The COVID-19 pandemic has brought uncertainties to all businesses, and the mapping industry has been no exception.
Slowdowns were observed during the first few months of 2020 as lockdowns were gradually enforced in Asia, then Europe, and finally the Americas.
As expected, projects were delayed during that initial period as companies were reorganizing their operations to allow for remote work.
Once that transition was overcome, a great number of projects resumed, and the geospatial field has been gradually coming back to normal since then. That can be explained by different factors, including, for example, several governments accelerating infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy.
A lot of mapping firms have turned the pandemic into an opportunity to improve their processes. Slower times allow reviewing production workflows and assessing bottlenecks. Once identified, new hardware and software solutions can be evaluated to optimize production.
Interestingly, the resulting investments into new solutions has been significant. Companies are seeing a quick payoff as their workload is rapidly accelerating, leading to an increase in their bottom line.
Overall, the mapping industry was able to rapidly adjust to the new reality caused by the pandemic. The changes that are being made in performing projects not only allow us to minimize risks in the short term, but also to increase profitability in the longer term.
SimActive is the developer of Correlator3D software, a patented end-to-end photogrammetry solution for the generation of high-quality geospatial data from satellite and aerial imagery, including drones. Correlator3D performs aerial triangulation (AT) and produces dense digital surface models (DSM), digital terrain models (DTM), point clouds, orthomosaics, 3D models and vectorized 3D features.
Powered by GPU technology and multi-core CPUs, Correlator3D ensures high processing speed to support rapid production of large datasets.
SimActive has been selling Correlator3D to leading mapping firms and government organizations around the world, offering cutting-edge photogrammetry software backed by exceptional customer support.
HoverGames Challenge 2: Help Drones Help Others is the second installment of NXP’s challenge-based, interactive coding competition. It encourages developers to create drone and rover solutions for frontline support during pandemics.
A carbon-fiber quadcopter frame is included in the developer’s kit. (Photo: NXP)
Participants will leverage NXP’s broad portfolio of automotive, industrial and IoT technologies for system control, networking, security and motor control to create solutions that can make a difference in pandemic response.
The first HoverGames took place in the summer of 2019, and was centered around firefighter response. Read about it here.
The collateral effects of pandemics leave citizens with difficult challenges to overcome. A lack of mobility, social isolation and lack of access to goods and services can be physically and psychologically devastating.
HoverGames Challenge 2 will inspire participants to develop pioneering ways to use drones to help healthcare and frontline workers overcome these barriers. The competition encourages contestants to consider the full scope of the difficulties facing society during a pandemic, apply new learning, and work cooperatively through the development of open-source code and community-tested projects to create solutions that help society prepare for future challenges.
Deadline for application is July 31. The competition closes Nov. 30, and winners will be announced in December.
Drone Developer Kit. The hardware and software of this year’s developer kit remains open, flexible and modular. The flight management unit (RDDRONE-FMUK44FMU) includes professional, automotive and industrial-grade components enabled by the PX4 flight stack. PX4 is a large commercially deployed open source flight stack and supports contemporary airframe architectures including vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) aircraft, multicopter and rover profile.
The kit also includes a strong, rigid, lightweight carbon-fiber quadcopter frame with platform, mounting rails, landing gear, motor controllers, motors and props as well as telemetry radio and remote-control radio.
This year’s kit will contain a bonus extension component, the NavQ, an i.MX8M Mini Vision development board.
Projects and lessons learned are transferable to real-world enterprise and commercial applications thanks to Auterion, the company that builds the enterprise distribution of PX4 for the commercial drone market.
“The current pandemic has exposed our vulnerability to disease and the general structural breakdown that can occur during a crisis,” said Iain Galloway, drone program lead, Systems Innovation, NXP. “But we don’t have to feel powerless in its wake. We can harness technology to make a difference. We invite you to leverage a complete functional system of hardware and software for drone and rover development and to share your creative solutions.”
