GPS World

Tag: technology

  • Locating help: Mapping the homeless population

    By Troy Lambert

    Census data tries to describe for us what the homeless population looks like across the country. Typically the numbers contained in this data are considered to be low, as not all homeless individuals and families are “visible” so getting an accurate count can be challenging.

    An interesting interactive map has been created by Movoto that allows the user to look at the number of homeless per 100,000 people in each state. But Geographic Information Systems (GIS), community involvement, and app builders are helping gather and utilize data to truly make a difference.

    MOVOTO offers an interactive map.
    MOVOTO offers an interactive map.

    It’s not surprising to note that most of homeless shelter users have goals, both short and long term. Kelly A. Schwend , Maureen Cluskey , and Michael Cordell of Bradley University explored these in a study released early this year titled “Lifestyles and Goals of Male Homeless Shelter Users.” While most participants short term goals are focused on employment, almost all of them had medium to long term goals involving housing.

    The questions raised are several. How do we move the homeless from the streets into some kind of housing ladder, and who will assist them? GIS is helping to answer these questions in some of the larger population centers around the country. These programs are merely examples of what can be done elsewhere on a larger or smaller scale.

    San Francisco

    Over 10 years ago, then mayor of San Francisco Garvin Newsom promised that the worst of the homeless problem in one of the richest cities in the world would be gone. Ten years later, the city has moved nearly 20,000 homeless of the streets, but this hasn’t made a dent in the population. It seems that when one individual is helped, another takes their place.

    Photo Credit: CartoDB
    Photo Credit: CartoDB

    San Francisco Open Data contains information on the homeless population, counted by supervisory district. Taking this data, Bill Levay then overlays a San Francisco neighborhood shapefile. This not only shows where the homeless populations are concentrated, but by also adding in mapped locations of public and affordable housing locations, reveals if the resources are located near those in need. You can view the interactive map above here.)

    Photo Credit: CantoDB
    Photo Credit: CantoDB

    For instance, we can see on the map showing the intersection of this data that while a large portion of the homeless population is located near downtown and the South of Market area where there are only a few scattered public housing locations, there is much more public housing clustered together in Chinatown. While this issue has yet to be corrected, this information can be used to inform future decisions when locating resources.

    Los Angeles

    San Francisco is not the only populous city dealing with homelessness. Los Angeles is dealing with one of the largest homeless populations in the nation. A biennial survey taken in January, said to be the most rigorous and accurate so far according to City Labs, reveals 44,359 people sleeping on the streets, in their cars, and in shelters.

    A Los Angeles Survey shows an estimated a homeless population of 44,359, a 12% increase since 2013. (Credit: Los Angeles Times)
    A Los Angeles Survey shows an estimated a homeless population of 44,359, a 12% increase since 2013. (Credit: Los Angeles Times)

    A map created by the Los Angeles Times shows where this population ends up at night. Efforts are spotty at best, although the County’s Housing for Health program wants to have 10,000 permanent housing units created by 2018. Although Mayor Eric Garcetti says ending homelessness is a primary goal, and calls for funding for affordable housing, the problem continues to grow.

    It is hoped that mapping the concentration of the population to help resource teams know what locations to target, the revision of laws prohibiting sleeping in public, and discouraging police raids on homeless encampments will help.

    Baltimore

    Baltimore’s homeless population is smaller than that of Los Angeles, but still significant. The city is using both mapping and a survey taken every two years to locate the homeless and target resources.

    They’ve added another weapon to their arsenal, the Homeless Management Information System, (HMIS) spearheaded by the group The Journey Home and the Mayor’s Office for Health. Using this data, and a new web survey form, the city has obtained a more accurate picture of the homeless population, its location, and the resources still needed.

    The survey, called the Point in Time (PIT), this year counted 2,796 homeless, 88% of whom were housed in shelters. The survey also looked at Housing Information Count (HIC). The study showed some progress and some setbacks, and revealed growth in the category of unaccompanied youth.

