GPS World

Tag: mining

  • Eos introduces photogrammetry software for drone photography

    Eos Systems Inc. has introduced new photogrammetry software optimized specifically for photographs taken with drones or unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

    The new PhotoModeler UAS 2016 creates 3D models, measurements, and maps from photographs taken with ordinary cameras built-in or mounted on drones. It has numerous features for operation with drone photos, including post processing kinematics (PPK), volume objects, full geographic coordinate systems support, multispectral image support and control point assist.

    Eos Systems will be showcasing PhotoModeler UAS Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas, and will offer the new software at 35 percent off the normal price Nov. 1-30.

    eos-photogrammetry-wThe new version of PhotoModeler is suited for drone photogrammetry applications, including surveying, ground contouring, surface model creation, stockpile volume measurement, mining and mine reclamation, environmental analysis, slope analysis, forensic analysis, construction and agricultural crop analysis.

    New applications for drone photogrammetry are developed monthly. Eos PhotoModeler was introduced 23 years ago and has become one of the leading photogrammetric software platforms with a wide range of users in fields such as architecture, engineering, surveying, research, manufacturing and forensics.

    PhotoModeler UAS 2016 software includes numerous features that provide higher performance in drone photogrammetry. Camera calibration is optimized for high accuracy with UASs and GPS. Post processed kinematics (PPK) makes it possible to correct a survey with GPS data after the fact for survey grade accuracy.

    Volume objects provide easy and accurate volume data for stock piles and mining operations. Full geographic coordinate system support enables users to work in their local geographic coordinate system for better compatibility. Support is provided for multispectral images including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) surface models and orthomosaics for precision agriculture. An intuitive interface is provided for efficiently marking ground control points.

  • LandWorks upgrades Web AutoMapper service with USLandGrid

    LandWorks Inc., a developer of innovative land management solutions, has improved its Web AutoMapper online service that translates land legal descriptions into GIS-ready map polygons.

    The updated Web AutoMapper features a new interface that is easier to use, including a job detail webpage that lets users review and edit polygons before purchase. Clients can now have their property polygons mapped against USLandGrid’s national land base, with the option of buying land grid townships containing the mapped property.

    “These changes make the Web AutoMapper even easier and more cost effective to use,” said LandWorks President Jerry Bramwell. “Anyone with a need to create land maps can do so in just a few minutes at minimal cost.”

    For about 20 percent of the cost of manual mapping, Web AutoMapper has simplified land records mapping in the oil and gas, renewable energy, mining, banking, utility, pipeline, state/local government, telecommunications, transportation, water and real estate sectors. The cost to map a legal parcel description with Web AutoMapper is $2 per polygon with the USLandGrid offered at $7 per PLSS Township.

    “The USLandGrid data provides the tie between a legal description and the geography of that parcel of land,” said USLandGrid Vice President of Sales Anthony Ford. “Producing polygons this way allows you to get your land positions on a map for critical analysis using the GIS.”

    “LandWorks selected USLandGrid for inclusion in Web AutoMapper because it is the best basemap available for any industry or profession to use in mapping property legal descriptions,” said Bramwell. “An important benefit of the USLandGrid is that its data layers are continuously updated as more accurate survey data becomes available.”

    landworks_webautomapper-o

    LandWorks first introduced Web AutoMapper in 2013 as an inexpensive, fast and easy method of processing many types of standard property descriptions and converting them into digital map polygons. Legal descriptions that would take days or weeks to map manually can be processed in minutes with this online software-as-a-service application.

    A customer simply logs onto Web AutoMapper and creates an account. The user then submits an Excel spreadsheet containing one or hundreds of legal descriptions in Jeffersonian Township/Range or Texas Survey/Abstract formats. Within seconds, Web AutoMapper provides an onscreen report detailing which polygons can be generated, which cannot, and shows an overview of the mapped polygons aligned to the USLandGrid.

