THE GLOBAL MAGAZINE FOR GEOMATICS WWW.GIM-INTERNATIONAL.COM
INTERNATIONAL
ISSUE 1 • VOLUME 27 • JANUARY 2013
Experiences in UAS Photogrammetry Quality Matters
GIM International Interviews
Wafula Nabutola GIM0113_Cover 1
Indoor Navigation Using Smartphones See page 23
Location Intelligence via Web-based Mapping Platforms See page 28 07-01-2013 16:13:44
state
of the a rt
measuring technology
TOTAL STATIONS W-800 SERIES
R-400N SERIES
R-400VDN SERIES
R-400VN SERIES
POSITIONING SYSTEM GNSS G3100-R1
CONSTRUCTION LEVELS AP SERIES
ENGINEERING LEVELS AFL SERIES AL SERIES
No 2302
International Sales Department Tel.: +81-48-793-0118 Fax. +81-48-793-0128 e-mail: international@tiasahi.com www.pentaxsurveying.com/en/
No 2291
TI Asahi Co., Ltd.
GIM0113_Cover 2
07-01-2013 16:15:27
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX EDITORIAL
Keep Calm and Carry On
REGIONAL CORRESPONDENTS Ulrich Boes (Bulgaria), Assoc. Prof. Dr Alper Çabuk (Turkey), Papa Oumar Dieye (Niger), Dr Olajide Kufoniyi (Nigeria), Dr Dmitry Kurtener (Russia), Dr Jonathan Li (Canada), Dr Carlos Lopez (Uruguay), Dr B. Babu Madhavan (Japan), Dr Wilber Ottichilo (Kenya), Dr Carl Reed (USA), Dr Aniruddha Roy (India), Prof. Dr Heinz Rüther (South Africa), Dr Tania Maria Sausen (Brazil)
Geomares Publishing P.O. Box 112, 8530 AC Lemmer, The Netherlands T: +31 (0) 514-56 18 54 F: +31 (0) 514-56 38 98 gim-international@geomares.nl www.gim-international.com
No material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of Geomares Publishing. 2012, Geomares Copyright © 2013, Publishing, The Netherlands All rights reserved. ISSN 1566-9076
The motto ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’, which was printed on a propaganda poster by the British government at the beginning of World War II as support and advice for citizens faced with the threat of a Nazi invasion, was rediscovered in 2000 in a second-hand bookshop. Ever since then, it has been used and abused on items such as coffee mugs, t-shirts and mouse mats sold through countless souvenir shops and clothes stores. This motto came to my mind when I was thinking about the year which has just ended, the new year ahead of us, our magazine and the state of geomatics in general.
DURK HAARSMA Publishing director durk.haarsma@geomares.nl
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Durk Haarsma FINANCIAL DIRECTOR Meine van der Bijl TECHNICAL EDITOR Mark Pronk, BSc SENIOR EDITOR Dr Ir. Mathias Lemmens CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Ir. Christiaan Lemmen, Dr Ir. Bastiaan van Loenen, Dr Rohan Bennett, Dr Mike Barry EDITORIAL MANAGER Wim van Wegen NEWS EDITOR Drs. Joost Boers COPY-EDITOR Lynn Radford, Englishproof.nl EDITORIAL BOARD Ir. Paul van Asperen, Dr Bharat Lohani SALES MANAGER Victor van Essen MARKETING ASSISTANT Trea Fledderus CIRCULATION MANAGER Adrian Holland DESIGN Verheul Media Supporters BV, Alphen aan den Rijn www.vrhl.nl
In the very first issue of last year, I welcomed you to the 25th anniversary year of GIM International. It was a very special year indeed: we celebrated that GIM International had reached the 25-year milestone. We ‘kept calm’ though, with few bells and whistles; instead, we tried to ‘carry on’ informing you about state-of-the-art developments in the field of geomatics. This is a field that has been suffering businesswise in the ongoing recession: it is only fair to say that 2012 remained difficult. Despite doing their utmost, many entrepreneurs and companies have felt the adverse wind of the economic downturn. But luckily, most of the sales people, managers and company owners I met at trade shows and conferences in the course of 2012 have been demonstrating precisely the attitude expressed in the motto I mentioned above. The going might get tough sometimes, but the only choice is to press on – slowly, steady. It’s not for me to Photography: Arie Bruinsma predict an end to the crisis; it would be more realistic to accept that the situation will stay shaky for a few more years – good news will undoubtedly be alternated with bad in 2013. But in terms of geomatics-related R&D, things are as interesting as ever. The UAV market in particular is maturing technically and offering increasing possibilities to map previously difficult environments more quickly and easily than ever before. I think that geomatics professionals should be heartened by the fact that the United Nations has identified geoinformation as a key technique for better decision-making. Through the United Nations initiative on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), governments all over the world are encouraged to incorporate geoinformation in order to improve their decision-making and policymaking. While they may often go unnoticed by the outside world, all of these ‘calm’ developments will – providing they ‘carry on’ in 2013 – have a positive impact on the growth and importance of geomatics in the years to come. It’s my great pleasure to bring to you this first issue of 2013, in the 26th year of GIM International. Not an anniversary year, but nevertheless a year in which we will continue to do what we are good at: informing you about the state of geomatics. I would like to wish all of our readers a successful year – both personally and businesswise. Keep calm and carry on, and have a great 2013!
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Editorial-Colofon 3
INTERNATIONAL | 3
07-01-13 14:08:21
They’re Here.
2013 Desktop Line-up Now Available 20 Mic MicroSurvey offers the most complete desktop survey &d design programs – offered on a CAD platform of your cho choice in order to fit your established workflow: r . r .JDSP4VSWFZ $"% – Built with IntelliCAD® 7.2. r . r .JDSP4VSWFZ FNCFEEFE$"% – Powered with A Autodesk Technology™; uses the 2013 engine and su supports DWG 2013 as the native file format. r . r .JDSP4VSWFZ JO$"% – Plugin for AutoCAD®. r . r .JDSP4VSWFZ 1PJOU1SFQ – Built specifically for construction professionals to assist with site prep. co Dow Download a free 30-day tria trial at:
www.MicroSurvey2013.com w
No 2217
MicroSurvey MicroSurve Micr Micro Surve Survey ur y and FieldGenius F Fiel FieldGeni dGenius dGeni us are are registered register regi i t edd in the U.S. Patent Paten ennt and Trademark T Trademark Office by MicroSurvey Software Softw are Inc. Inc. Powered Poweredd byy Autodesk Powere Autoddeskk Technology, TTechno echn logy, echno logy logy og and AutoCAD are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. IntelliCAD is a registered trademark of the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium.