    Photo Credit: Esri.com
    Photo Credit: Esri.com

    The map above shows the population, and the location of resources all within a one and a half mile radius. The program not only uses mapping, but employs other technology to attempt to create long term, sustainable, and creative solutions to the city’s homeless issues.

    New York City

    Perhaps the most innovative mapping program in the country involves several apps being used in New York City. Launched in early August the new app called NYC Map the Homeless lets users take a picture of the homeless which is tied to their location, and use hashtags like #man or #sleeping to categorize individuals. They can even choose #violent to let authorities know about individuals perceived to be dangerous.

    Photo Credit: NYC Map the Homeless

    The idea, according to the developer, is to “gather as much data as possible to make sense of the homeless issues we’re seeing.”

    He’s far from the first to try to use technology to address the increasing homeless issues in New York City, Homeless Helper, Feed it Forward, and WeShelter. WeShelter, provides direct assistance to the homeless, and wants create a behavior change from doing nothing to doing something, even if the user is not sure what to do.

    The app lets users donate money to the homeless at the tap of a button, and also send location information to WeShelter, which helps them send outreach teams to areas with the most need.

    Unlike Map the Homeless, WeShelter does not allow users to take pictures in the interest of privacy. it also keeps the location data it gathers closer to the vest, only making it available to homeless outreach groups.

    Regardless of the location or the methodology, it is clear that mapping the locations of the homeless population and the resources available to them is a step in the right direction. GIS plays a large role in aiding social action.

    Want to be a part of the solution? The Journey Home has some answers, but you can also get involved in your own community using the skills you have to aid in the eradication of homelessness. As WeShelter states, it’s all about a change in behavior from doing nothing to doing something.

  • Topcon DS-200i connects with Autodesk iPad layout app

    ts_ds_cutout_2Topcon Positioning Group’s DS-200i direct-aiming motorized imaging station is now compatible with the new Autodesk BIM 360 Layout app for the Apple iPad.

    The DS-200i is the second total station solution that Autodesk and Topcon have collaborated on for contractors, following the Topcon LN-100 Layout Navigator.

    The DS-200i has an electronic distance measurement (EDM) range of up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) without the need of a prism, and 5,000 meters (26,240 feet) with one. The built-in wireless WLAN connects the iPad with the BIM (building information modeling) 360 Layout app.

    The collaboration provides contractors the ability to connect a coordinated model to the field layout process, helping to increase job-site productivity while improving the accuracy of staked or installed building components, according to a Topcon news release.

    Additionally, the DS-200i offers an excellent reflectorless solution for quality assurance and quality control workflows — verifying items in the field are installed correctly as compared to models.

    The DS-200i features real-time video imaging with a 5 MP camera. The controller’s touchscreen video and arrow keys are designed to let remote operators view what is being measured, Topcon said, similar to looking through the telescope.

    The Autodesk BIM 360 Layout app is available through the Apple App Store.

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

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

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

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

  • VDOS Global and Cunningham Lindsey partner for drone insurance claims

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Jane Goodall launches Tapestry of Hope interactive map

    TapestryofHope-Goodall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • what3words: The geospatial advancement of the year?

    In this screen capture of the what3words app, the pointer is on mouse's head at the Magic Kingdom. That grid cell is named "perform.heckle.comfortable" and will not change.
    In this screen capture of the what3words app, the pointer is on mouse’s head at the Magic Kingdom. That grid cell is named “perform.heckle.comfortable” and will not change.

    Early this year, I wrote a short column about what3words, one of the exhibitors at the Esri Federal GIS Conference. Since then, I’ve run into a fair number of geospatial professionals who hadn’t heard about what3words. This month,  I’m doing a deeper dive on it because I believe it will become part of our daily lives in just a few short years.

    What is what3words?

    what3words is a global location system using tessellated grid squares of the entire Earth. Each grid cell is roughly 3 meters by 3 meters, and each cell is uniquely named using a simple three-word combination such as “fork.lamp.book.” On initial consideration, one would think, “So what?” — until you understand the ramifications.

    First, this has already been done. More than 57 trillion 3-meter squares have been named using only 40,000 words.

