D city models can now be streamed to web browsers on both tablets and smartphones with both high performance and visual quality, the company said.

    Mobile support substantially improves reach in GIS and planning applications, Agency9 said. Using WebGL and HTML5 improves usability with plugin-free viewing of 3D directly in a web browser, eliminating the need to download and install dedicated apps.

    Most WebGL 3D solutions on the market are pure “model viewers,” limited to show a CAD model and its closest surroundings or simple untextured LOD 1,2 models. Agency9 3DMaps is capable of smoothly visualizing large scale terrain and detailed textured building models on a national or global basis. For example, huge photorealistic 3D models created with tools such as Smart3DCapture by Acute3D, recently acquired by Bentley Systems, can now be published online using WebGL without limitation in size or resolution, the company said.

    Agency9 3DMaps supports common 3D scenery in common GIS formats (including ArcGIS and CityGML) and is also validated with output from tools as Smart3DCapture, PhotoScan from AgiSoft, and StreetFactory from Airbus Defence and Space, as well as LiDAR/imagery tools from TerraSolid.

    Agency9-1

    The Agency9 3DMaps developer platform enables the customization of portals as well as integration into existing applications to leverage ubiquitous support for streaming large 3D data to users across all formats including tablet, mobile, Windows and MacOS.

    Rendering substantial 3D data sets in the browser using 3DMaps with advanced gaming effects such as ambient occlusion, real time sun and shadows, and god rays ensures the finest realism and user experience, the company said. 3DMaps also supports integration of spatial data and databases for intelligent models and visualisation of statistics. Visit the 3DMaps developer portal at http://developer.agency9.com.

    Mobile support will also be available in Agency9 CityPlanner, the cloud service for creating and sharing 3D project information and citizen dialogues in urban development. Smart Cities can more easily reach citizens and stakeholders on the web with interactive visualisation of projects in 3D. An example of a large project model created in ESRI CityEngine and visualized in the huge photorealistic 3D scene above.

    Photos: Agency9