GIM0113_Editorial-Colofon 2217_MICROSURVEY.indd 41
07-01-13 17-08-12 14:08:22 08:54:25
CONTENTS
INTERVIEW PAGE 14
Crowdsourcing: a Wake-up Call for Surveyors
An orthomosaic showing the Lammi Biological Station in southern Finland, surrounded by forests and lakes. The mission was to study the usability of a detailed 3D DSM combined with a NIR ortho for detecting tree species. The mosaic has been generated by PIEneering using RapidStation software, based on 601 images which were acquired with a Gatewing X100 UAS and NIR-modified Ricoh GR III camera.
GIM International Interviews Wafula Nabutola
FEATURE PAGE 18
Experiences in UAS Photogrammetry
(PHOTO COURTESY: PIENEERING)
GIM INTERNATIONAL GIM International, the global magazine for geomatics, is published each month by Geomares Publishing. The magazine and related e-newsletter provide topical overviews and accurately presents the latest news in geomatics, all around the world. GIM International is orientated towards a professional and managerial readership, those leading decision making, and has a worldwide circulation. PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS GIM International is available monthly on a subscription basis. The annual subscription rate for GIM International is €140 within the European Union, and €200 for non-European countries. Subscription can commence at any time, by arrangement via our website or by contacting Abonnementenland, a Dutch subscription administration company. Subscriptions are automatically renewed upon expiry, unless Abonnementenland receives written notification of cancellation at least 60 days before expiry date. Prices and conditions may be subject to change. For multi-year subscription rates or information on current paid subscriptions, contact Abonnementenland, Postbus 20, 1910 AA Uitgeest, Netherlands +31 (0)251-257926 (09.00-17.00 hrs, UTC +1) paidsubscription@geomares.nl. ADVERTISEMENTS Information about advertising and deadlines are available in the Media Planner. For more information please contact our sales manager: victor.van.essen@geomares.nl. EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS All material submitted to Geomares Publishing and relating to GIM International will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication under copyright subject to the editor’s unrestricted right to edit and offer editorial comment. Geomares Publishing assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or for the accuracy of information thus received. Geomares Publishing assumes, in addition, no obligation to return material if not explicitly requested. Contributions must be sent for the attention of the editorial manager: wim.van.wegen@geomares.nl.
Quality Matters
FEATURE PAGE 23
Indoor Navigation Using Smartphones Assessing the Quality of Integrated Sensors
FEATURE PAGE 28
Location Intelligence via Web-based Mapping Platforms Business Intelligence Goes Spatial
NEWS & OPINION Insider’s View News Endpoint
6 7 13
COMPANY’S VIEW PAGE 35
Committed to GIS Research and Innovation MapGIS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS FIG GSDI IAG ICA ISPRS
PAGE 39 41 43 45 47
COLUMNS
PAGE
Editorial
3
OTHER
PAGE
Advertisers Index Agenda Web Connect
49 49 50
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Contents 5
PAGE
INTERNATIONAL | 5
07-01-13 17:14:38
INSIDER’S VIEW
MR JOSEPH BETIT Senior Land Surveyor, Dewberry, USA MR SANTIAGO BORRERO Secretary-general of Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH), Mexico PROF. PETER DALE Honorary President, FIG, Scotland PROF. STIG ENEMARK President, FIG, Denmark DR ANDREW U FRANK Head, Institute for Geoinformation, Vienna University of Technology, Austria DR GABOR REMETEY-FÜLÖPP Secretary General, Hungarian Association for Geo-information (HUNAGI), Hungary DR SUSUMU HATTORI Professor, Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Fukuyama University, Japan PROF. PAUL VAN DER MOLEN Vice-President, FIG Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency, The Netherlands PROF. DR IR MARTIEN MOLENAAR Rector, ITC, The Netherlands PROF. SHUNJI MURAI Institute Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Japan PROF. DAVID RHIND ret. Vice-Chancellor, The City University, UK PROF. DR HEINZ RÜTHER Chairman Financial Commission ISPRS, University of Cape Town, Department of Geomatics, South Africa MR FRANÇOIS SALGÉ Secretary-general, CNIG (National Council for Geographic Information), France MR DAVID SCHELL President, Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc., USA PROF. DR TONI SCHENK Professor, The Ohio State University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, USA PROF. JOHN C TRINDER First Vice-President ISPRS, School of Surveying and SIS, The University of New South Wales, Australia
Assisting Africa’s Participation in and Contribution to the Global Vision Spatial Data Infrastructures and Earth Observation Systems are acknowledged as important tools for addressing the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Johannesburg Declaration of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 refers to the need to use modern technologies including remotesensing and satellite technologies to address the challenges of sustainable development. Over the past decades, the activities on the African continent of agencies, organisations, professional bodies and educational institutions including FAO, UNEP, UNECA, ESA, the World Bank, ISPRS, FIG and ITC (Enschede, The Netherlands) have contributed not only to the infrastructure and capacity-building but also to applications development, with positive socio-economic effects from local to continental level. When the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) launched the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) concept in 2005 with a 10-year Implementation Plan, some societal benefits were already proven by African countries which had implemented ground segments with operational remote sensing facilities. In 2005, GSDI held its world conference for the second time on the African continent in Cairo, Egypt. In the same year, the United Nations Geographic Information Working Group (UNGIWG) launched the UN Spatial Data Infrastructure (UNSDI) at its Plenary in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which was endorsed two years later in the Cape Town Declaration of the GEO-IV Plenary and Ministerial Summit. GABOR REMETEY-FÜLÖPP Secretary General, HUNAGI, Hungary gabor.remetey@gmail.com
EAB The Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) of GIM International consists of professionals who, each in their discipline and with an independent view, assist the editorial board by making recommendations on potential authors and specific topics. The EAB is served on a non-committal basis for two years.
Rather than being foreign initiatives which have little relevance in Africa, SDIs have been embraced by many African countries; as of 2009, 24 of the 53 African countries had initiated SDIs.
