A new night map integration feature is available for all Concept3D maps. The toggle-on map overlay is designed to enhance campus safety and security by making it easy to find the best, well-lit routes and critical resources such as emergency phones.
The Concept3D interactive mapping platform is used by hundreds of major universities, colleges and schools, as well as convention centers, hospitals, resorts, retirement communities, data centers and businesses.
The night map feature offers all of these clients a way to provide their audiences with important safety and security information for visiting and navigating the campus at night.
The University of Denver, Boise State University, and Pacific Lutheran University are the first to integrate this feature into their Concept3D-powered interactive campus maps.
The night map of the campus of Boise State University. (Image: Concept3D)
Boise State University is using the new night map feature to highlight Public Safety Dispatch Centers, Emergency Blue Light and Refugee Phones and locations of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Each item has a display box that further explain the exact location of the service and additional information.
Pacific Lutheran uses the night map to display campus AEDs, emergency telephones, and its safety building.
Colleges and universities that participate in federal Title IV student financial assistance programs must comply with the Clery Act, which requires annual security reporting, details and geographic information about crimes committed on campus and on public areas immediately adjacent to the campus, and timely warnings and emergency notifications, among other requirements.
Airbus has enlarged its high-resolution imagery portfolio following an agreement to leverage capacity from the S1-4 satellite built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL). The new imagery offer — called Vision-1 — delivers end-to-end imaging operations to Airbus’ customers.
Vision-1 provides 0.9-meter resolution imagery in the panchromatic band and 3.5-meter in the multispectral bands (NIR, RGB), with a 20.8-kilometer swath width. These specifications are ideal for defence, security and agriculture applications, while this extra revisit opportunity further strengthens Airbus’ satellite fleet.
“This new asset will reinforce our monitoring capabilities for sub-metre imaging, and feed our OneAtlas digital platform to provide increased freshness,” said François Lombard, director of Intelligence Business at Airbus Defence and Space.
Vision-1 operations will be coordinated by Airbus in the UK, following integration into the UK Mission Operation Centre, which operates the commercial imaging of the DMC Constellation. This is an important step for UK sovereign imaging capability, Airbus said, adding sub-meter data to the existing UK imaging capabilities.
As Vision-1 was launched in September 2018 together with NovaSAR, this opens significant opportunities for applications combining optical and radar satellite imagery.
Along with Vision-1, Airbus offers commercial access to the largest fleet of Earth Observation satellites: Pléiades, SPOT 6/7, DMC Constellation and the weather-independent radar satellites TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X and PAZ.
Viametris has launched the second-generation version of the vMS3D, its urban and road lidar scanner.
The second-generation version of the 3D mobile vehicle scanner has been redesigned to be more compact. The system has been simplified considerably in both electronic and ergonomic terms to make it more robust and stable in adverse conditions and challenging environments.
Despite being lighter, the second generation offers the same technological capacities as its predecessor, but is simpler to use and can be mounted on a vehicle in minutes.
The system component (including the sensors) and the element to affix the device to the vehicle (the frame) previously formed one unit, but are now separated.
The redesigned system is much lighter (9 kg) and more compact.
The mechanism to fix the scanner to the vehicle, which formed part of the system in the first-generation version, has been transformed. A rigid metal frame, fixed onto two roof bars, now holds the system, which fits into a dedicated compartment in seconds. As the frame is rigid, it limits vibrations between the system and the vehicle and prevents any strain on the mechanics during acquisition.
The second auxiliary antenna, which measures the heading by satellite, is discreet and non-removable, and fixed directly to the vehicle chassis.
The new design makes it easier to mount and use the system, a task that can be accomplished by a single person in under three minutes. Alignment takes place the first time the system is mounted and does not need to be repeated, saving valuable time each start.
Technological features
The vMS3D comprises a new set of components that are more robust and stable in difficult conditions.
The integrated connectors are next-generation and embedded-grade.
The control box for power supply and communication with the tablet has been moved inside the vehicle to offer increased comfort to the user.