    Second, the system is non-hierarchal, and the cells have no adjacent relationship, so minor errors are dramatically obvious.

    Third, unlike GPS lat/long, the United States National Grid (USNG), the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) or even street addresses, the three-word combinations are easy to remember and not easily misunderstood.

    Fourth, the system is not just a 57-trillion record database; it’s a compact app (10 mb) that accurately generates the same unique name for each unique location with identifiers that are locked in concrete.

    The what3words website has more information and a well-done video overview.

    How did it come to be?

    Surprisingly, what3words was developed not by a geospatial analyst, but by a musician who got tired of driving around trying to find the correct hotel loading dock or concert venue entrance using an address or verbal directions. Even GPS coordinates didn’t help, since it was easy to miskey numbers or misunderstand voice-relayed numbers. As a result, he and his team built an app that is easy to use, memorable and not error prone.

    Early radio analogy

    The system is so easy to understand that non-technical users can quickly adopt it. I believe that it will greatly speed communications, minimize mistakes, and reduce wasted time and mileage. To me, a good analogy is the World War I development of the phonetic alphabet.

    In the early days of radio, voice communications were difficult and error-prone because of static, noise and garbled transmissions. To prevent mistakes, the military adopted a fixed list of words to help with aural identification of individual letters. The words were used for transmission of critical information such as map coordinates or to spell out words. (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, etc.) A similar mind/ear relationship occurs with what3words. Here is a well-written technical appraisal and amplification by Prof. Robert Barr.

    Possible uses


    Military

    The implications for the military could be significant. When I served on a destroyer, one of my duties was Gunnery Liaison Officer, providing naval gunfire support for troops in battle locations. The 5-inch gunfire was called in by concealed spotters in the battle space. The coordination and conversion between the spotter location, the spotter’s point of view, and our offshore position and line of fire required significant calculations and diligence, because friendly fire was always a concern. Current developments in GPS and laser technology have helped significantly, but friendly fire mistakes from guns, missiles and bombing are still a constant concern. The use of what3words could be a simple and quick way to double check and prevent targeting friendly locations.

    Another issue that was a problem for some military bases was addressing, or E911. Some bases had buildings identified by numbers corresponding to the sequence of construction rather than street addresses, so building 245 might be next to building 1842 and next to building 38 (I’m not sure if this is still an issue). With what3words, help could be directed to exact building entrances or to exact locations in remote parts of a base.

    Disaster response would also benefit. In many disasters such as tornados or hurricanes, street signs and building were obliterated. What3words would provide “addressing” for relief supply drops and other needs.

    The location of the helo deck on the battleship Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia, is identified as "chew.sketch.hardly".
    The location of the helo deck on the battleship Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia, is identified as “chew.sketch.hardly”.

    First Responders

    Whether it be an air crash needing remote mountain rescue, a farm accident in a rural area, a capsized boat at sea, or a heart-attack victim in a shopping mall or home, response could be significantly faster with less chance for error. Even in urban areas, there are frequent stories of delayed medical aid because E911 street databases were not correct or updated with new construction. what3words provides complete location coverage and would serve as an easy and effective double check for street addresses.

    Government and NGO activity

    Some of you may be familiar with U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files and LUCA (Local Update of Census Addresses). I still can’t wrap my head around why census workers have to keep posted house numbers and street names confidential. Perhaps using what3words could provide a simpler, unclassified way to direct census workers. Additionally, many actions that currently use GPS may be better served with 3m grid locations, such as agricultural or environmental data collection.

    Business

    Mundane activities such as materials delivery to unaddressed construction sites or package delivery to homes and businesses will be more efficient. (Rumor has it that a prominent package delivery service is testing what3words.) Utility companies could locate cut-off valves, meters and other assets within 7 feet of their actual location. Meeting friends, getting an Uber pick up, or even having a pizza delivered to a specific bleacher location at a Little League game would become easy.

    Second and third world

    There are complex issues regarding the World Bank and economic development. To qualify for major economic development loans, countries have to demonstrate that they have viable property ownership and taxation system in place so loans can ultimately be repaid. We take our tax parcel system for granted, but may third-world countries don’t even have consistent and comprehensive street names and addresses. what3words can provide “addresses,” which could lead to more comprehensive parcel identification.