AfriGEOSS: bringing African and global geospatial communities together At the GEO-IX Plenary held in Brazil in November 2012, Ganiy I. Agbaje and Humbulani Mudau presented the AfriGEOSS initiative addressing two of the eight MDGs, namely to ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development. Three of the GEOSS strategic targets are particularly relevant to the initiative: capacity-building, architecture and data management. AfriGEOSS will work with projects and organisations worldwide, including South Africa & GEO Secretariat (seed fund), European Commission, Brazil and Japan, G20, European Space Agency, UNESCO, Norway, Australia and USA. As participating organisation, GSDI welcomed the AfriGEOSS initiative and emphasised the unique opportunity to bring the geospatial and the AfriGEOSS communities together at the AfricaGIS 2013 Conference and the GSDI 14 World Conference. The event, a joint activity of the GSDI Association, EIS-Africa, the International Geospatial Society (IGS) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), will take place at the UNECA Conference Centre in Addis Ababa in November. Earth Observation will need advanced data-sharing policies and a common technical architecture including interoperable spatial data infrastructures and capacity building. GSDI can potentially help the implementation of geo-based activities through its Geographic Information Knowledge Network (GIKnet) which facilitates the gathering and sharing of knowledge accumulated by its members. The network is also open for the Earth Observation community. GSDI established the IGS to motivate interested individuals to join at a global level, providing access to information disseminated by GSDI. Africa Expo in Budapest The Hungarian GI Association, HUNAGI, will present these developments on a poster at the 2nd Africa Expo, ‘More of Africa’, scheduled for 14-17 February 2013. The international exhibition will attract all kinds of African and African-related diplomatic, business and non-governmental organisations.
PROF. DR FENG ZHONGKE Beijing Forestry University, China
SPACE-BASED IMAGERY SUPPORTS TYPHOON RELIEF EFFORTS ++ ELMF ATTRACTS RECORD NUMBER OF VISITORS ++ PERSONAL NAVIGATOR FEATURING GNSS RECEIVER ++ HYDROGRAPHI END-TO-END 3D MODELLING SOLUTION ++ RAPIDEYE MOVES TO NEW BERLIN HEADQUARTERS ++ INTERNATIONAL FORUM FOR LIDAR AND 3D LASER SCANNING EXPERTS ++ AERIAL PHOTOGR 6|
INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY 2013
GIM0113_News-Columns 6
07-01-13 17:04:45
o t k c i l CIM-INTERNATIONAL.COM
G
NEWS
e for mwosr ne
Space-based Imagery Supports Typhoon Relief Efforts MDA Information Systems, Canada, has announced that its space-based imagery is being used to assess the impact of Typhoon Bopha which struck the Mindanao region of the Philippines on 4 December 2012. MDA provided imagery acquired by the RADARSAT-2 satellite over the southern Philippines to support disaster relief efforts. http://su.pr/7MCJmE
Personal Navigator Featuring GNSS Receiver Alberding, a German developer and distributor of professional GNSS system solutions, has recently announced the Alberding A07 personal navigator featuring NVS Technologies’ NV08C-CSM high-performance, multiGNSS constellation receiver. http://su.pr/9LrebR
RADARSAT-2.
New Executive Committee at Canadian Institute of Geomatics The Canadian Institute of Geomatics (GIC) has a new president: George P. McFarlane, who recently retired as head of Surveys and Mapping at Toronto-based Public Works and Government Services Canada. McFarlane was sworn in at the CIG Annual General Meeting held on 22 November 2012 in the Canadian capital of Ottawa. http://su.pr/2tqHzY
ELMF Attracts Record Number of Visitors Around 450 delegates from 45 countries gathered for the third ELMF which was held from 4 to 5 December 2012 at the Salzburg Congress Centre, Austria. During the event, the world’s leading Lidar experts delivered presentations on the use of Lidar to support transport, urban modelling, coastal zone mapping, asset management, 3D visualisation and GIS applications. http://su.pr/8jAUp7 ELMF once again attracted global interest.
Alberding A07 personal navigator.
Registration Open for ‘Earth from Space’ The 6th edition of the international conference ‘Earth from Space – the Most Effective Solutions’ will be held from 1 to 3 October 2013 at the Vatutinki Resort Hotel close to Moscow, Russia. Participants’ registration will open soon on the conference website. http://su.pr/6H8CTq
RAPHIC AIRBORNE SCANNER INTEGRATED IN UAS ++ PROMOTING MOBILE GIS SOLUTIONS IN LATIN AMERICA ++ MEASURING SAFETY BARRIER HEIGHTS ON EUROPEAN ROADS ++ OTOGRAPHY KEEPS BIRMINGHAM MOVING ++ CHC OPENS EUROPEAN REPRESENTATIVE SALES OFFICE ++ NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF GEOMATICS ++ FAROÍS JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_News-Columns 7
INTERNATIONAL | 7
07-01-13 17:04:45
F
08_KADERTEKST_NEWS TICKER +++ 08_KADERTEKST_NEWS TICKER
I
No 2311
08_KADERTEKST_NEWS TICKER +++ 08_KADERTEKST_NEWS TICKER
GIM0113_News-Columns Naamloos-5 1 8
14-12-2012 07-01-13 17:04:48 13:13:22
3:13:22
o t k c i l CIM-INTERNATIONAL.COM
G
NEWS
e for mwosr ne
Promoting Mobile GIS Solutions in Latin America SuperGeo has announced its collaboration with Grupo Ginpro SA de CV to offer a cost-effective mobile GIS solution in Latin America. The move will help surveyors to achieve greater efficiency by reducing working time during surveys and offering better GIS data quality plus increased field productivity. http://su.pr/1jkKn8
FARO’s Focus3D Wins Construction Computing Award FARO Technologies, manufacturer of portable systems for documentation, measurement and imaging solutions, has announced that the FARO Laser Scanner Focus3D has been named winner in the ‘Hardware Product of the Year’ category of the renowned Construction Computing Award contest. http://su.pr/22Vjbu
Hydrographic Airborne Scanner Integrated in UAS Schiebel and RIEGL, Austria, have successfully integrated the CAMCOPTER S-100 unmanned air system with the VQ-820-GU hydrographic airborne sensor. The integration marked the first time that the new airborne sensor had flown onboard a UAS. http://su.pr/4dAeuT Schiebel CAMCOPTER with RIEGL hydrographic airborne laser scanner.
