GPS World

Tag: mapping

  • GNSS Constellation Update

    Broadcast Date: Thursday, October 25, 2012
    Speaker: Eric Gakstatter, contributing editor for survey and GIS
    Summary: This month, a new GPS satellite was launched, India launched a new SBAS satellite, and two Galileo satellites are scheduled to launch. Last month, China launched two more BeiDou satellites. There’s a lot of activity of the satellite navigation industry. In the webinar, I will discuss what these new developments mean to the surveying/mapping user, as well as other current events.

  • The Connected Vehicle

    Sponsored by: Hemisphere GNSS
    Broadcast Date:     Thursday, September 19, 2013
    Moderator: Janice Partyka, Wireless LBS Insider editor
    Speakers: David Jumpa, Chief Revenue Officer, Airbiquity; Scott McCormick, President, Connected Vehicle Trade Association; Andrew Maliszewski, Executive VP, Micronet; Scott Sedlik, VP Product and Marketing, Inrix
    Summary:     The biggest announcements and the most interesting news at the three big wireless/electronics shows in 2013 have all concerned the connected car. Location is a core technology. How will the connected vehicle market evolve? Will there be similarities to the more advanced fleet market? Providers of navigation, mapping, traffic, middleware, search, points of interest and mobile advertising all have key roles to play. How will the complexity of personalization and extras make it difficult to deliver products and service? The pace will only accelerate. Sort through the multiple issues and get your roadmap to the future with Janice Partyka and a panel of industry experts.

  • The Road to Driverless: Autonomous Vehicle Platforms, Sensors and Requirements

    Sponsored by: NavCom
    Broadcast date: Thursday, June 18, 2015
    On-Demand Available Until: Friday, June 17, 2016
    Moderator: Alan Cameron, Editor-In-Chief and Publisher, GPS World
    Speakers: John Fischer, Chief Technology Officer, Spectracom; Lisa Perdue, Applications Engineer, Spectracom; Hironori Sasaki
    Director of Solutions Architecture, Spectracom
    Summary: Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are now integrated in all luxury cars and moving into mainstream models. Although no driverless car is expected to operate freely on public roads for the next 10 years, some open test drives have already taken place, including one 100-mile highway cruise by a driverless Mercedes. This technology is currently restrained by legal issues and the lack of reliable nationwide mapping data — but the platforms are nearly ready to go. Join us as we explore the current state of affairs and the likely near-term future developments.

  • 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

  • Spectra Precision MobileMapper 50 combines smartphone design with GNSS capabilities

    Spectra Precision MobileMapper 50 combines smartphone design with GNSS capabilities

    Spectra Precision has announced its new MobileMapper 50 GNSS handheld device for simple GIS data collection or for use as a data controller for Spectra Precision SP60 and SP80 GNSS receivers. Available with an Android OS, the MobileMapper 50 combines smartphone capabilities with a ruggedized design to improve positioning accuracy.

    The company made the announcement at the 2016 Esri User Conference, being held in San Diego, California, June 27-July 1.

    Together with the MobileMapper 50, Spectra Precision also introduced two new software applications: an Android OS version of MobileMapper Field software for GIS professionals and Spectra Precision Survey Mobile software to control SP60 and SP80 GNSS receivers.

    “In today’s market, GIS and survey professional users are looking for a smartphone device experience, but still require a professional, rugged and waterproof design,” said Olivier Casabianca, general manager of Trimble’s Spectra Precision Division. ”With the MobileMapper 50 we can address all these requirements and more — real-time accuracy, the latest connectivity capabilities and a rugged compact design.”

    The MobileMapper 50 is available in two versions: both with Android OS and Wi-Fi, and with optional 4G LTE cellular module. The rugged, smartphone-like device is IP67 rated, thin (14.6 mm) and lightweight (300 grams or 10.6 ounces).

    It also features a 1.2 GHz quad core processor, 5.3 inch sunlight readable display, large memory (8 or 16 GB, depending on the version) and a high-resolution, built-in camera (8 or 15 MP, depending on the version). As a professional device, the MobileMapper 50 provides accurate GNSS positioning, supporting SABS, GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou constellations as well as post processing for improved accuracy.

  • Laser Technology shares new time-saving mapping tools at Esri UC

    Laser Technology shares new time-saving mapping tools at Esri UC

    Laser Technology Inc. (LTI) is offering a close-up look at its new geospatial information systems (GIS) technology at the 2016 Esri User Conference, which is being held June 27 to July 1 in San Diego, California.