    If the customer decides to proceed, a credit card is provided. For customers who don’t already own the Grid, they have the option of buying it by the township along with their mapped polygons.

    Web AutoMapper generates a zip file of the purchased polygons and USLandGrid townships either in Esri shapefile or file geodatabase format in NAD 83 or 27 for direct download into Esri ArcGIS software as well as other popular mapping systems, such as IHS Petra, IHS Kingdom and LMKR GeoGraphix.

    As a cloud-based application, Web AutoMapper brings the full power of the standalone LandWorks AutoMapper software to every level of digital map user via the Internet. Introduced in 2002, the onsite AutoMapper package is purchased by an organization and sits behind their firewall as a production-grade GIS mapping tool. The software is used extensively by organizations that own or lease many land rights and must keep their property records up to date, such as local governments, energy companies and natural resource management entities.

  • Commercial drone market to grow at CAGR 27 percent to 2021

    According to a new TechSci Research report, the commercial drone market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 27 percent until 2021, with North America anticipated to continue its dominance as the largest commercial drone market through 2021.

    The report, “Global Commercial Drone Market By Drone Type, By Application, By Region, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011-2021” considers use and growth of rotary-blade and fixed-wing drone types.

    According to the report, the rotary-blade drone segment dominated the global commercial drone market in 2015 because of its various technical features and benefits that enable these drones to perform intensely in photography, mapping, oil and gas sector and mining industry.

    Moreover, continuing growth of the global mining market, which was valued at around $1.5 trillion in 2015 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 7 percent during 2016-2021, is expected to further boost the prospects of commercial use of drones in the mining sector over the next five years. Rotary blade drones are designed to fly in all directions as well as hover at a fixed position.

    In 2015, these drone types accounted for a market share of more than 75 percent in the global commercial drone market because of their versatility and increasing application areas.

    Fixed-wing drones are the other major drone type, and these drones are being widely used in precision agriculture and aerial mapping. Precision farming utilizes several technological advancements such as geo location tracking, data management, and crop health analysis in order to ensure better productivity as compared to conventional farming methodology.

    Higher profitability and productivity, coupled with expanding global demand for crop yield are few of the factors poised to drive the global precision agriculture market at a CAGR of over 11 percent during 2016-2021, thereby propelling demand for drones used in the precision agriculture industry.

    A sample report is available.

  • Septentrio Americas delivers machine control receivers for world’s largest iron ore mine

    Septentrio Americas delivers machine control receivers for world’s largest iron ore mine

    The Vale S11D mine is the largest iron ore mine in the world.
    The Vale S11D mine is the largest iron ore mine in the world.

    Vale’s new S11D mine is the largest iron ore project in the world. It will produce more than 90 million tons of iron ore annually when it becomes operational in the second half of 2016. Vale is leveraging technology from Septentrio and other mining companies to implement a highly automated truckless transport system that will substantially reduce fuel consumption and emissions, as well as saving water.

    The Vale S11D machine control project is being managed from Septentrio Americas in Torrance, California.

    Septentrio GNSS receivers and antennas will be deployed across a range of machines to provide highly accurate and reliable position and orientation. The AsteRx-U receiver family features built-in jamming detection and countermeasures, multipath rejection and fast acquisition.

    With more than 500 channels to track all available constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, IRNSS and QZSS), the receivers offer a built-in L-band receiver for PPP corrections as well as centimeter-level RTK positioning accuracy.

    The AsteRx-U family also incorporates proprietary Septentrio algorithms, including LOCK+ technology to maintain tracking during heavy vibration from the machine and IONO+ technology to assure the accuracy of the position even in regions of elevated ionospheric activity. The receiver is configurable from any device with a web browser, and includes advanced capabilities such as a built-in spectrum analyzer.

    “Septentrio has been a leader in multi-constellation and multi-frequency machine control GNSS receivers for the past decade,” said Neil Vancans, vice president of Septentrio Americas. “The selection of AsteRx-U receivers for Vale’s S11D project is a strong validation of Septentrio’s rugged design and high performance in challenging environmental conditions.”

