GPS World

Tag: technology

  • Hexagon Geospatial Tech Measures Tallest Mountain in New Zealand

    Topography of Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest peak, changed following a rock avalanche. (Photo Wikipedia Commons, C.M. Lynch)
    Topography of Mount Cook, New Zealand’s tallest peak, changed following a rock avalanche. (Photo Wikipedia Commons, C.M. Lynch)

    The National School of Surveying, University of Otago, implemented Hexagon Geospatial technologies provided by Intergraph in its quest to measure the summit of Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University of Otago is New Zealand’s oldest university.

    The university turned to Hexagon Geospatial’s ERDAS IMAGINE and IMAGINE Photogrammetry (formerly LPS) to help measure the height of Mount Cook, also called Aoraki, following a large rock avalanche that changed the peak’s topography and height in 1991. For many years, the university has benefited from Hexagon Geospatial’s education licenses through Intergraph, and chose these technologies for the project because of  their image processing and photogrammetric capabilities, as well as integrated workflows.

    “ERDAS IMAGINE is the cornerstone of the project. It started from there,” said Pascal Sirguey, senior lecturer at National School of Surveying and project leader. “Using the photogrammetric capability, we were led to look more closely at what the model was telling us. The software gave us the right answer in the end.”

    Following the avalanche, a resurvey found the mountain to be 3,754 meters high — down from the surveying estimate of 3,764 meters in 1881. The university undertook the unique challenge of validating the new elevation. Photogrammetry and remote sensing were the only viable methods for measuring the summit as it is considered sacred by the Maori tribe of Ngāi Tahu and standing on it is prohibited.

    Using Hexagon Geospatial’s software, along with Global Navigation Satellite System receivers, the university determined the actual height of Mount Cook is 3,724 meters. For the university’s remarkable efforts, Sirguey received the top award from the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors in 2014 for teaching and education and the New Zealand Spatial Excellence Award 2014 in the Education and Professional Development category.

    The University of Otago was founded in 1869 by an ordinance of the Otago Provincial Council. Its School of Surveying offers the only academic qualification leading to professional recognition as a professional land surveyor in New Zealand, following a period of post-graduation training and examination by the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors. The courses offer a broad range of disciplines — surveying, land planning and development, survey measurement and Geographic Information Systems — that equip graduates for a professional career.

    Provided through Intergraph, Hexagon Geospatial’s education program provides the university with a complete geospatial software portfolio that offers support and tools for academic research projects and teaching.

  • Final Version of gvSIG 2.1 Offers New Features, Bug Fixes

    The gvSIG Association has published the final version of  gvSIG 2.1. This is the first version based on the new architecture oriented to users, and offers many new features, the association said.

    Besides the new functionalities and the correction of a great number of errors that were detected through community collaboration, the association wants to highlight the availability of a distribution for Linux 64 bits and portable versions for Windows as well as Linux.

    Along with the gvSIG 2.1 release, gvSIG has published a new gvSIG website that includes the old gvSIG Association website as well as the project website. It will also serve as a knowledge portal about gvSIG technology. The new website features gvSIG’s catalog of products, such as gvSIG Roads or gvNIX.

    “We want to take advantage of this announcement to thank all the people that have collaborated in making this new version reality, and all the entities that have counted on the gvSIG Association services to solve their needs on geomatics, helping to guarantee the sustainability of the project,” the association said in a statement.

    Features in the latest version include:

    Legends

          – Expresions

          – Proportional symbols

          – Graduated symbols

          – Dot density

          – Quantities by category

          – Charts (pies and bars)

          – Import/export SLD

    Copy/paste geometries

    Lateral buffer

    Split line

    Consecutive numbers function

    Duplicated records function

    Derived geometries

    Chart document

    Map sheets (map series)

    Connection with OpenStreetMap services

    New symbol libraries: Geology, POI Cities, Commerce, Military-APP6, Collective Mapping, Colors, AIGA, Weather

    PostGIS 2.x support (raster and vector)

    Layout

          – Insert chart

          – New layout with TOC (table of contents) included.