    On an even more basic level, the majority of citizens in the world don’t have an address for simple deliveries. When I was in a rural part of Haiti, just getting some simple wood screws was an all-day trip and ordeal. I learned to really appreciate being able to take a quick run to Home Depot or get two-day deliveries at my front door from Amazon. Those “luxuries” don’t exist in many parts of the world, and their lack really cripples those trying to start or run a business. what3words gives everyone an “address.”

    Try it

    iphone-WDon’t take my word for it; try it yourself. Download the app on your smartphone (I’m using an iPhone, so others may be slightly different). Launching the app will display a map with your location and its what3words name. Click the “eye” to view an ortho image rather than a vector map.

    If the padlock is locked, unlock it and you can move the map to different locations showing different what3words names. If you are sent a what3words location, you can click on the magnifying glass and type in the three words. The app will prompt “Near Me” or “Anywhere.” If there is no match near you, it will show possible options that come close by looking at alternate spellings or words. If you click “Anywhere” it will search the entire world for a match.

    Once it takes you to the location, you can use Maps or Google Maps to get directions.

    Other points

    what3words has been adopted by many geospatial firms, including Esri. Available online or offline, anywhere in the world, the what3words locator can be available to the GIS team or customers across the entire ArcGIS platform. Since what3words is grid-cell layer, it may be possible to do map algebra operations on the cells in Spatial Analyst. I’m not sure there would be a benefit to that other than not needing to transform the list of affected cells.

    what3words is available in several languages. The words are not simple translations, but developed for each language. Although the what3words team carefully scrubbed the words used to avoid offensive terms, I hope what3words doesn’t have to deal with lawsuits from individuals unhappy with the three-word identifiers of their location.

    Conclusion

    I predict that within a few years, our business cards will also include a what3words address. Simply put, I believe that what3words may prove to be one of the most significant geospatial advancements since Jack Dangermond spatially linked points, lines and polygons to a relational database.

    what3words is going to save time, money and, most important, it’s going to save lives.

    P.S.  If you read my March column reviewing Peter Zeihan’s book The Accidental Superpower, you may remember the importance Peter placed on 3D printing affecting the geo-politics of shipping manufactured goods from China.  If you haven’t seen the new CLIP technology 3D printers, you need to view this TED video to see how far the technology has progressed.

  • GeoMobile Innovations hosts ‘Evaluating the Mobile GIS Landscape’ workshop

    Mobile GIS expert GeoMobile Innovations is hosting an Evaluating the Mobile GIS Landscape workshop on Jan. 14, 2016. The inaugural course will provide an extensive overview and best practice assessment for those seeking solutions in an often confusing menu of choices for Mobile GIS.

    The workshop, which will be conducted via live instruction at GeoMobile’s headquarters in Corvallis, Oregon, will be led by GeoMobile’s Technical Director Craig Greenwald. Greenwald is a highly experienced ESRI/Mobile GIS expert and software developer, the company said.

    When asked about the impetus for the class, GeoMobile President Rich Ash responded, “We are hearing about a lot of confusion in the Mobile GIS marketplace. There are many new offerings being aggressively marketed to organizations and it can be tempting to jump in to a new tool without a clear line of decision making. Advancements and new options are exciting, but Mobile GIS tools are not a one size fits all proposition; professional organizations need to adequately assess their project needs, considering multiple criteria.”

    Evaluating the Mobile GIS Landscape is a consultative workshop that is proposed to offer meaningful real-world information without the sales pitch, the organizers said. It will help an organization assess appropriate GIS workflows and ask meaningful questions about deploying software and hardware tools suitable for their projects.

    Lead instructor and mobile GIS software developer Craig Greenwald emphasized his approach in the workshop is helping students in seeking practical solutions. “Having provided consulting and professional software services to organizations large and small, I’m often brought in after decisions have already been made about software and hardware,” Greenwald said. “By being proactive, we can save folks headache and expense in having to make significant adjustments mid-project. The beauty of this course is in that in a short, focused period of time, each student will have a chance to assess their own requirements and we will take them through a decision-making worksheet “

    The class is $195 per participant and includes lunch. More information and a downloadable registration form is available at the event website, or by email if requested from [email protected].