  • Carlson Mining supports haul trucks

     

    Carlson Mining 2016 has improvements and added support for AutoCAD 2016 and the new IntelliCAD 8.1. The improvements span the four mining modules: Basic Mining, Geology, Surface Mining, and Underground Mining.

    An upgrade to the Haul Truck Cycle Analysis command now accounts for mixed fleets, delay points and 3D playback of trucks along the haul route.

    In the Underground Mining module, support has been added for multi-level mining with the addition of level labels, allowing the processing of overlapping mine panels with ease.

  • Blue Marble Hosts 6th User Conference in October

    The 2015 Blue Marble User Conference (BMUC) will take place in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The annual event provides industry experts, Blue Marble software users, product developers, and applications specialists with a forum for sharing experiences and exchanging ideas on the current and future developments in the Global Mapper and Geographic Calculator platforms.

    Blue Marble’s geospatial data manipulation, visualization and conversion solutions are used worldwide by thousands of GIS analysts at software, oil and gas, mining, civil engineering, surveying, and technology companies, as well as governmental and university organizations.

    Following the success of last year’s User Conferences in Calgary and Houston, the 2015 conference is being consolidated into a single venue, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. As with previous conferences, this event offers a unique and invaluable opportunity to learn about the latest innovations in Blue Marble’s suite of GIS applications; to hear from industry experts about their experiences working with Blue Marble technology; and to network with representatives from a variety of business sectors and government departments.

    Over the years, the BMUC has provided GIS professionals with the opportunity to learn how Blue Marble’s innovative geospatial applications are streamlining GIS operations across many industries and to learn how others are maximizing their investment in the software. One of the most popular segments in the BMUC agenda is case studies that demonstrate the inherent flexibility of the software and its ability to meet the challenges of today’s GIS data processing and management tasks. The 2015 event will continue this trend with industry experts from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. military and prominent engineering and survey firms.

    “BMUC is the most important event on our calendar every year,” stated Patrick Cunningham, Blue Marble president. “Not only does it allow us to showcase some of the latest advancements in our applications, but it also provides us with an ideal forum in which to engage with our most dedicated users and to garner their input on the continued development of Blue Marble products.”

    Space at BMUC is limited and attendees are asked to pre-register to guarantee a spot at this event.

  • Trimble Expands UAS Portfolio for Aerial Imaging with Multirotor Partnership

    Trimble is partnering with unmanned aircraft system (UAS) manufacturer Multirotor service-drone, GmbH. The collaboration will allow Trimble to expand its existing UAS portfolio to provide its customers with additional solutions to choose from based on their aerial imaging project needs.

    Trimble made the announcement at the AUVSI Unmanned Systems 2015 show being held May 4-7 in Atlanta, Ga.

    Multirotor service-drone, based in Germany, is a manufacturer of multi-rotor systems. Trimble will be Multirotor service-drone’s exclusive provider of multi-rotor vehicles for aerial mapping use in surveying, construction, mining, agriculture, oil and gas, and utilities. The combination of Multirotor service-drone’s stable and reliable platforms with Trimble’s industry-leading sensor technology and workflow efficiencies will provide customers with best-in-class solutions for aerial data capture.

    Unmanned multi-rotor systems are powerful solutions for visually documenting smaller areas, vertical structures or environments where holding position is important. High-resolution imagery, orthophotos, terrain models and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) map deliverables created from multi-rotor data provide valuable information for the survey, engineering and agriculture industries that Trimble serves.

    “We are very excited to partner with Multirotor service-drone. At Trimble we’re always looking for ways to meet our customer’s needs and enable them to solve the complex problems they encounter every day,” said Todd Steiner, product marketing director in Trimble’s Geospatial Division. “The collaboration will enable our customers to use a technology rapidly growing in popularity due to its flexibility and productivity.”