          – New grid functionalities.

    Portable views (thematic maps plugin)

    Advanced dissolve geoprocess

    Labeling

          – Advanced labeling

          – Halo option

          – Always show label option

    Raster

          – Set projection to layer

          – Change data type

          – Create multi-file layer

          – Convert to grayscale

          – Integration of tools in the geoprocessing toolbox

          – Principal components tool improved

          – Georeferencing tool improved

          – Tasseled cap

          – Masks by regions of interest

    Export to KML

          – Show attributes in ballon option

          – Use labels option

    Reprojection

          – Reprojection forcing

          – New EPSG projections support.

    Scripting: raster data support

    Layer loading

          – Dragging layers from the file browser.

    Memory management at the Preferences menu.

    Dyschromatopsia / colour blindness

    MsExcel format supporting as a table and a layer

    CSV support

    WFS service:

          – XY axis order selection.

    Print performance improved

    New design of info tool

    Linux 64 bits supporting

    Bug fixing

  • SimActive Launches Version 6.0 with Photogrammetric Workflow

    SimActiveSimActive Inc., a developer of photogrammetry software, has announced Correlator3D version 6.0, which features a new interface for streamlined image processing for any sensor type. Other new features include support of multi-camera setups and large blocks of satellite images.

    The completely redesigned interface allows powerful actions to be easily executed, SimActive said. Correlator3D 6.0 adds a project creation wizard to easily import any type of data. With a created project, processing steps, automated or not, remain the same irrespective of sensor. Moreover, all data and results can be displayed and edited simultaneously at all times by the user.

    “From the neophyte to the experienced user, the elegance of design empowers all, while further increasing functionality and possibilities,” said Louis Simard, CTO of SimActive. “Correlator3D continues to define the industry standard for UAV, large format aerial, and satellite imagery; it is the one-stop solution for all users.”

    For a live demonstration at the India Geospatial Forum 2015 (February 10-12, Hyderabad, India), email [email protected].

  • NGA Director Says Agency Seeks Further Industry Engagement

    NGA Director Robert Cardillo.
    NGA Director Robert Cardillo.

    Robert Cardillo, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, highlighted potential areas for collaboration between the agency and industry during a speech Jan. 21 at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance leadership dinner.

    GEOINT organizations should cooperate to democratize geospatial information, deliver more anticipatory intelligence, and boost data security through identity and access management, Cardillo said. He cited NGA’s new online portal GEOINT Solutions Marketplace, which allows professionals to share their ideas with the NGA.

    According to Cardillo, two factors are driving the democratization: the rapidly spreading geography of the Internet and the “darkening of the skies” by small sats and new airborne collectors.

    “First, the rapidly spreading geography of the Internet — as more people carry more handheld devices to more places – and the emerging Internet of Things demonstrate what you and I have long known: Everything, everyplace, everyone exists in a time and a place. Their dependence on their georeference makes what we do — spatio-temporal analysis — the bridge to the future of commerce, cooperation, transparency and security. We look at questions from a broad geographic point of view. We use geospatial data to analyze questions with scientific methods that give unique perspectives grounded in reality.

    “Second, the skies — really space — will darken with hundreds of small sats to be launched by Skybox, Planet Labs, BlackSky and others. The questions that arise from the persistence of geospatial data streaming from hundreds of satellites covering the earth multiple times a day are staggering. The challenges of taking advantage of that data are daunting. We cannot afford — nor need — to store it all, so will we have to go to an “imagery as a service” model and buy only what we need when we need it? This will be less about the images and more about the derived information or analytics.”And these are only the beginning of the questions we must answer — or even know to ask — about the impact of the small sat revolution. What questions can we answer with daily coverage of the planet? What choices will our adversaries make with daily coverage of the planet? How will we maintain decision advantage in such a playing field?”