ION Pacific PNT 2013 Programme and Registration Registration is now open for the Institute of Navigation (ION) Pacific PNT 2013, which will be held from 22 to 25 April 2013 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The event will feature technical papers presented on a diverse array of topics including image-aided and terrain-referenced navigation, terrestrial and maritime navigation technologies and earthquake and tsunami prediction and monitoring with GNSS. http://su.pr/721Vmo
End-to-end 3D Modelling Solution
FARO’s Focus3D. EdgeWise Plant 4.0.
ClearEdge3D, USA, has officially launched EdgeWise Plant 4.0, with numerous major new features and enhancements that have created one of the fastest end-to-end pipe modelling solutions on the market. The software automates the 3D modelling of complex process plant facilities, cutting up to 85% of labour from the modelling workflow. http://su.pr/1vxmj9
FOCUS3D WINS CONSTRUCTION COMPUTING AWARD ++ ION PACIFIC PNT 2013 PROGRAMME AND REGISTRATION ++ REGISTRATION OPEN FOR ‘EARTH FROM SPACE’ ++ GEOGRAPHIC IMAGER FOR ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ++ 10TH EDITION OF GEOFORM+ IN MOSCOW THIS AUTUMN ++ BEIDOU NETWORK NOW OPEN FOR COMMERCIAL USE ++ 8TH INTERNATIONAL JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_News-Columns 9
INTERNATIONAL | 9
07-01-13 17:04:48
o t k c i l CIM-INTERNATIONAL.COM
G
e for mwosr ne
International Forum for Lidar and Measuring Safety Barrier Heights 3D Laser Scanning Experts on European Roads The International Lidar Mapping Forum, which will be held from 11 to 13 February 2013 in Colorado, Denver, USA, features a three-day technical conference and exhibition focused on airborne and bathymetric Lidar, with a particular emphasis on mobile mapping systems. This international event offers an opportunity to learn about the latest advances in technology and hear about industry changes and developments first-hand from industry experts. http://su.pr/99ZKe8
Geomaat, a Dutch company specialised in geodetic survey services, has developed a method of measuring safety barrier heights on European roads. The system uses StreetMapper, 3D Laser Mapping’s mobile laser mapping system, and automated feature extraction software. This combination makes it possible to process laser scanned point clouds to determine the height of existing barriers. http://su.pr/8ehQPC
Aerial Photography Keeps Birmingham Moving High-resolution aerial photography from Bluesky is helping Birmingham City Council (UK) to undertake a host of transport-related applications, thus ensuring that users of roads, footpaths and canals stay on the move. The digital map layer is made available to specialist users through the council’s Geographical Information System (GIS) and to every desktop in the organisation with a simple ‘view only’ browser. http://su.pr/2ifkft StreetMapper allows Geomaat to capture 360-degree georeferenced images.
8th International Symposium on Digital Earth 2013 The 8th International Symposium on Digital Earth 2013 (ISDE 2013) will be held in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia from 26 to 29 August 2013. The event’s theme, ‘Transforming Knowledge into Sustainable Practice’, aims to enable digital Earth modelling by providing experts in the field of geospatial science and technology with a brand new opportunity to share their ideas and insights on exchanging knowledge and acting together globally. http://su.pr/2dDYkP
Aerial image of spaghetti junction in Birmingham.
SYMPOSIUM ON DIGITAL EARTH 2013 ++ NEW MOBILE INDOOR MAPPING SYSTEM LAUNCHED ++ SPACE-BASED IMAGERY SUPPORTS TYPHOON RELIEF EFFORTS ++ ELMF ATTRACTS RECORD GNSS RECEIVER ++ HYDROGRAPHIC AIRBORNE SCANNER INTEGRATED IN UAS ++ PROMOTING MOBILE GIS SOLUTIONS IN LATIN AMERICA ++ MEASURING SAFETY BARRIER HEIGHTS ON EUR 10 |
INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY 2013
GIM0113_News-Columns 10
07-01-13 17:04:51
NEWS
NEW RIEGL VZ-6000 3D Ultra Long Range Terrestrial Laser Scanner with Online Waveform Processing
10th Edition of GeoForm+ in Moscow this Autumn
The new VZ-6000 sets new standards in topography, providing ultra high speed, high resolution and high accuracy laser scanning at ranges of more than 6000 m.
From 15 to 17 October 2013, Moscow is the place to be when it comes to geomatics. The Russian capital will play host to the 10th edition of GeoForm+, an international exhibition dedicated to the latest technologies in the field of geodesy, cartography, GIS, intelligent transport systems and satellite navigation, geology and geophysics, tunnel construction and underground utilities. http://su.pr/1OSIwa
RIEGL LIDAR 2013 Airborne
Mobile
Terrestrial
Industrial
INTERNATIONAL User Conference 2013 June 25-27 | Vienna, Austria REGISTRATION OPEN NOW! Early Bird Registration until January 31, 2013! For more information: www.riegllidar.com
Most Shared Most shared during the last month from www.gim-international.com
Highlights RIEGL VZ-6000 more than 6000 m range
1. Centuries-old World Map Discovered - http://su.pr/7w8xQw 2. Pilot Panorama Technology Project for Norwegian Roads - http://su.pr/1ekL36 3. Personal Navigator Featuring GNSS Receiver - http://su.pr/9LrebR 4. Measuring Safety Barrier Heights on European Roads - http://su.pr/8ehQPC 5. Gabon Implements GIS for Food Security Issues - http://su.pr/2ZHyMe
ON EUROPEAN ROADS ++ END-TO-END 3D MODELLING SOLUTION
multiple target capability Multiple-Time-Around (MTA) Processing waveform data output (optional)
RiMINING:
efficient data acquisition and processing using RIEGL‘s well-proven TLS software RiSCAN PRO
optimized and simplified workflow for applications in open-pit mining
RiMONITOR: monitoring of terrain deformations by analyzing the changes of surfaces RiMTA:
automated resolution of range ambiguities
www.riegl.com RIEGL LMS GmbH, Austria
2317.indd 1
GIM0113_News-Columns 11
stand-alone operation
Accompanying Software Packages
No 2317
CORD NUMBER OF VISITORS ++ PERSONAL NAVIGATOR FEATURING
laser class 3B, especially suited for mapping of glaciers and snowfields
built-in camera, on-board inclination sensors, GPS receiver and compass integrated, external GNSS receiver (optional)
RIEGL USA Inc.