    Attendees are invited to stop by booth #2525 to discover how LTI can help professionals stay connected and map smarter by using its lasers and a personal smart device. The company will be handing out vouchers for a complete mapping solution, which could save GIS professionals hundreds of dollars.

    The New TruPoint 300 with MapSmart on Android, by LTI.
    The New TruPoint 300 with MapSmart on Android, by LTI.

    The company’s MapSmart on Android software combines all of the sophisticated technology that is typically required to collect field data and puts it into a straightforward app for smart devices. The software simplifies the mapping process by allowing users to establish an origin quickly and begin mapping in minutes, LTI said.

    With MapSmart now available on Android, users gain an improved workflow that includes wireless data transfer, a larger display and built-in help support. Users also have the ability to integrate location data by utilizing the GPS from a smart device or improve accuracy with an external antenna.

    LTI is redefining the traditional total station with its brand-new TruPoint 300. A lightweight, compact, simple point-and-shoot laser with survey-grade accuracy, the TruPoint 300 costs a fraction of alternative technology. The unit measures the distance between two remote points and has onboard solutions for volume, heights and 2D and 3D areas.

    Users can collect 3D measurements from a single location using a personal smart device and capture a photo of every shot taken. With the ability to collect on-site, extremely precise data in half the time, the modern total station is a go-to tool for collecting measurements quickly, easily and safely, LTI said.

    “Achieving survey-grade accuracy with a compact and affordable unit is very exciting,” says Derrick Reish, senior product manager for Laser Technology’s Professional Measurement division. “Having the TruPoint 300 and our flagship TruPulse laser products communicate with MapSmart on Android allows us to offer a complete solution for field measurement and mapping.”

    Imagine if you didn’t have to occupy the location you needed to map. LTI has made this possible with LaserGIS for Esri’s ArcPad data-collection software. This software allows users to fully maximize field work productivity. Working seamlessly with the current ArcPad platform, LaserGIS improves the data-collection process by making laser integration faster and easier. Users can now cover more ground in less time and measure the slope distance, inclination, azimuth and position remote features with one, simple shot.

    Laser Technology Inc. is a Colorado-based designer and manufacturer of reflectorless laser measurement devices for GIS, forestry, natural resource management, general construction, utilities, mining and telecommunication applications.

  • Sentera launches fixed-wing Phoenix 2 imaging UAV

    Sentera launches fixed-wing Phoenix 2 imaging UAV

    Sentera LLC, a global provider of UAV hardware, sensors and data management platforms, has launched the Phoenix 2 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The Phoenix 2 is light-weight and highly durable, and can follow precise grid patterns.

    “The Phoenix 2 brings a level of precision and accuracy to UAVs that hasn’t been seen before,” said Todd Colten, chief aerospace engineer for Sentera. “Users can now collect highly detailed data quickly, and with complete certainty about its accuracy.” Colten went on to describe the professional-grade autopilot: “The grid pattern you specify is mapped pre-flight. The drone knows exactly what line to follow to get the exact looping radius, and the exact flight level needed for perfect tiling.”

    Sentera Phoenix 2.
    Sentera Phoenix 2.

    At only 4 pounds, the Phoenix 2 is easily hand-launched in just a few steps, and can carry multiple sensor options for up to an hour of flight time. The professional-grade autopilot is part of what makes the precision possible. It constantly auto-calculates and auto-optimizes according to the grid pattern specified to ensure the data collected meets exact specifications.

    “Growers are using the Phoenix 2 with agriculture-specific sensors to collect RGB, NIR, and NDVI imagery. That imagery is so precise – [the growers] tell us they’re targeting and treating specific parts of their fields, and then they’re using fewer chemicals, saving money and increasing yields,” continued Colten. “Follow-up flights can be programmed to use the same pattern for exact data comparison at multiple times throughout the growing season. We’re getting great feedback from our customers.”

    Attributes

    Payload Solutions: The Phoenix 2 is a highly-versatile UAV that accepts multiple sensors, including the Sentera Double 4K Sensor, providing true RGB and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data in a single flight. The Sentera Quad Sensor, a multi-spectral six-band imager with red edge capabilities is also popular in agriculture applications. Other compatible mapping sensors include the Sentera-Q for high-resolution orthomaps and the Radiometric Thermal Sensor, which quickly builds high-resolution true temperature maps. Sentera also offers EO and IR gimbaled payloads for live video public safety missions.

    Precision: Up to a 60-minute endurance and cruise speed of 30 mph, the Phoenix 2 is capable of covering broad areas that other UAVs of the same size cannot. The highly reliable and accurate Kestrel OnBoard autopilot ensure images are captured with precise, even spacing and overlap that is auto-calculated and can be adjusted by the user at the click of a button.