  • Hexagon launches M.App Chest cloud app

    Hexagon Geospatial has officially launched M.App Chest, a cloud-based application associated with Hexagon Smart M.App.

    In September, Hexagon Geospatial introduced the M.App Chest Early Access Program, which provided an opportunity for users to test out the new cloud-based innovation for storing, managing and distributing large volumes of geospatial data.

    M.App Chest provides a means to quickly upload, organize and share imagery and point cloud data in the cloud. It also provides optional compression capabilities along with streaming and delivery via web services.

    “Since 2003, we have created the equivalent of five exabytes of data. Clearly, today’s organizations need the right tools for managing and leveraging high volumes of data,” said Mladen Stojic, President of Hexagon Geospatial. “M.App Chest provides a better experience for easily uploading, storing and sharing geospatial data in ways that can transform any organization.”

    Following are key features and benefits of M.App Chest:

    • View M.App Chest Data Online: The free M.App Reader allows users to view data online with interactive roam and zoom tools. Data from M.App Chest can also be consumed into other applications via web services.
    • Availability and Access: M.App Chest flexibly ingests a variety of data types and provides secure data access, even to teams who are dispersed across the globe.
    • Big Data Support: M.App Chest supports large files and provides advanced compression, helping to solve Big Data problems.
    • 360-Degree Geospatial Content Management: Manage data, including business data like documents, spreadsheets, and multimedia files, all in the same secure cloud-based system.
    • No Installation: No installation is required. Users can sign up, and pay as they go.

  • Mapillary creates 3D models with users’ photographs

    Mapillary has released a video showing 3D models of locations its users photograph. The company said this gives users “the power to virtually explore their own photos like never before.”

    According to a Mapillary blog, “Our users have taken over 40 million photos to date. Each of these are stitched together with computer vision – a type of artificial intelligence that extracts information from images. For every single photo uploaded, we can automatically match features to the ones in photos from the same geographic vicinity so that we can compute how the images relate to each other and how to navigate from one to the other. This is how users navigate between photos in the Mapillary app and web browser.

    “Taking it one step further, we can also recover a 3D model of every area photographed. What began as a means to improve positioning of each photo beyond the GPS accuracy given by smartphones turned out to be quite an magical viewing experience.

    “We couldn’t keep this to ourselves so now users can explore our underlying 3D data by simply clicking the ‘show point clouds’ option in the sidebar in your web browser. We’ve also added full support for panoramas, which enables users to move seamlessly between regular photos and panoramas in 3D, giving them a smooth and other-worldly viewing experience.”

    The video shows the 3D data collected from a user walking across the courtyard at the Alcazar Palace in Seville, Spain. The camera positions are shown as white rectangular frames.


    (Point clouds from Mapillary on Vimeo.)

  • SimActive strengthens enterprise UAV offering with version 6.3

    Photogrammetry software developer SimActive has announced Correlator3D version 6.3 with an expanded UAV enterprise offering. A new floating licensing option allows computers on the same network to seamlessly borrow licenses from a pool, increasing transferability for enterprise requirements.

    Because of the worldwide client base of Correlator3D, SimActive has also introduced multi-language support with this version. Users can now operate the software in multiple languages, along with the default English option. Examples of the increased selection include Chinese, Japanese and French.

    “With users in over 50 countries, including many with enterprise requirements, we continue adding features to meet the immense industry demand for the product,” said Louis Simard, CTO of SimActive. “With processing speed at least 10 times faster than entry-level UAV software, Correlator3D is the only affordable global enterprise solution.”

    For a live demonstration at the Capturing Reality Forum (Nov. 23-25, Salzburg, Austria), visit booth 37 or send an email to [email protected].