A major use of remote sensing data is to compare images of an area taken at different times and identify the changes it underwent. With a wealth of long-term satellite imagery in open use, detecting such changes manually would be time-consuming and most likely inaccurate.
To address this, EOS Data Analytics has introduced an automated Change Detection tool to its flagship product LandViewer, a cloud tool for satellite imagery search and analysis in today’s market.
Unlike the methods involving neural networks that identify changes in the previously extracted features, the change detection algorithm implemented by EOS is using a pixel-based strategy, meaning that changes between two raster multi-band images are mathematically calculated by subtracting the pixel values for one date from the pixel values of the same coordinates for another date.
This new signature feature is designed to automate a change detection task and deliver accurate results in fewer steps and in a fraction of the time needed for change detection in most image-processing software.
Change detection interface: Images of Beirut city coastline selected for tracing the developments of the past years. (Image: LandViewer)Change detection interface: Images of Beirut city coastline selected for tracing the developments of the past years. (Image: LandViewer)
Applications from farming to environmental monitoring
One of the main goals set by EOS team was to make the complex process of change detection in remote sensing data equally accessible and easy for non-expert users coming from non-GIS industries.
With Land Viewer’s change detection tool, farmers can quickly identify the areas on their fields that were damaged by hail, storm or flooding. In forest management, satellite image detection of changes will come in handy for estimation of the burned areas following the wildfire and spotting the illegal logging or encroachment on forest lands.
Observing the rate and extent of climate changes occurring to the planet (such as polar ice melt, air and water pollution, natural habitat loss due to urban expansion) is an ongoing task of environmental scientists, who may now have it done online in a matter of minutes. By studying the differences between the past and present using the change detection tool and years of satellite data in Land Viewer, all these industries can also forecast future changes.
Top change detection use cases: Flood damage and deforestation
A picture is worth a thousand words, and the capabilities of satellite image change detection in Land Viewer can be best demonstrated on real-life examples.
Forests that still cover around a third of the world’s area are disappearing at an alarming rate, mostly due to human activities such as farming, mining, grazing of livestock, logging, and also the natural factors like wildfires. Instead of massive ground surveying of thousands of forest acres, a forestry technician can regularly monitor the forest safety with a pair of satellite images and the automated change detection based on NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index).
How does it work? NDVI is a known means of determining vegetation health. By comparing the satellite image of the intact forest with the recent one acquired after the trees were cut down, Land Viewer will detect the changes and generate a difference image highlighting the deforestation spots, which can further be downloaded by users in JPG, PNG or TIFF format. The surviving forest cover will have positive values, while the cleared areas will have negative ones and be shown in red hues indicating there’s no vegetation present.
A difference image showing the extent of deforestation in Madagascar between 2016 and 2018; generated from two Sentinel-2 satellite images. (Image: LandViewer)
Another widespread use case for change detection would be agricultural flood damage assessment, which is of most interest to crop growers and insurance companies. Whenever flooding has taken a heavy toll on your harvest, the damage can be quickly mapped and measured with the help of NDWI-based change detection algorithms.
Results of Sentinel-2 scene change detection: The red and orange areas represent the flooded part of the field,; the surrounding fields are green, meaning they avoided the damage. California flooding, February 2017. (Image: LandViewer)
How to run change detection in Land Viewer
There are two ways you can launch the tool and start finding differences on multi-temporal satellite images: by clicking the right menu icon “Analysis tools” or from the Comparison slider ‒ whichever is more convenient. Currently, change detection is performed on optical (passive) satellite data only; addition of the algorithms for active remote sensing data is scheduled for future updates.
Maptitude for Redistricting is designed specifically for anyone involved in or preparing for the 2020 redistricting cycle, from novice to professional users.
Maptitude for Redistricting 2019 has new partisan competitiveness reports, adds access to imagery layers, and allows users to save and share their plans in a variety of formats.
New features include:
Speed improvements provide faster access to maps and geographic analysis.
Expanded file support for Excel worksheets, Google Earth Documents (KML/KMZ) attribute data fields, and MapPoint files.