RIEGL Japan Ltd. 15:15:31 JANUARY 201 3 | 20-12-2012 INTERNATIONAL | 11
07-01-13 17:04:53
Eni]V\dgVh :JC
6h ZVhn Vh Yg^k^c\ V XVg
ej^[h ceZkb[i0 Eni]V\dgVh 8Wi[
Eni]V\dgVh =[eYeZ_d] 789 NOP
;',
('
Eni]V\dgVh lVh ^c^i^Vaan YZkZadeZY [dg aVcY hjgkZndgh VcY X^k^a Zc\^cZZgh# I]Z cZZY [dg V Xjhidb bVYZ 869 hd[ilVgZ ijgcZY dji id WZ hd W^\ Eni]V\dgVh ^h XjggZcian WZ^c\ Y^hig^WjiZY ^c dkZg +% Xdjcig^Zh# Eni]V\dgVh ^h dcZ d[ i]Z bdhi edlZg[ja VcY ^cij^i^kZ Veea^XVi^dch ZkZg YZh^\cZY# >i ]Vh ^ciZ\gViZY XVaXjajh [jcXi^dch! 8D<D VcY YgVl^c\ [jcXi^dch# I]^h bV`Zh Eni]V\dgVh [VhiZg i]Vc Vaa di]Zg 869 <>H hd[ilVgZ# 6cY bdgZ ^bedgiVcian/ Eni]V\dgVh ^h i]Z bdhi jhZg [g^ZcYan ZkZg#
Eni]V\dgVh HeWZ :[i_]d
8Wa[hijh[[j
7)&*
Eni]V\dgVh =?I
I]Z Eni]V\dgVh 9IB bdYjaZ Vaadlh jhZgh id XgZViZ XdbeaZm Y^\^iVa iZggV^c bdYZah# Ed^cih VcY WgZV`^c\ a^cZh VgZ ZVh^an igVch[dgbZY ^cid V Ã&#x2019; ZaY bdYZa# Â&#x2122; Â&#x2122; Â&#x2122; Â&#x2122; Â&#x2122;
AdVY hjg[VXZ ed^ci XadjY YViV Fj^X`an XgZViZ VXXjgViZ egdÃ&#x2019; aZh 9gVl Xdcidjg a^cZh 8gZViZ 9IB Xdadg^oVi^dc VcY aZ\ZcYh 8VaXjaViZ VXXjgViZ kdajbZh lll#W^\Ã&#x2019; h]"Xe#WZ
+ +
No 2263
DhhZkZc &' Â&#x2122; '(*% KdhhZaVVg Â&#x2122; 7:A<>JB I (' &) +& (' ,% Â&#x2122; ; (' &) +& -' &* : ^c[d5eni]V\dgVh#cZi
GIM0113_News-Columns 12 2263_PYTHAGORAS.indd 1
mmm$foj^W]ehWi$d[j
07-01-13 11:04:54 17:04:53 26-09-12
:04:54
NEWS
ENDPOINT
New Mobile Indoor Mapping System Launched
‘You Ace’ Which factors secure the success of an emergent technology? The crib is usually a university laboratory; after years of toil, some researchers recognise the great potential of putting the fruits of their sweat and tears on the market. Co-operation with a commercial talent may result in establishing a legal entity to develop the technology further and to attract the interest of practitioners: ‘Let’s do it!’ Everyone involved becomes enthusiastic, and forums, user groups and conferences pop up. More and more start-ups want a piece of the action and join in. Big companies, often listed on the stock exchange, sense the appeal and embrace the brightest firms.
Zebedee hand-held mapping device.
Beidou Network Now Open for Commercial Use China has opened up its domestic Beidou GPS substitute for commercial use across the Asia-Pacific region. Up until now, usage of the satnav network had been restricted to the Chinese military and government. China intends to make Beidou available worldwide by 2020. http://su.pr/1si4dO
MATHIAS LEMMENS Senior editor, GIM International mathias.lemmens@geomares.nl
The Zebedee hand-held mapping device is designed to be used both indoors and outdoors for applications where GPS cannot be used, such as forestry. 3D Laser Mapping is licensing the technology – which was initially developed by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO – from the UK-based start-up GeoSLAM. http://su.pr/2fdFzE
Unmanned Airborne Systems (UAS), which are a low-cost alternative to classical manned aerial photogrammetry, are an example of the above path to success. Recent years saw experiments tumbling over each other at a frantic pace. Pioneers co-operated with cadastres, mapping agencies, water boards, conservationists and disaster managers to demonstrate the aptness of UAS for land administration, map updating, landslide and dike monitoring, and heritage conservation. The low cost of an airborne vehicle equipped with a GNSS-IMU unit, digital camera, micro-electronics and flight planning software combined with photogrammetric software running on PCs for data processing allows fast and automatic generation of maps, 3D models and other products. Flight planning, aerial survey and creation of the end products can sometimes be completed within one day. Meanwhile, the takeover engine is humming. In April 2012, Nasdaq-listed Trimble acquired Gatewing, a Belgium-based company founded in 2008 as a spin-off of a PhD research project conducted at the University of Ghent by co-founder Peter Cosyn. Success nourishes new ideas and developments. Riegl, Austria, mounted a VQ-820-GU hydrographic sensor on Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100, a heli that can carry loads of up to 200kg and remain airborne for up to six hours. This UAS – which flew for the first time in December 2012 – has been designed with mapping of remote areas in mind, particularly applications include mining, exploration and construction. The first conference focusing on UAS for use in geomatics took place in September 2011 at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and the next one is scheduled for 4-6 September 2013 at Rostock University, Germany. Another token of triumph is the divergence of its names. While some call the technology ‘UAV’ (with the ‘V’ standing for ‘vehicle’) which refers to the carrier alone, this is increasingly being supplanted by ‘UAS’ which refers to the entire system: carrier, GNSS-IMU unit, sensor(s), chips, software and ground piloting system. Others even call it ‘UAS-g’, with the ‘g’ standing for ‘geomatics’. What’s in a name? Let us hereby baptise our industry’s newborn ‘UAS’. We could even pronounce it as ‘You Ace’, with ‘ace’ here meaning ‘champion flyer’.