    Despite the security challenges, he said the NGA aims to take an active role to maintain public confidence in the intelligence community’s efforts to safeguard privacy and security. He also credited the agency for its work to provide digital access to Ebola-related unclassified information, encourage development of geospatial applications through open sourcing and crowdsourcing programs.

    For Cardillo’s full remarks, see this page.

  • Esri Story Map Asks Which Super Bowl Team Has Better Fans

    With the big game right around the corner, Esri is taking a closer look at the fan-bases supporting the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.

    Using demographic data, an interactive story map compares the Seattle and Boston metropolitan areas across five different sports variables, from buying apparel to tracking sports information on their phones. See which city comes out ahead in this Super Bowl of geography and demographics.

    Here’s the map.

  • W3C, OGC to Integrate Spatial Data on the Web

    The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) are collaborating to improve interoperability and integration of spatial data on the Web. Spatial data — describing geographic locations on the Earth and natural and constructed features — enriches location-based consumer services, online maps, journalism, scientific research, government administration, the Internet of Things, and many other applications. In the United States alone, geospatial data and services are estimated to generate $1.6 trillion annually.

    “Location, as well as providing context to much of today’s online information, is vital to the emerging field of connected devices,” said Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist at Google. “Through this collaboration we hope to make the understanding of geospatial knowledge a fundamental component of the Web.”

    Spatial data is integral to many of our human endeavors and so there is a high value in making it easier to integrate that data into Web based datasets and services. For example, one can use a GIS system to find the nearest restaurant, but today it is difficult to associate that restaurant with reviewer comments available on the Web in a scalable way. Likewise, concepts used widely on the Web such as “the United Kingdom” do not match the geographic concepts defined in a GIS system, meaning Web developers are missing out on valuable information available in GIS systems. Bridging GIS systems and the Web will create a network effect that enriches both worlds.

    “Location plays a vital role for BBC Online, not least in our remit to provide timely information for Weather, Travel and Local News,” said Chris Henden, service owner for location services at BBC Future Media. “It matters across the service, from maps showing places of note in World War One, to detailed context for breaking news. We source data from various third parties, then transform, curate, and make it available to our front-end services. There is a perceptible gap between the specialised world of geographic data, and that of the Web. Bridging that gap can take significant, repeated effort, and is not always successful or possible. Therefore this collaboration between the OGC and W3C is more than welcome.”

    More than 100 participants discussed these challenges at the March 2014 Workshop on Linking Geospatial Data, co-organized by OGC and W3C in partnership with the UK Government Linked Data Working Group, Google, and Ordnance Survey (the UK mapping agency). Stories ranging from management of data in response to the Fukushima nuclear plant accident to the use of spatial data to create new services from spatial and historical data in the Netherlands illustrated a diverse set of integration benefits and challenges.

    Informed by the conclusions from that workshop, the collaboration announced today will enable publishers of spatial data, providers of services that consume the data, and application developers to establish common practices and reduce the cost of integrating spatial data on the Web. Through the collaboration, the geospatial and Web communities will document use cases and requirements, develop best practices for publishing spatial data on the Web, and advance some existing technologies to W3C Recommendations and OGC standards.

    “Through this collaboration we will ensure that governments and research labs will have a way to open up their spatial data to be used transparently by scientists, industry, and citizens alike,” said Kerry Taylor, principal research scientist at Australia’s CSIRO.

    “With growing demand for weather data services delivered via the Web, this joint effort will ensure the progress of practical and usable standards for the integration and communication of location related data,” added Richard Carne, chief digital officer at the MetOffice.

    Participants will evaluate the use of Linked Data for managing the complex evolution and integration of spatial data. The Linked Data approach enables people to produce data independently, and to then easily integrate heterogeneous data from diverse sources.