New partisan competitiveness reports and measures of compactness for analyzing redistricting plans,
Integrated satellite imagery from a variety of sources for giving a better view of district composition.
The latest Census geography and data, including current ACS data.
Maptitude for Redistricting is a professional tool for political redistricting. It provides measures and reports that support the creation of fair and balanced districts.
Maptitude is constantly enhanced and provides tools such as the Efficiency Gap Measure for exploring redistricting problems.
Maptitude was used to democratize redistricting in California and is used by the majority of redistricters, from independent commissions, non-profits, and civil rights groups, to the courts and political parties.
Phase One Industrial has expanded its RS and RSM lens offering with three new high performance lenses for high-altitude aerial photography and long-range aerial and ground inspection applications.
The 300mm AF, 180mm, and 150mm MK II lenses are designed to enhance the performance and flexibility of Phase One Industrial’s iXM-RS and iXM aerial camera series. Each offers precision imagery, taking advantage of the cameras’ ultra-high resolution backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensors, to maintain a smaller ground sample distance (GSD) while flying at higher altitudes, the company said.
Phase One RSM 300mmAF. With the longest focal length in the line-up, this lens offers a 5 cm GSD from 13,000 feet. It fits both iXM and iXM-RS camera models and produces superb image quality by enhancing the cameras’ ultra-high resolution BSI CMOS sensors (3.76 µm pixels).
The lens is designed for both high-altitude 2D and 3D mapping and long-range ground inspection. The motorized lens offers a focus range of 10 m to infinity within which a predefined distance can be set remotely. A self-locking mechanism is built in to secure the focus position against vibrations.
5 cm GSD from 13,000 feet
10 m to infinity focusing range
f/8 – f/32 aperture range
1/2000 sec exposure time
RS Shutter reliability – 500,000 actuations
Rodenstock RS 180mm. Specified by Phase One and built by Rodenstock Photo Optics, Germany, this lens reaches a 5 cm GSD from 8,000 feet when used with the iXM-RS150F camera. The lens supports the camera’s ultra-high resolution BSI sensor for greater image quality and is integrated with a Phase One RS reliance shutter for speed and reliability. The RS 180mm enhances high-altitude aerial 2D and 3D mapping and improves efficiency in oblique configurations.
5 cm GSD from 8,000 feet
f/6.3 – f/22 aperture range
1/2000 sec exposure time
RS Shutter reliability – 500,000 actuations
Phase One RS 150mm MK II. A 5 cm GSD from 6,500 feet is achievable with the RS 150mm MK II lens. It complements the iXM-RS150F camera’s ultra-high 150-megapixel resolution BSI CMOS sensor for acquiring quality images for high-altitude aerial 2D and 3D mapping.
5 cm GSD from 6,500 feet
f/5.6 – f/22 aperture range
1/2500 sec exposure time
RS Shutter reliability – 500,000 actuations
Every Phase One Industrial lens is rigidly built for robustness against vibrations and shocks to meet RTCA DO160G standards, and is individually tested for performance and high-modulation across the whole image area.
The new senseFly Solar 360 UAV is designed to enable the automated and efficient inspection of solar farms.
Photo: SenseFly
SenseFly has introduced its senseFly Solar 360. Created in collaboration with software company Raptor Maps, the offering is an efficient thermal drone solution that enables the automatic assessment of solar plant performance at a sub-module level, the companies said.
Created by combining eBee X fixed-wing drone technology, senseFly’s Duet T thermal mapping camera and Raptor Maps’ software, senseFly Solar 360 is a fast and fully automated drone. It is easily integrated into solar management workflows without requiring either drone piloting skills or the manual analysis of aerial solar farm data.
“At senseFly we are continually looking across the industry to identify new commercial partners with whom we can bring to market what our customers need, which is vertically-focused end-to-end solutions,” said Gilles Labossière, CEO of senseFly.