++ RAPIDEYE MOVES TO NEW BERLIN HEADQUARTERS ++ INTERNATIONAL FORUM FOR LIDAR AND 3D LASER SCANNING EXPERTS ++ AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY KEEPS BIRMINGHAM MOVING ++ CHC OPENS EUROPEAN REPRESENTATIVE SALES OFFICE ++ NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF GEOMATICS ++ FAROÍS FOCUS3D WINS CONSTRUCTION JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_News-Columns 13
INTERNATIONAL | 13
07-01-13 17:04:54
GIM INTERNATIONAL INTERVIEWS WAFULA NABUTOLA
Crowdsourcing: a Wake-up Call for Surveyors
14 |
INTERNATIONAL | J A N U A R Y 2 013
GIM0113_Interview 14
07-01-2013 15:52:45
BY CHRISTIAAN LEMMEN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, GIM INTERNATIONAL INTERVIEW
Spatial planning is based on information about people-to-land relationships. What is the current situation of land tenure, tenure security and land administration in Kenya?
Land tenure ought to be easy to understand. In Kenya, colonisation brought British and Indian land tenure and land laws. These were imposed, notwithstanding the existing communities’ land tenure. Over time, our various communities closed ranks to fight external aggression by the colonial masters. Hence, at the time of independence, we had about 25 pieces of legislation relating to land; some were even contradictory, a combination of English and Indian laws interspersed with African Customary Law. The cocktail of laws made land tenure difficult to understand and challenging to apply. Confusion reigned all along, even after independence, until the New Constitution of Kenya was enacted in 2010. The Constitution updated the 25 laws by combining some and obliterating others, leaving five pieces of legislation relating to public land, private land, trust land and communal land. These laws and
the National Land Policy are meant to be administered by a National Land Commission. However, members of this Commission have not yet been appointed. There are forces of resistance, with too many vested interests. In fact, the original intent of the National Land Policy was severely watered down in Parliament: the new laws were crafted in such a way that they now only apply to public land, not the whole gamut of land tenure types. What does this mean in practice?
Land tenure, land tenure security and land administration are the ideals envisioned in the National Land Policy of Kenya. The policy is meant to address the various historical and other social injustices dating back to colonial times. But a lot of damage and loss of integrity has created a phenomenon called ‘land grabbing’ – mainly by those with the right information from which to make decisions for the common good. But it should be remembered that this was not always the case. What about informal areas and the role of slumlords in Kenyan cities?
Wafula Nabutola
Land forms the basis of food and shelter, and is one of the four production factors in the economy. Surveyors play a key role in designing and implementing spatial plans. In many cities in Africa, improper spatial planning has resulted in situations of informality and completely uncontrolled development. As preparations are well underway for the FIG Working Week in Abuja, Nigeria, GIM International interviews Wafula Nabutola from Kenya, chair of the FIG Commission on Spatial Planning and Development. He provides an overview of the role of land administration in relation to spatial planning, and insights into the potential contribution the surveying profession can make on the African continent.
There are informal settlements both in the urban areas, where they are referred to as ‘slums’, and rural areas, which are called ‘squatter settlements’. Slumlords are the equivalent of landlords in the formal sense, where every aspect of the relationship is well documented and all parties are privy to the terms and conditions laid out. The difference is that slumlords own the structures but not the land on which the structures stand. The land is usually owned by the government for a specific purpose, such as utilities or social services. Slumlords then become an intermediary between the slum dwellers and the government. They are agents by default rather than design. They keep their own registers, not in the sense of cadastre but nevertheless lists of tenants for administration purposes such as rent collecting...It is an administrative function for management records, turnover, outstanding rent payments and planning. Considering informal tenures, do you see formalisation attempts?
The informal settlements get their clients from within, from rural
Wafula Nabutola is a surveyor and economist. He is the consultant-in-chief at MyRita Consultants and governor of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA). He has extensive private and public sector experience in policymaking, strategic planning, project management and corporate governance. He is involved in projects in education, health including maternal and child health, water and sanitation, and small-scale income-generating activities for the rural and urban poor. Wafula is chair of Commission 8, Spatial Planning and Development, of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG). This commission’s activities include re-engineering megacities, drawing up planning policies, environmental management and planning and governance of informal settlements. Wafula is the first African national to serve as chair of a FIG Commission since its inception in Paris in 1878. Wafula and his wife Mwikali have served Kenya’s High Commissions in Canada and UK. He has a passion for imparting and sharing knowledge. wafulaluasinabutola@gmail.com
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Interview 15
INTERNATIONAL | 15
07-01-2013 15:52:49
areas and from other urban centres. If we could make the rural areas or wherever they come from more attractive, people would not need to leave in search of greener pastures elsewhere. Slum upgrading could work but it must be applied together with empowerment of the people, so they have a sense of livelihood and dignity. Civic education is needed. Policies, legislation and relevant implementation timelines are required urgently. Unfortunately, the policymakers are not directly affected and so see no sense of urgency; instead, they apply the concept of gradualism, which is most annoying. The Constitution of Kenya provides for decent shelter and adequate sanitation for all. But how long can citizens wait? It is good to see that the Kibera Slums in Nairobi are being upgraded with the help of the UN-HABITAT, World Bank and the Swedish International Development
themselves. In such cases, the labour force attempts to take over and sometimes succeeds, purely because of its size. Similar incidents are rampant in urban areas. When a registered owner cannot take possession, he sells the title to a third party, usually a developer, who then gets the police to evict the persons in adverse possession. What is the general situation in Africa in terms of land administration, tenure security and colonial systems?
Africa is a large continent with many different cultures and various approaches to land practice, some of which are very traditional like the Gha in Ghana, the Chiefs in Nigeria and Kenya. Different African communities had their own norms and practices spelling out the roles and responsibilities over land, but the common denominator was the lack of title deeds in the conventional way.
It is not enough for us to think outside the box. Instead, we ought to remove the box altogether Agency. The inhabitants have hopes and expectations. Similar projects are in progress in other cities, and a slightly different model has been adopted in South Africa.
16 |
The colonial system was based on the mistaken assumption that there was a vacuum in land administration in Africa.
Does adverse possession work?
Large land tracts are being acquired in Africa. Is this a positive development?