    “We have used Linked Data — including early work on W3C’s Semantic Sensor Network ontology and OGC’s GeoSPARQL — to monitor and manage ground water levels affecting vulnerable underground archaeological sites,” said Linda van den Brink of Geonovum, the Dutch government geospatial standards body. “We demonstrated that when you have a way to easily express location in Linked Data, you can combine geo-information with other data and discover new information without much effort.”

    For this collaboration, W3C and OGC have each launched a Spatial Data on the Web Working Group (W3C home, OGC home). The groups, both chaired by Ed Parsons and Kerry Taylor, will coordinate closely and publish deliverables jointly.

    For W3C, this work is supported in part by the SmartOpenData project.

  • FAA Issues More UAS Exemptions

    The Trimble UX5.
    The Trimble UX5.

    In December, I wrote about the five new commercial UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) exemptions issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with one commercial exemption being issued to Trimble Navigation for its UX5 mapping UAS. The precedent was a major step towards integrating commercial UAS operations into the United States airspace. This month, the FAA issued two more commercial UAS exemptions, one of them opening a new world of commercial UAS operations.

    Speaking of exemptions, there’s a pile of commercial UAS exemption requests awaiting review by the FAA. From Amazon.com, who garnered lots of UAS attention when television news magazine 60 Minutes interviewed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos about its drone delivery concept, to Agribusiness giant Wilbur-Ellis Co. If you’d like to view the list of requestors as well as read their submissions, click here. How much time does it take from submission to a exemption approval? The FAA doesn’t provide that estimate, but I’ve spoken to several organizations that have been granted exemptions and Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COA). The quickest timeline I’ve heard is three months.

    The Phantom 2 Vision+ UAS
    The Phantom 2 Vision+ UAS

    As I mentioned above, two new commercial UAS exemptions were issued earlier this month. One went to Advanced Aviation Solutions LLC, who was granted an exemption to fly the Swiss-made eBee Ag UAS for precision agriculture. At US$25,000 each, the eBee Ag is for the serious drone connoisseur.

    The other commercial UAS exemption was issued to a realtor in Tucson, Arizona. This exemption is interesting because it’s the first one issued that makes use of the DJI Phantom II Vision+ quad copter UAS. The Phantom II Vision + sells for well under US$2,000 and is generally considered a consumer UAS rather than one purpose-built for commercial users. However, it clearly has the capability of being used by realtors, and thanks to support by Pix4D, a Swiss-based commercial UAS imagery software maker, it can be used for capturing imagery for mapping and generating 3D models.


    At well under $2,000, the DJI Phantom II Vision+ price point is affordable for even the most basic commercial UAS application. The cost is relatively insignificant compared to the cost of image processing software from PIX4D, which at US$7,500 is more than five times the cost of the Phantom.

    No matter which model UAS is being approved in the exemptions, the FAA expects all operators to adhere to many rules in common. One is that the Pilot in Command (PIC) must possess at least an FAA Private Pilot certificate. What does it take to qualify for an FAA Private Pilot Certificate? It’s not a small or inexpensive undertaking. Generally speaking, you need to:

    1. Pass a written knowledge test after completing ground school.
    2. Accumulate 40 hours of flight instruction and solo flight time.
    3. Possess an FAA third-class medical certificate.
    4. Pass a flight test administered by an FAA examiner.

    In terms of cost, a typical small aircraft (Cessna 152) suitable for training will cost you upwards of $90/hour to rent (including fuel). Add all the other costs in and you’re looking at spending more than $10,000. This doesn’t include the time you will spend studying, and there’s a lot to study, from weather phenomena to instruments to aircraft performance to maps.

    Now, the FAA exemptions don’t specify that the exemption holder must have a Private Pilot certificate. If you possess such an exemption, you can hire a Private Pilot to act as Pilot in Command (PIC) of the UAS, but costs start adding up quickly if you have to hire a PIC and also have a Visual Observer (VO) present, which the exemptions are requiring.