“With Raptor Maps, we are collaborating with a true solar industry pioneer,” Labossière said. “Their software takes the guesswork out of solar farm inspection and, crucially, speeds up this process — from days down to hours. This efficiency, combined with the eBee X’s large coverage and reliability, ensures that farm owners and operators — or the drone service providers they employ — can inspect utility-scale solar farms more quickly, easily, and accurately than ever before.”
“Solar power is the largest source of new energy generation in the world,” said Nikhil Vadhavkar, CEO of Raptor Maps. “This rapid growth has fueled demand for industry-specific solutions to allow solar customers to scale. Our enterprise-grade software has been deployed across six continents and 25 million solar panels to increase power production and reduce risk and maintenance cost across solar portfolios. We are proud to collaborate with senseFly, the industry leaders in commercial fixed-wing drones, to increase access to Raptor Maps while providing a comprehensive, end-to-end solution that scales with the solar industry.”
Blue Marble Geographics has released a new version of the Global Mapper software development kit (SDK), providing software engineers with the means to embed the latest geospatial technology into their custom applications.
Blue Marble’s GIS software has been used by GIS professionals for 25 years. Users come from all industries including software, oil and gas, mining, civil engineering, surveying and technology companies, as well as government departments and academic institutions.
Global Mapper’s GIS application is capable of displaying, converting and analyzing virtually any type of geospatial data. The Global Mapper SDK and accompanying Lidar Module SDK provide software developers with a toolkit for accessing much of this functionality from within an existing or custom-built application.
The SDK also enables the creation of custom toolbars and extensions to enhance the data processing and analysis functionality of the standard version of Global Mapper. This capability allows in-house developers to create a unique version of the application to meet their specific needs or for software companies to build custom products for commercial distribution.
Highlights of the latest version of the SDK include:
A new function to allow querying of elevation from a specific list of elevation layers
Significant speed improvements when working with vector data with attributes
Faster viewshed calculation on computers with multiple cores
Support for downloading vector features from Esri RESTful data sources
S-52 point symbols for S-57 and S-63 marine chart files
Updated SHIFT_LAYER script command to support shifting in the Z (elevation) direction.
Support for several new formats including, OpenFlight and HEC-RAS raster and vector files
The supplementary Lidar Module SDK now offers:
The ability to select points based on their proximity to other lidar points and/or line features
A new option to update the return number/count when deleting multi-return points
“Global Mapper’s reputation as a powerful geospatial data processing and analysis application is well known throughout the world and software engineers are increasingly integrating these tools into a wide variety of development projects,” said Patrick Cunningham, Blue Marble president. “The Global Mapper SDK is unrivaled in its ease of deployment, data format support, affordability, and in its adaptability, allowing it to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s geospatial software development sector.”
Raytheon Company’s advanced high-power microwave and mobile high-energy laser systems engaged and defeated multiple unmanned aerial system targets during a U.S. Air Force demonstration. The mature HPM and HEL technologies offer an affordable solution to the growing UAS threat, the company said.
Raytheon made the announcement at AUVSI Xponential, which took place April 29-May 2 in Chicago.
Raytheon’s mobile high energy laser looks out into a wide-open sky. The company’s advanced high-power microwave and high-energy laser engaged and defeated dozens of unmanned aerial system targets in a recent U.S. Air Force demonstration.
The HEL system, paired with Raytheon’s Multi-Spectral Targeting System, uses invisible beams of light to defeat hostile UASs. Mounted on a Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle, the system detects, identifies, tracks and engages drones.
“Countering the drone threat requires diverse solutions,” said Stefan Baur, Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems vice president. “HEL and HPM give frontline operators options for protecting critical infrastructure, convoys and personnel.”
Raytheon’s HPM uses microwave energy to disrupt drone guidance systems. High-power microwave operators can focus the beam to target and instantly defeat drone swarms. With a consistent power supply, an HPM system can provide virtually unlimited protection.
“After decades of research and investment, we believe these advanced directed energy applications will soon be ready for the battlefield to help protect people, assets and infrastructure,” said Thomas Bussing, Raytheon Advanced Missile Systems vice president.
Raytheon’s HEL and HPM were the only directed energy systems that participated in this Air Force experimentation demonstration. The event expanded on previous directed energy demonstrations such as a U.S. Army directed energy exercise held in 2017.