    Ease-of-Use: Effortlessly hand-launched in just a few steps, the 4-pound Phoenix 2 flies autonomously on a predetermined flight pattern that can be updated during flight by accessing the easy-to-use ground station software. Upon completion, the Phoenix 2 automatically returns to safely land.

    End-to-End Solution: The Phoenix 2 includes the aircraft, ground station, transportation cases, batteries, chargers, and software with multiple training options available. Sentera offers a wide variety of sensors, ensuring every application has the perfect imagery solution. Sentera’s AgVault and OnTop Open Software Platforms manage the multitude of images and data collected during flight, and allow near-real time reading and analysis of the data, including working with other data sources via APIs.

  • LandWorks introduces spatial alignment tool at Esri UC

    LandWorks Inc., developer of land management software, has advanced its integration with Esri technology by creating a new Spatial Alignment Tool that runs as an ArcGIS Desktop extension and automates polygon editing tasks for land mapping professionals and land asset managers.

    LandWorks will demonstrate the product at booth #2404 at the 2016 Esri User Conference, June 27-July 1, at the San Diego Convention Center.

    The new software can be used in any country and in any industry that maps land boundary polygons using Esri’s ArcGIS Platform.

    Previously, when a more accurate version of land grid (Public Land Survey sections, Texas abstracts, etc.) or tax parcel data was made available by a data vendor, any polygons in an updated area of the grid had to be manually realigned to snap to the more accurate grid. With LandWorks’ Spatial Alignment Tool, manual realignment is no longer necessary.

    “Land grid and parcel data providers typically deliver quarterly updates to customers. The labor intensive task of realigning mapped land polygons to the updated version has been a long-term challenge that many companies choose to forgo rather than implementing the more accurate version of the land grid or parcel data,” said Jerry Bramwell, President and CEO of LandWorks. “With our new Spatial Alignment Tool, what once required months to complete now takes hours, resulting in more accurate land agreement polygon boundaries without the high cost of manually snapping them to the updated grid or parcel data.”


    The Spatial Alignment Tool works with any vector land grid or parcel data. Users need an original source land/parcel grid and an updated source land/parcel grid. The tool detects vertex movements between the original land/parcel grid and the corresponding updated layers, then automatically aligns the selected polygons based on those detected changes.

    Users can easily adjust the tolerance and alignment settings if not satisfied with the results. Once the alignment process is complete, users can review the aligned polygons before committing them to the enterprise geodatabase.

    In addition to easily maintaining the accuracy of GIS data for better analysis, the new software also saves companies significant time and money if they choose to switch land grid or parcel data suppliers for quality, supply or budgetary reasons.

    “Traditionally, companies have been hesitant to change land grid or parcel data vendors because of the seemingly Herculean task of transferring the polygons from one land grid or parcel layer to another,” said Bramwell. “Automating this task using the Spatial Alignment Tool now makes switching suppliers a viable option.”

  • Esri observes World Refugee Day with new Story Map

    In celebration of World Refugee Day, Esri has revealed a Story Map, “The Uprooted,” which provides insight into the Syrian displacement. Syria accounts for a large portion of the world’s refugees and internally displaced people.

    World Refugee Day is held every year on June 20 to commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees.

    Check out more data on displaced people on Esri’s website.

  • Launchpad: OEM, survey and mapping products

    Launchpad: OEM, survey and mapping products

    OEM

    Module for system integrators

    Size, weight and power designed for smaller unmanned platforms

    MB-Two module by Trimble.
    MB-Two module by Trimble.

    The MB-Two GNSS module delivers highly accurate GNSS-based heading plus pitch or roll in an advanced industry standard form-factor for system integrators. The module’s embedded Z-Blade GNSS technology uses all available dual-frequency GNSS signals equally, without any constellation preference, to deliver fast and stable centimeter-accurate position and heading information. The MB-Two is designed for a wide variety of applications such as unmanned, agriculture, automotive, marine and military systems. The MB-Two features an enhanced dual-core GNSS engine with 240 channels capable of tracking L1/L2 frequencies from the GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou constellations. The GNSS engine supports Trimble RTX correction services, including CenterPoint RTX and RangePoint RTX, delivered worldwide via L-Band satellite. The MB-Two combined with CenterPoint RTX delivers centimeter-level positioning without requiring a local base station or VRS network.