This has been common practice when people who have occupied or used land for a considerable period of time lay claim to it. It happens both in rural and urban areas, especially when land owners are absent. There have been dramatic occurrences in rural areas when squatters have invaded and occupied farms left by the colonials and allocated to – but never actually taken over by – locals, who have had the title transferred to them but not utilised the land
African agriculture can be more productive; it needs more inputs and better husbandry. Our land tenure system, in which the land parcels are becoming smaller as the population grows, is not sustainable. But smallholders have demonstrated resilience and are producing higherquality coffee or tea by paying attention to detail. When competing at auctions, small-scale farmers command higher prices. Foreign companies have invested
heavily in floriculture, horticulture, sugar, tea and coffee, and they are offering much-needed employment. But we need policies that systematically transfer ownership to locals. In Zimbabwe, we are seeing an Africanisation of farms. White farmers have been replaced by small farmers who produce the same quantity but feed many more mouths. The economy and livelihoods are expanding. Qatar has asked Kenya to lease it 40,000 hectares of land to grow crops as part of a proposed package that would also see the Gulf state fund a new port on a popular tourist island. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have both leased large tracts in the Sudan and Senegal. The sudden rush by foreign governments and companies to secure food supplies in Africa has some experts worried. Jacques Diouf from FAO recently spoke of the risk of neo-colonial agriculture. Many factors have to be considered, not least the terms and conditions of lease. Policies on technology transfer, capital, labour, market and infrastructure would help us see a clearer picture of the implications, but growing food here and sending it back to Qatar is not a very palatable proposition, especially when the indigenous people are starving. It leaves a sour taste in the mouths and souls of Kenyans. Turning our thoughts to the profession, should crowdsourcing initiatives be supported and organised by surveyors?
Conventional surveying will always have a place in our society; there needs to be standards and benchmarks. However, crowdsourcing is a very real and important business idea which all surveyors ought to embrace. As surveyors, we tend to operate like lone rangers and as if we have a total monopoly of knowledge and information. This is false economy. This limits the scope for exploring new ideas and fresh ways of doing business, which is what
INTERNATIONAL | J A N U A R Y 2 013
GIM0113_Interview 16
07-01-2013 15:52:55
INTERVIEW
every surveyor must seek to do. Crowdsourcing produces solutions from amateurs or volunteers; this is what I have been advocating here in Kenya, what I call “surveyors’ clinics”. Using data from OpenStreetMap and Google Earth makes mapping and enumeration more accurate and helps decision-making processes. One more observation I would like to make is that, in urban areas, land readjustment is used as an approach. This has delivered proven results in many countries, mainly in Southeast Asia. In this method, the increased value of land is captured in order to finance the implementation of urban plans. We need to adopt similar approaches in Africa. UN-HABITAT and FIG are strongly supporting this approach, since it has a key role for surveyors. FIG is also involved in the development of unconventional approaches in land administration;
I believe both are relevant for Africa, especially when combined with participatory approaches and crowdsourcing. What is your message to professionals?
Professionals tend to be inwardlooking, depriving themselves of opportunities in the process. For example, surveyors tend to stick to what they already know and rarely venture into new territories. Lateral thinking becomes the surveyors’ tool of trade. It is important for surveyors to understand that whatever professional activity they are conducting is first and foremost for the people, who are the primary consumers of their services. Surveyors tend to prioritise differently: land comes first and people second. Crowdsourcing would be ideal for uncovering what else is out there amongst our clients, most
of whom are becoming increasingly smarter in matters which we long considered our special and exclusive domain. The upcoming FIG Working Week in Abuja is a rare chance for African professionals in general, and African surveyors in particular, to showcase how far we, on this continent, have come since the early days. There are more of us and we need to hold our heads high and demonstrate that we are equal to the best on the planet, wherever they come from. Crowdsourcing is a brilliant wake-up call for us surveyors. Are you optimistic about the future?
The future is bright: it holds more territory and openings to conquer, especially on the management side of surveying. It is not enough for us to think outside the box. Instead, we ought to remove the box altogether. JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Interview 17
INTERNATIONAL | 17
07-01-2013 15:52:55
QUALITY MATTERS
Experiences in UAS Photogrammetry UAS mapping is widely accepted as a new method for acquiring spatial image data. The main business opportunities clearly lie in projects which are too small to be of interest for aircraft and helicopter platforms and too big for field mapping. Nevertheless, performing UAS operations profitably and with high-quality results is quite demanding. At the end of the day, the paying end customer is not really interested in whether the data was produced using UAS or more traditional methods; data quality is all that matters. This article focuses on UAS mapping productivity topics, shedding light on the practical challenges of UAS operation and data processing.
Mikko Sippo is CEO of PIEneering in Helsinki, Finland, a company focusing on UAS photogrammetry software solutions since 2007. His varied career has included general management, sales, business development and project management roles. mikko.sippo@pieneering.fi
Today’s Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) mapping market is divided into three main groups: UAS manufacturers, data-processing technology providers and aerial oper¬ators who fly the systems to meet the needs of paying end customers. While there are alliances between UAS manufacturers and processing technology providers, it is important to note that each of the three technological and service-providing roles require quite different know-how and operational processes (Figure 1). A mapping UAS typically comprises the following components: unmanned aircraft with autopilot (fi xed or rotating wing), mission planning and ground station software with radio link, camera and optionally a launch and landing control system for high-speed fi xed wing systems (Figure 2). Photogrammetric software is used to process the acquired images into data products, orthomosaics and 3D point clouds so that they are ready for use in GIS and planning systems. PERFORMANCE FACTORS
A UAS is a decisive working 18 |
UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS This article forms the first part of a series of articles to be published in GIM International on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The series will address various aspects of UAS in relationship to geomatics. If you would like to contribute to the series, please contact wim.van.wegen@geomares.nl.
instrument for an operator, which in terms of investment is comparable to a robot tachymeter or a terrestrial laser scanner system. There are number of commercials systems to choose from. When planning a system purchase, the component which has by far the greatest effect on the end product results is the on-board camera. Nowadays, options range from high-performance and lightweight full frame (35mm) consumer cameras to metric cameras specifically built for UAS applications. Another fundamental choice is whether to select a rotary or fi xed wing device. Fixed wing vehicles usually fly faster and are capable of covering larger areas of interest. Meanwhile, rotating wing
INTERNATIONAL | J A N U A R Y 2 013
GIM0113_Feature Sippo 18
07-01-13 13:59:41
BY MIKKO SIPPO, PIENEERING, FINLAND FEATURE
End customer
Data processing software & services
Figure 2, A typical UAS (Image courtesy: C-Astral).