    Things are certainly heating up in the commercial UAS world. I have to commend the FAA for stepping up to the plate and taking action to allow commercial UAS operations (however limited) well before the U.S. Congress-imposed deadline of September 2015 for releasing rules for integrating commercial UAS into the United States airspace.

    Thanks, and see you next month.

    Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GPSGIS_Eric

  • Esri Releases Demographic Data for 137 Countries

    Esri has added geodemographic informationfor 57 additional countries to its ready-to-use ArcGIS apps, including Esri Business Analyst Online (BAO) and Esri Community Analyst. Up-to-date population, income, employment, and consumer spending information helps businesses — including retailers, real estate brokers, merchandisers, supply chain managers, and marketers — better understand local markets all around the world, the company said.
    “In today’s global economy, organizations are interested in providing the best services and goods to customers in more than one area,” said Simon Thompson, director of commercial business at Esri. “Esri’s comprehensive data provides the insight organizations need to do business at a hyperlocal level and really meet the needs and demands of local consumers.”

    The newly added countries include those in Latin America and Africa, bringing the total number of countries to 137. In addition, Canadian data has been updated to include 2014 updates, and Australia, France, Germany, and India now have advanced datasets and new reports including household, population, and summary data.

    See a comprehensive list of global Esri Demographic data, and visit Esri booth 3171 at the National Retail Federation show in New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, January 11–13.

  • Leica Offers DISTO E7500 for Simpler Outdoor Distance Measurement

    The Leica DISTO E7500 laser distance meter.
    The Leica DISTO E7500 laser distance meter.

    Leica Geosystems has released the Leica DISTO E7500 laser distance meter, a tool for anyone who needs easy, precise measurements outdoors. An advanced digital Pointfinder and 4x zoom enables users to take measurements with high accuracy up to a 500-foot range in all light conditions. This capability is a distinct advantage when working outside in sunny weather; even if the red laser point is no longer visible, the target can easily be seen on the tool’s full-color display, Leica said.

    The housing and keypad are sealed against water and dust, and certification to the rigorous IP65 rating allows use in adverse weather conditions. It can also be cleaned under running water.

    A Smart Horizontal Mode enables the DISTO E7500 to provide an accurate result even when encountering obstructions such as walls, hedges or people. One measurement to the target is enough for the required horizontal distance to appear on the display, Leica said.

    Other capabilities include automatic calculation of volumes or areas, two programmable favorites keys, timer delay, a 30-position memory, an offset function, and 15 options for units of measure.

    The Leica DISTO E7500 is certified to ISO Standard 16331-1 for precision and performance in everyday use on the jobsite.

  • LiDAR Mapping Forum Considers Geospatial Trends, UAVs

    ILMF 194-W2

    The International LiDAR Mapping Forum, set for February 23-25 in Denver, is a technical conference and exhibition focused on data acquisition, fusion, processing and point clouds for aerial surveying and mapping used to support transport, urban modeling, coastal zone mapping, utility asset management, and more.

    Geospatial Technology Trends. ILMF is considered by many the premier conference for the latest geospatial technological developments, from innovations in photogrammetry to advances in aerial LiDAR systems. Attendees can explore an international exhibition of leading hardware and software suppliers showing their newest releases, and attend sessions where more than 60 experts will present best practices and case studies for cutting-edge technologies such as:

    • Geiger-Mode LiDAR
    • Focal Plane Array (FPA) LiDAR
    • Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS)
    • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

    ILMF-288-WFocus on UAVs. This year, ILMF features a UAV workshop and pavilion, where industry leaders discuss the current regulatory landscape and legal guidelines, UAVs versus aerial LiDAR, training and insurance considerations and more.  Additional program content will cover topics like “Does Camera Quality Matter in sUAS Photography?” and “LiDAR Scanning with Supplementary UAV Captured Images for Structural Inspections.”