  • Topcon Offers Total Station with Enhanced Reflectorless Range

    GPT-3500_Field_Topcon-W Topcon Positioning Group has added to its line of reflectorless total stations for the construction and mining market. The GPT-3500LNW total station has a measuring distance of 2,000 meters (6,560 ft.). It is designed to measure further than any non-prism instrument in its class. “Incorporating the Topcon advanced time-of-flight pulse technology, the EDM is fast and powerful,” said Ray Kerwin, director of global surveying products. “The Topcon algorithm filters signal noise to provide accurate measurements even on dark and wet surfaces, where other reflectorless technology might fail.”

    The Topcon GPS-3500 total station.
    The Topcon GPS-3500 total station.

    Along with its onboard data collector, the GPT-3500 can connect to an external field controller via built-in Bluetooth technology, enabling field to office connectivity with the MAGNET suite of software solutions. The system can also be paired with a prism to allow for a measurement range of up to 3000 meters (9,842 ft.). Additional features include a rugged IP66 rated design, on-board TopField application software and battery life of up to five working hours.

  • 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.

  • DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data Platform Enabling New Commercial Solutions

    DigitalGlobe, Inc., has agreed to provide another commercial customer access to its Geospatial Big Data (GBD) platform, paving the way for new analytic products serving the insurance, forestry, oil & gas, and mining industries, the company said.

    Exogenesis is a provider of advanced analytics, algorithm development, and predictive modeling and simulation. The company has subscribed to DigitalGlobe’s GBD service to facilitate new product development enabled by large-scale data analysis.

    The agreement includes access to algorithms, expertise, and petabytes of high-resolution satellite imagery collected over the past 15 years. DigitalGlobe customers Orbital Insight and Cuende have also subscribed to the service and are introducing unique products to their commercial markets.

    DigitalGlobe’s cloud-based GBD offering is a “platform as a service” model that provides access to DigitalGlobe’s vast image library. It is designed to create a new ecosystem in which partners and developers can leverage their expertise and API’s to create new customer solutions without the cost of owning and operating costly IT infrastructure, DigitalGlobe said.

    The GBD platform is one of the strategic initiatives propelling DigitalGlobe toward its vision of becoming the indispensable source of information about the planet, the company said.

    “Exogenesis is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with DigitalGlobe, the biggest name in commercial satellite imagery,” said Sean Anklam, president of Exogenesis. “As an early adopter of DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data platform, we will be able to provide the most advanced decision support information derived from source imagery of the highest quality.”

    “It’s a privilege to bring our Geospatial Big Data capabilities to the market with an innovative partner like Exogenesis,” said Shay Har-Noy, DigitalGlobe’s Senior Director for GBD. “We are committed to investing in Geospatial Big Data in order to create a living digital inventory of the surface of the earth, enabled by our unmatched satellite constellation, commitment to ecosystem partners, and ability to convert imagery at scale into searchable, analytics-ready information layers.”

  • Handheld Makes Algiz 10X Rugged Tablet More Powerful

    Handheld Makes Algiz 10X Rugged Tablet More Powerful

    Handheld's Algiz 10X rugged tablet now has Windows 8, a faster processor.
    Handheld’s Algiz 10X rugged tablet now has Windows 8, a faster processor.

    Handheld Group is upgrading its Algiz 10X tablet. With the upgrade, the rugged tablet for field professionals now features the Windows 8.1 Pro operating system, which is downgradable to Windows 7. Windows 8.1 Pro offers enhanced features to help users connect to company networks, access one PC from another, encrypt data and more.

    The upgraded Algiz 10X also has a more powerful processor that speeds startup and operation, increases software compatibility and doubles processor performance. Its has an integrated u-blox GPS receiver with WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS capability.