D.C.-area engineering firm produces reusable face shields for region’s hospitals, offers sterile 3D printer patent for COVID applications globally
The team of engineers at Robotic Research LLC, based in Clarksburg, Maryland, is applying its innovative engineering expertise to create new solutions for healthcare workers to help fight the COVID-19 crisis in the Washington area and around the world.
Robotic Research is a provider of autonomy and robotic technologies for government and commercial customers.
The company has created a unique design for reusable face shields and is providing the shields to healthcare teams in hospitals around the Greater Washington Metro area. The company also just opened up its patented design of its sterile 3D printer by waiving licensing fees globally for any application of the printers related to fighting the current public health pandemic.
Face shields
Face shield printed for health-care workers to help fight COVID-19. (Photo: Robotic Research)
The face shields, which Robotic Research is printing on standard industrial 3D printers at its robotics engineering facility in Clarksburg, are being delivered to support teams at hospitals in the Montgomery County area.
The face shield design provides comfort and protection, and features an improved disinfection process capability using materials compatible with hospital cleaning methods. The design has been approved for use in select departments, with broader uses under evaluation.
“Our team wanted to help out in any way we could to support the local frontline health-care providers who are working around the clock to assist those impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis,” said Alberto Lacaze, president of Robotic Research. “We are producing a face shield that modifies a design based off the blueprint provided by the National Institutes of Health. The design includes some enhancements to further protect from aerosol in the temple area and allow the masks to be cleaned and therefore reusable, as well as comfortable to wear over prolonged use.”
Robotic Research has sourced materials from across the country to support the production of approximately 2,000 face shields. The company is seeking a grant through Montgomery County and the state of Maryland to boost production to approximately 500 shields a day. The company normally uses its standard 3D printers to support many of its robotic products and solutions.
Sterile 3D printer
A batch of face shields prepared fo delivered to a Maryland hospital. (Photo: Robotic Research)
Materials used for polymer 3D printing are often damaged by the high temperatures, chemicals or radiation used in standard sterilization processes. Robotic Research’s patented process overcomes this challenge by using a sterile chamber around a 3D printer where unsterilized plastic is brought into the chamber.
The possibly contaminated plastic is sterilized by the printing process and packaged maintaining the sterile field.
This system was initially designed for a U.S. government agency to allow sterile medical materials to be printed at locations where commonly used sterilization methods might not be possible.
“Because this printer can create sterile materials, which are sterile from the inside out once produced, we are eliminating the need for hospitals to re-sterilize equipment before use,” Lacaze said. “At a time when efficiency and supplies are critical, we hope this technology will be able to help alleviate some of the immense pressure hospitals and medical facilities are currently facing. It is our hope that providing the use of this process at no cost may help bring solutions to the health care teams working to save lives during this crisis.”
The unique printer process enables the manufacturing of sterile medical equipment and implantable device components, such as intubation tubes and other materials required during invasive procedures, in a manner that eliminates the need for additional sterilization.
Robotic Research’s patented sterile 3D printing process (USPTO 10,406,758) will be available royalty-free for a minimum of one year for any COVID-19 applications across the globe.
The company is committed to continuing to use its resources and facilities to develop solutions for the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the worldwide COVID-19 response, the 50th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base continues to execute its critical operations, while ensuring the proper steps are taken to maintain airmen’s health and well-being.
As of March 20, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the base. The 50th Space Wing commander, Col. James E. Smith, has enacted multiple safety measures — social distancing, minimum manning and temperature checks at restricted area portals — to protect Airmen and the base’s critical operations.
No pandemic in space
Airman 1st Class Brice Brewington, 4th Space Operations Squadron, is an extremely high-frequency satellite systems operator.
“It’s critical we continue the mission during trying times,” Brewington said. “Although there is a pandemic here on Earth, there’s no pandemic in space and our adversaries aren’t going to stop trying to gain superiority from us any time soon. We need to stay mission-ready rain, sleet, snow, hail and even during a pandemic to complete our mission at the most elite level possible.”