    Other topics covered at the conference include:

    • Data fusion
    • Extracting from point clouds
    • Managing large data sets/point clouds
    • Airborne, terrestrial and bathymetric LiDAR
    • Coastal zone, defense and flood plain LiDAR
    • Corridor and utilities mapping
    • Data classification, GIS

    Organizers say participants can gain much from networking with and gaining valuable information from other precision-measurement and imaging professionals across disciplinary lines. Attendance at ILMF 2015 is expected to exceed 800, and will include professionals from these organizations who have already registered:

    • ILMF-WAECOM
    • American Transmission Co
    • BAE Systems
    • Ball Aerospace
    • BNSF Railway
    • Bonneville Power Administration
    • Devon Energy Corporation
    • Dewberry
    • NASA
    • National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
    • NAVAIR
    • U.S. Department of Agriculture
    • U.S. Department of Transportation
    • U.S. Forest Service
    • U.S. Geological Survey
    • Woolpert

    Registration is open.

    Photos: Tracy Cozzens

  • Customizable iPad Data Form for Wetlands Released

    Wetlands-Test-Pits-W

    CMTINC.COM has released the Wetland – Stakeout application for use on the Apple iPad. Besides providing Feature digitization and GPS Stakeout functions, this app will let the users create a custom data entry and report form. The form could be a simple inventory log, price quote, or job contract, or a sophisticated form for collecting GIS data.

    In particular, a customizable report form is built into the app to facilitate the data collection for wetland delineation. This wetland determination data form contains built-in logic as well as formulas for performing automatic computations. It is based on the “Wetland Determination Data Form — Arid West Region” provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The data collection form can be modified by the users for use in other regions.

    The Wetland – Stakeout app will let the users digitize the test sites in a map job or import the test sites from Shapefiles or DXF files. The users can then use the stakeout function to help them get to the test sites and record the observation data. Now that the iOS devices are able to work with some external sub-meter GPS receivers, a user could also record fairly accurate location data for the test holes that are actually dug on site. After completing the wetland data entry, the users can send the report to a PDF file and email it back to the office.

    The Wetland – Stakeout app is one of a series of GPS-based iOS apps developed by CMTINC.COM. It is now available for download from the iTunes App Store.

    Wetland-Input3

  • Scene Sharp Technologies Introduces Fuze Go MS Sharp 2.1

    Scene Sharp Technologies Inc. has launched Fuze Go MS Sharp Release 2.1, which can pansharpen up to 30 bands of satellite image data consistently and accurately without losing information, according to the company.

    The multi-band, lossless pansharpening product makes Fuze Go MS Sharp the software of choice for processing advanced visible and non-visible image data from WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 satellites, the company said. A 15-day trial is available.

    Fuze Go MS Sharp 2.1 was developed in response to extensive customer input regarding technical features as well as the functional experience for the user. It automates the image fusion process by adjusting to sensor and seasonal variations in each individual satellite image data set. This eliminates manual labor or the need to switch algorithms to find one that works for a given data set. The result is a faster workflow process that reduces production costs and provides more critical information for decision making.

    Release 2.1 is a universal image processing tool in the sense that input files can include the most common data formats, such as TIFF (.tif), Erdas Imagine (.img) or ENVI (.hdr) (.dat). Output files can be converted to one of these alternate formats easily allowing the technologist to move between image-processing workflow systems.

    The new MS Sharp release is available as an annual subscription for a single computer license or as a three- or six-person floating system license. Batch processing and integration into value added products are custom options that are also available. MS Sharp is available as a plug-in for ENVI 5.0, 5.1 and 5.2, or as a stand-alone product.

    “Fuze Go MS Sharp Release 2.1 is ideal for organizations that have satellite image data and need software to automate their workflow,” said Ian Lucas, Scene Sharp Technologies CEO. “The ability to process any number of bands means adding more information for analytics so you can get more value out of the image data you are purchasing.”