    Trimble, trimble.com

    Dead-reckoning receiver

    High performance, uninterrupted positioning for vehicle applications

    The S1722DR8 GNSS dead-reckoning receiver, compared to a U.S. penny.
    The S1722DR8 GNSS dead-reckoning receiver, compared to a U.S. penny.

    The S1722DR8 GNSS dead-reckoning receiver integrates a three-axis gyroscope/accelerometer and barometric pressure sensor with a GNSS receiver. Using wheel speed data from a vehicle, the S1722DR8 achieves 100-percent coverage. It can be flexibly mounted in any orientation, and does not have to be placed horizontally as do conventional dead-reckoning solutions that use a single-axis gyroscope. Its auto-calibration feature simplifies installation, while the short calibration time upon first use improves the user experience. The barometric pressure sensor provides highly accurate altitude information, which is useful for differentiating floor levels of multi-story parking garages or stacked highways.The S1722DR8 measures 17 x 22 millimeters. It offers continuous navigation even in GPS-signal-denied environments such as tunnels or underground parking lots.

    SkyTraq Technology, www.skytraq.com.tw

    SURVEY & MAPPING

    Rover radio

    Data link for GNSS/RTK and precise positioning

    HX-DU1603-ROVER-RADIOThe HX-DU1603D rover radio is an advanced, high-speed, Bluetooth-enabled wireless data link designed for GNSS/RTK (real-time kinematic) surveying and precise positioning. It is a lightweight, ruggedized UHF receiver for digital radio communications between 410 and 470 MHz in either 12.5- kHz or 25-kHz channels, which can be widely used in GNSS/RTK surveying and GNSS precise positioning systems. The HX-DU1603D is equipped with a Bluetooth transceiver for cable-free communications with external devices. It features an internal, rechargeable battery for ease of use and portability that allows long operational hours. Its display screen and buttons can be used to configuration parameters such as frequency, protocols, power display, serial port baud rate and air baud rate. By deploying the technology, users can instantly communicate with GNSS precise positioning receivers that share the same protocols throughout the world. The rover radio HX-DU1603D joins the line of Harxon products that include 25W base radio HX-DU8602T with simplex and 35W base radio HX-DU8608D with Duplex.

    Harxon, harxon.com

    3D modeling software

    Accurate point clouds from images

    3D-Model-of-small-object-with-eyesMap3D-OEyesMap3D generates accurate 3D models and point clouds, measured directly from images. It allows users to create high-density points clouds with textures achieving a realistic 3D model appearance. It is able to measure accurately on the images to generate true orthophotos, and geo-reference and scale the results. eyesMap3D users can use their cameras, mobile phone or camera drone to capture images. The program is compatible with most popular software packages on the market. The goal of maker eCapture is to allow the user to easily generate and work with 3D models and photogrammetric tools, while maintaining data quality.

    eCapture, www.ecapture.es

  • Velodyne features VLP-16 Puck mobile mapping system at AUVSI’s Xponential 2016

    Velodyne‘s Frank Bertini talks about the company’s new 3D lidar VLP-16 Puck at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International‘s Xpontential show, held May 3-5 in New Orleans.

    The sensor offers real-time data, 360-degree scanning, 3D distance and calibrated reflectivity measurements for the mapping, automotive, UAV, security and robotics markets.

  • Quanergy announces new lidar sensor at Xponential

    Quanergy Systems, a provider of lidar sensors and smart sensing solutions, is offering a new sensor.

    Quanergy's S3 lidar sensor
    Quanergy’s S3 lidar sensor

    The S3-Qi is a miniature solid-state lidar sensor that is 15 percent the size of the previous solid-state model, the S3. Quanergy is displaying the new sensor along with its other products in Booth 767 at AUVSI’s Xponential May 3-5 in New Orleans.

    The S3-Qi, offered four months after the original S3, has a smaller 1 inch by 1.5-inch footprint, weighs about 100 grams and has low power consumption. The small form factor, combined with a cost-effective design, makes the S3-Qi well suited for applications such as drones, intelligent robotics, security, smart homes and industrial automation.

    Mass production of the S3-Qi is targeted for the first quarter of 2017.

    “We are excited to raise the bar, once again, with the expansion of our product portfolio,” said Louay Eldada, Quanergy CEO. “We continue to push the boundaries on behalf of our customers. The S3-Qi is a testament to our focus on the user and our investment in innovation for game-changing smart sensing solutions offered at price points that make their use ubiquitous. In drones, payload and battery runtime benefit greatly from our compact sensors.”

    Quanergy’s lidar sensors have applications in more than 30 market verticals including security, transportation, terrestrial and aerial mapping, and industrial automation.