  • FAA grants Sentera exemption for commercial UAV use

    Sentera LLC, a designer of sensors, software, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has been granted a Section 333 exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate multiple types of commercially available UAVs. Applications for these systems include crop survey, infrastructure inspection, geospatial mapping and other aerial imaging missions.

    “We are excited to receive the exemption,” said Sentera CEO, Eric Taipale. “While most exemption holders focus on providing revenue-generating flight services, Sentera flies primarily to demonstrate our products to customers and to gather and analyze aerial data which helps us enhance our OnTop Platform, a data management system designed specifically to support the thousands of images collected during a typical UAV flight.”

    Sentera’s exemption for both fixed-wing and quadcopter UAVs ensures the company can capture a wide range of data types that are relevant to customer applications, including very high-resolution visual, multispectral, and thermal imagery, as well as specialized non-image information. Customers use Sentera input data to perform many tasks, such as developing planting and crop management advice for growers, building 3D models of buildings, structures, and terrain for asset owners, and monitoring environmental regulatory compliance for public agencies.

    Comprehensive data management solutions are crucial to successful UAV inspections, asset audits, safety inspections, agriculture data collections, and point-cloud collection activities.

    “Clients use a myriad of UAV-captured data types to increase safety, assess crop health, and boost ROI (return on investment),” explained Taipale. “Sentera already provides some of the most precise sensors and leading UAV solutions in the industry. Our Section 333 exemption allows us advance our OnTop Platform more rapidly, which ultimately helps our customers manage all of this data most efficiently.”

    The FAA authorization allows Sentera to fly UAV platforms built by Lockheed Martin, DJI and Sentera.

  • Bentley Announces Winners of 2015 Be Inspired Awards

    Bentley Systems, a global provider of software solutions for infrastructure, has announced the winners of the 2015 Be Inspired Awards at its Year in Infrastructure 2015 Conference. The awards honor the extraordinary work of Bentley users improving the world’s infrastructure.

    At a ceremony and gala held Nov. 4 in London, 18 Be Inspired Awards winners and five Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards winners were presented. In addition, Bentley’s Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to J.P. (Peter) Blake, director, Project Delivery Group for Hatch. Blake was recognized for his exceptional vision, numerous career achievements, leadership, and effectiveness as a change agent, having tirelessly advocated throughout his career for improving infrastructure workflows through the better application of advanced technologies. Equally important, he was honored as a great friend and mentor to the infrastructure community at large.

    The Year in Infrastructure Conference is a global gathering of executives in the world of infrastructure design, construction and operations. It features presentations and interactive sessions exploring the intersection of technology and business drivers, and how they are shaping the future of infrastructure delivery and investment returns. The 2015 event was also attended by more than 100 members of the media from publications around the globe who met with Bentley executives on Monday for the company’s annual Media Briefing. The agenda also included presentations by finalists in the Be Inspired Awards program, culminating in the selection of the winning projects.

    This year, 10 independent panels of jurors, comprising distinguished industry experts, selected the 18 Be Inspired Awards winners from 54 project finalists. These finalists had been previously chosen from 360 submissions by organizations in 66 countries.

    Candidates for Bentley’s Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards were selected by the jurors from the top finalist projects as well as other exemplary nominations. This selection was based on the projects’ uniquely innovative and visionary achievements that transcend the narrower focus of the standing Be Inspired Awards categories. The nominees were then reviewed by a panel of Bentley executives, who evaluated them based on the criteria established for each award.

    “This has been a year of major achievements for Bentley Systems that include the introduction of our CONNECT Edition infrastructure engineering software, providing a common environment for comprehensive project delivery,” Bentley Systems CEO Greg Bentley said. “But the achievements that my colleagues and I are most proud of are those of our users. For while our goal at Bentley is advancing infrastructure, we can only accomplish it through the vision, talent, and dedication of the architects, engineers, constructors, and operations professionals who creatively apply our technology in pursuit of effective strategies for achieving new levels of project and/or infrastructure asset performance.

    “Such achievements are exemplified by the extraordinary Be Inspired Award-winning projects we celebrated last night. I heartily congratulate the organizations that were instrumental in the delivery or operations of these truly inspiring projects. Moreover, I applaud all of the project nominees in this year’s awards program for their contributions to improving quality of life around the globe.”