Household size distributions are critical inputs to many business analyses, but may not be correctly derived from U.S. Census data, according to Caliper.
The Census counts people at their geographic locations, and when several unrelated people live at the same address, they are reported as one household with a number of residents.
A confusing array of data is reported. In both the Census SF1 2010 file and in 2017 ACS, the following tabulations are provided down to the Census tract level:
People in Family Households
2 person Family Households
3 person Family Households
4 person Family Households
5 person Family Households
6 person Family Households
7+ person Family Households
Non-relatives in Family Households
Unmarried Partners (including same-sex couples) in Family Households
People in Non-Family Households
Unmarried Partners (including same-sex couples) in Non-Family Households
There is also extensive information on people residing in group quarters in the 2010 Census, which has the tabulations below:
People in Group Quarters: College
People in Group Quarters: Military
People in Group Quarters: Navy Ships
People in Group Quarters: Other
People in Group Quarters: Homeless
People in Group Quarters: Group Homes
People in Group Quarters: Residential Treatment
People in Group Quarters: Merchant Ships
People in Group Quarters: Workers’ Group Living Quarters
People in Group Quarters: Other Other
People in Group Quarters: Institutionalized
Using this information, Maptitude 2019 includes a corrected data set of household size distributions for Census Tracts and Block Groups to account for the under-representation of one-person households in the Census data.
Census tracts with Caliper derived households. (Image: Caliper)Census tracts with Census household count. (Image: Caliper)
SimActive Inc., a developer of photogrammetry software, announced that Correlator3D is being used for mapping projects in Brittany, France, by Altimedias.
An eBee X equipped with senseFly S.O.D.A. 3D camera is flown along the shoreline to produce high-resolution true orthomosaics and 3D models.
“The quality of outputs from Correlator3D is exceptional and the mosaic renders the vivid colours of the Pink Granite Coast,” said Didier Wasselin, COO at Altimedias, which specializes in drone data collection and processing. “Such results are very useful for heritage conservation and decision making by local authorities.”
“The combination of SimActive software and senseFly eBee Plus X is an ideal combination, due to the accurate RTK/PPK and optimized aerial triangulation,” said Francois Gervaix, technical advisor at SimActive. “The S.O.D.A. oblique imagery leads to outstanding 3D textured models.”
Administered by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the mission of IGAPP is to streamline the deployment of commercial mobile apps to government personnel by bridging the gap between traditional government contracting procedures and non-traditional businesses.
Blue Marble’s GIS software is used by hundreds of thousands of mapping professionals throughout the world who need affordable, user-friendly, yet powerful GIS solutions. Users come from a wide range of industries including software, oil and gas, mining, civil engineering, surveying and technology companies, as well as government departments and academic institutions.
Available on both iOS and Android platforms, Global Mapper Mobile enables remote access to mission-critical geospatial datasets in an easy-to-use application. Used in conjunction with the desktop version of the software, Global Mapper Mobile supports hundreds of GIS data formats — both raster and vector — and offers simple, form-based field data collection and geotagged photo capture.
To address the specific needs of the geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) community, the IGAPP version of Global Mapper Mobile includes streaming access to online data services and the ability to store downloaded tiles for remote offline use.
“IGAPP provides mission-relevant, cyber secure mobile apps to warfighters, aviators, mariners and first-responders,” according to John Holcomb, IGAPP program manager at Engility, the NGS’s broker for putting commercial applications into the GEOINT App Store. “The program provides commercial vendors with a rapid, cost effective, path to sell their products. We are thrilled to add the Global Mapper Mobile the store and look forward to getting into the hands of DoD users.”
“Over the years, the GEOINT community has strongly supported our products and has provided valuable feedback that has helped ensure the functionality of our software is addressing the needs of geo-intelligence,” stated Patrick Cunningham, Blue Marble President. “We are delighted that Global Mapper Mobile is now available through IGAPP and that more and more field personnel now have easy access to this valuable app.”