    Like all of Handheld’s rugged PDAs, smartphones and mobile computers, the Algiz 10X is specifically developed for field workers in industries such as geomatics, logistics, forestry, public transportation, utilities, construction, maintenance, mining, military and security. It is IP65-rated and meets stringent MIL-STD-810G military standards — protected against dust, water, vibrations, drops and extreme temperatures. It has a 10.1-inch touchscreen, weighs 1.3 kilograms (2.9 pounds) and is 32 millimeters (1.2 inches) thick.

    “By using the very latest operating system available from Microsoft, customers can now enjoy quicker startup and operation, increased software compatibility and improved support for touchscreen-based tablets, among other benefits,” said Johan Hed, Handheld’s director of product management.

    The new Algiz 10X also has the powerful Intel quad-core N2930 1.83 GHz processor with 2.16 GHz boost. This processor allows for both higher performance and cooler running temperatures. Compared to the Algiz 10X’s previous processor, the N2930 more than doubles performance benchmarking, RAM support, number of cores and performance per watt.

    “We have dramatically increased performance levels without sacrificing operating time or mechanical design,” Hed concludes. “We have also improved our wireless communication support. Besides 802.11 b/g/n on 2.4 GHz, we now support both 802.11ac and 802.11a on 5 GHz. The upgraded Algiz 10X also supports LTE, which provides substantially faster data speeds, both up- and downstream, and increased overall network coverage.”

    Key features of the Algiz 10X version 2:

    • Powerful Intel quad-core N2930 1.83 GHz processor
    • 128 GB SSD, expandable via microSD
    • 4 GB of DDR3 RAM
    • Windows 8.1 Industry Pro (downgradeable to Windows 7)
    • 10.1-inch touchscreen with high-brightness MaxView screen technology
    • IP65 rating and conformity to stringent MIL-STD-810G test standards
    • LTE capability with a fully integrated modem and antennas
    • Integrated u-blox GPS receiver and WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS capability
    • Antenna pass-through connectors for both GSM and GPS
    • Several connectivity options, including WLAN and BT, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, VGA and RS232 ports

    The upgraded Algiz 10X is available now and orders can be placed immediately.

    Below is a video about the new Algiz 10X.

  • u-blox Inside Explosion-Proof Smartphone

    u-blox Inside Explosion-Proof Smartphone

    Impact-X-docked-with-helmet-O
    Photo: u-blox

    Bartec Pixavi has launched the “Impact X intrinsically safe smartphone” based on u-blox’ rugged 3G cellular module technology designed for devices used in tough industrial and outdoor environments. Bartec Pixavi is a manufacturer of mobile devices used in hazardous or explosive environments such as oil platforms, mines and chemical plants.

    “Our Impact X smartphone is designed with the most robust, reliable and safe components available to ensure security and provide reliable connectivity to workers in potentially dangerous locations,” said Christian Rokseth, CEO of Bartec Pixavi. “We chose u-blox’ cellular module technology because of its industry-leading performance, excellent environmental tolerance and reliability.”

    u-blox LISA u230 module. Photo: u-blox
    u-blox LISA u230 module. Photo: u-blox

    The Impact X is CSA Class 1, Zone 1, IECEx and ATEX Zone 1 certified, explosion proof, waterproof and extremely ruggedized. At the heart of the Impact X is u-blox’ professional-grade LISA-U230 six-band 3G cellular module with 2G fallback capability. LISA modules also provide fully integrated access to u-blox GNSS receivers to enable advanced location-aware applications. Antenna diversity permits LISA-U2 modules to provide the highest data speeds.

    “The Impact X is an excellent example of a high-performance mobile device that demands performance well beyond what is provided by standard mobile phones,” said Armin Boeshenz, General Manager of u‑blox sales EMEA. “We are extremely pleased to be a key module supplier to demanding customers such as Bartec Pixavi as proof of our industry-leading quality and reliability.”

    u-blox LISA-U2 modules are suited for networks worldwide. Features include data-rates of up to 21.1 Mb/s (downlink), a rich set of Internet protocols, very small footprint, very low power consumption and extended operating temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees C.