    2015 Be Inspired Award Winners

    2015 Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards

    Advancing Collaborative BIM

    Morphosis Architects – Bill & Melinda Gates Hall – (Ithaca, New York, United States)

    Advancing Comprehensive BIM “Playbooks”

    Hatch Ltd – Keeyask Hydroelectric Generating Station Project – (Nelson River, Manitoba, Canada)

    Advancing Construction Modeling

    Jacobs – NAG Project – (Baytown, Texas, United States)

    Advancing Information Mobility in Operations

    Western Power Distribution – EMU for iPad – (Exeter, United Kingdom)

    Advancing Integrated Projects

    HDR – Union Station to Oak Cliff Streetcar TIGER Design-Build Project – (Dallas, Texas, United States)

    2015 Be Inspired Awards

    Innovation in Asset Performance Management

    SA Water – Predictive and Operational Analytics Tools, Adelaide Metro Water Distribution Network – (Adelaide, South Australia, Australia)

    Innovation in Bridges

    LCW Consult – The Ceira River Bridge – (Coimbra, Coimbra District, Portugal)

    Innovation in Building

    Robin Partington and Partners – One Merchant Square – (London, United Kingdom)

    Innovation in Construction

    Vic’s Crane & Heavy Haul, Inc. – Unit 25 Project – (Rosemount, Minnesota, United States)

    Innovation in Government

    Singapore Land Authority – Mapping Singapore in 3D – (Singapore)

    Innovation in Land Development

    Tata Consulting Engineers Ltd. – Detailed Design of Utility Infrastructure – (Dharampur, Gujarat, India)

    Innovation in Megaprojects

    AECOM – E4 Stockholm Bypass FSK02 Rock Tunnels Design Contract – (Stockholm, Sweden)

    Innovation in Mining

    Tetra Tech Proteus – Kvanefjeld Rare Earth: Uranium Project – (Narsaq, Kujalleq, Greenland)

    Innovation in Offshore

    Keystone Engineering Inc. – Block Island Wind Farm – (Block Island, Rhode Island, United States)

    Innovation in Power Generation

    MWH Global – Tyseley Resource Recovery Centre – (Birmingham, West Midland, United Kingdom)

    Innovation in Process Manufacturing

    Giprotyumenneftegaz – Preliminary Water Removal Unit: North Vankor Field – (Igarka, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Russia)

    Innovation in Project Delivery

    AECOM – Global Project Collaboration in a Design-build-finance-operate (DBFO) World – (Global)

    Innovation in Rail and Transit

    London Underground Ltd – Bond Street to Baker Street Tunnel Remediation Project – (London, United Kingdom)

    Innovation in Roads

    Grontmij – A6 to Manchester Relief Road – (Stockport, Manchester and Cheshire, United Kingdom)

    Innovation in Structures

    Stanley D. Lindsey and Associates, Ltd. – SkyHouse Apartments – (Denver, Colorado; Atlanta, Georgia; Orlando and Tampa, Florida; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Austin, Houston, and Dallas, Texas, United States)

    Innovation in Utilities and Communications

    Pacific Gas and Electric Company – Engineering Contractor Collaboration Solution Using ProjectWise and Bentley Substation – (San Ramon, California, United States)

    Innovation in Water Network Analysis

    Prolagos/Aegea – Water Master Plan for the Região dos Lagos – (Região dos Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

    Innovation in Water Treatment Plants

    Aqua+ – Complex Scheduling and Automatic Water Quality Monitoring of Groundwater – (Khabarovsk, Far East Federal District, Russia)

    Bentley Systems has posted highlights of this year’s winning projects on its website. It will include more detailed descriptions of all nominated projects in the print and digital versions of its 2015 Infrastructure Yearbook, which will be published after the first of the year. To review the past 11 editions of this publication, which together feature more than 2,500 world-class projects recognized in the Be Inspired Awards program since 2004, access Bentley’s Infrastructure Yearbooks.