To minimize transmission, 4th SOPS Airmen use cleaning wipes and sanitation spray to clean their workstations. Additionally, accountability is taken daily to make certain the squadron’s airmen are feeling healthy and well.
“I know the service I help provide is critical for [service members] down range,” Brewington said. “I take my job very seriously. Lives depend on it, and we can’t let a pandemic slow down our operations.”
2 SOPS at their stations
The 2nd Space Operations Squadron is one of the United States Space Force’s premier units. 2 SOPS operates the GPS mission, providing a global utility to Earth’s population for free.
“No matter what, we need to ensure this mission continues so the American people and the world know they can depend on us to be the gold standard in precision, navigation and timing,” said Lt. Col Stephen Toth, 2nd SOPS commander.
Some of the services that use GPS to operate are ambulances, hospitals, police departments and fire departments.
“It would make a global pandemic that much worse if we were to go down,” Toth said. “It could prevent a lot of the day-to-day things we rely on from happening, it could be catastrophic.”
According to a study conducted by U.S. Department of Transportation on the economic impact of GPS, a 30 day outage could range from a 2.7 to 5.5 billion dollar economic loss. Additionally, GPS supports 14 of 16 essential industries in the U.S.
“We’ll remain reliable no matter what the condition the world is in,” Toth said. “Whether it be a pandemic, hurricane, tornado or any other type of crisis, we have plans and training for whatever threat we may face so the mission doesn’t stop.”
Unlike other jobs across the Department of Defense, those directly conducting operations can’t telework. They need to be in a sensitive compartmented information facility or restricted area in a secured area to perform the mission. Airmen can access specific terminals and networks only accessible on the operations floor.
“The American people can count on space and they can count on our military to continue to provide the level of capability that’s expected no matter what’s going on in the world,” Toth said. “In times of crisis, people shouldn’t have to question whether we’ll be here or not, because we will and the mission won’t stop.”
Senior Master Sgt. Michael Welch, 50th Contracting Squadron superintendent, distributes sanitizer to an Airman at the 50th Logistics Readiness Flight warehouse at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, April 2, 2020. The 50th CONS secured sanitizing supplies to units across the base to prevent Airmen from contracting COVID-19. (Photo: U.S. Air Force / Airman 1st Class Jonathan Whitely)
Rapid response and decontamination
The 50th Space Wing stood up the Rapid Response Decontamination Detail in response to COVID-19 and hosted a training session March 26 in the wing headquarters building. The training highlighted the importance of having a crew on standby to keep the mission essential operations centers clean and functioning.
“It’s a 24/7 team trained and equipped for rapid response to support operations inside the restricted area,” said Capt. James Selix, 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron weapons officer and R2D2 officer in charge.
For operations crews to request R2D2 services, a squadron commander must call the team and they have 15-30 minutes to respond and initiate the cleaning operation.
“We’re expecting airmen do the preventative portion of their cleaning,” Selix said. “We’re not there to do it for them. We are activated when there are folks showing symptoms of COVID-19 or have positive tests.”
The crew has a priority system should they need to deconflict requests.
“We want to be rapid to support operations,” Selix said. “[Airmen] are continuing their missions 24/7 and if their crews are doing deep cleanings, that’s pulling them away from doing supports, contacting satellites or protecting the restricted area.”
The detail will be operating in eight-hour shifts to ensure their 24/7 availability. They will be on standby to provide terminal cleanings and supplies to squadrons as needed.
“This is a new enemy,” Selix said. “This is a new fight for all of us. We’re developing teams that make sense in the fight against COVID-19, it takes all of us building the road as we walk it.”
The crew has hydrogen-peroxide, disinfectant wipes, protective gear and cleaning sprays and solutions to ensure the operation floors are sanitized and operational.