UAS operator UAS manufacturer
Figure 1, Stakeholders in the UAS mapping market.
systems typically have lower cruising speeds but are capable of operating in limited spaces and in urban areas without problems. There are a number of design features which have a direct impact on operational performance and thus on the productivity of a UAS. Since the system should be suitable for one-person operation in order to typically reduce operating costs by half, system design is being forced towards simplicity. Moreover, operators should be able to control a UAS manually in the air â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not only to comply with legal requirements by the relevant authorities, but also as an important safety feature in the case of unexpected mechanical failure or air traffic. A mapping mission using lightweight systems can be started with a manual toss whereas heavier systems need a launcher system â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a trade-off between operation simplicity and added hardware enabling larger areal capacity. Lighter system cans usually be landed manually into a small space. Meanwhile, a heavier system should have an option for parachute landing;
to land a UAS on its belly may require quite a lot of open space, which cannot always be provided, and expose the sensitive camera to repeated bumps and shocks during landings.
on the advanced ground distance rather than on a constant time interval, it is possible to eliminate the effects of head/tails wind on the image overlaps.
PRODUCTIVITY
An operator usually prepares a UAS mission in the office before travelling to the site. Air space restrictions and obstacles should be checked in advance, and the fl ight patterns covering the areas of interest should be prepared using mission-planning software. The actual fl ights can be conducted when weather conditions allow: not too much wind, not too much rain, and sufficient light for the camera to operate at a short shutter speed. An operator should also have software for checking the captured data in the field, in order to monitor whether the right area is being covered, the image quality is satisfactory and the image overlaps appear as planned.
With regard to productivity, the most critical component is the auto pilot and its control software. The software should make it possible to simultaneously plan larger area missions which can be covered with multiple, overlapping fl ights. The shape of an area of interest should be freely defined. For example, a mapping mission stretching over a corridor several kilometres long may be possible in just one flight, or it may require splitting the area into multiple flights over a series of rectangular areas. This means an operator may have to spend significantly more time at the site and complete a mission in many different weather conditions and types of light.
DATA PROCESSING OPTIONS
There are differences in the way of optimising flying patterns and turns, and this has a direct influence on effective flying times. Finally, by controlling camera triggering based
There is a clear need for two different data processing options: one for producing quick mosaics with so-called GIS accuracy and another to generate high-precision JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Feature Sippo 19
INTERNATIONAL | 19
07-01-13 13:59:42
Figure 3, Example of graphical quality reporting. Automatically generated DSM (10cm GSD) from a UAS mission.
Automatically generated true orthomosaic from a UAS mission.
results for the more demanding surveying industry. It is the latter which is the obvious target group for PIEneering. Mosaic solutions serve multiple end customer requirements, in many ways representing the vast business potential of UAS mapping applications outside of the traditional photogrammetry industry. Software solutions for this field need to produce results quickly and automatically. Completeness and spatial accuracy of the end result is typically only a secondary consideration for end customers, and geometrical faults may be visible, especially in forested and built-up areas. In contrast, the surveying industry is accustomed to serving professional customers who require controlled quality assurance and error propagation. There are two aspects of quality affecting the output: accuracy and reliability. Accuracy describes the compatibility of the output with respect to any reference frame, such as the control points. 20 |
Reliability refers to how sensitive the output is to system errors, such as uncompensated image deformations, blunders, etc. EXPRESSING QUALITY
But how can quality be expressed to the end customer? Traditionally, a number of statistical quality indicators are used, such as residuals, variance components, etc., documented with alphanumeric listings. The problem is that relatively few people can interpret such statistics effectively. A more intuitive way to communicate quality is to use graphics extensively, along with numeric data (Figure 3). It should be possible for a survey professional to assess the quality level without needing a degree in photogrammetry. The most common reservations about UAS photogrammetry tend to focus on accuracy issues. Quality reporting enables an operator to demonstrate the quality of the delivered data. Hence, the project acceptance criteria can be set implicitly, and everyone is assured
of getting their bills paid. There are particular challenges related to UAS data-processing software performance. A rather unstable UAS platform generates image blocks of varying image quality, including significant differences in image scale and image tilts and inaccurate initial camera orientation and exposure location data. As a consequence, processing UAS data is more demanding than processing traditional aircraft blocks. To get the job done, UAS blocks therefore require powerful software com¬bining the best image engi¬neering al¬gorithms of photogrammetry and machine vision. When camera performance allows, it is preferable to capture images in RAW format instead of common JPEG. RAW images offer improved resolution power and accuracy by storing thousands of grey shades per pixel instead of the JPEG range of 0-255. However, processing UAS blocks tends to take time. One practical solution is to exploit powerful but cheap gaming graphic cards (GPUs) in a PC, thus
INTERNATIONAL | J A N U A R Y 2 013
GIM0113_Feature Sippo 20
07-01-13 13:59:42
FEATURE
Figure 4, A cross section derived from a classified point cloud.
3D model of an open pit.
increasing the processing speed by a factor of 20-50 per installed card. Detailed 3D point clouds seem to be of particular interest to end customers, since the data can be used for numerous volume calculation applications and for generating true orthomosaics. End customers are quite often interested in more refined data output, such as ‘bald earth’ surfaces or classified data layers derived from a DSM. Point cloud and DTM management software, such as Terrasolid’s Terrascan, can be used for this, for cross-sectioning and visualisation purposes for example (Figure 4). Today, a UAS operator can choose between licensed software and cloud services as data processing options. Choices are welcome, as customers’ needs vary – it is sensible for operators with less knowledge of photogrammetry to rely on services, while it is natural for professional photogrammetrists to choose the software option. In either case, UAS data processing software, or services,
must provide automatic operation, the capability to meet the challenges of UAS specific blocks, provide a means for controlled quality, and be capable of rapidly processing thousands of images. DATA ACCURACY
There are four main aspects which have the greatest influence on data accuracy: the number of ground control points, consistency of the photogrammetric block, image quality and camera optics. When GCPs cover the target area and are spread evenly, absolute accuracy over the target area can be controlled. Adequate image overlaps (70/70%) compensate for the instability of the UAS as an imaging platform and make the mathematical solution rigid. Once again, good image quality is essential. Consumer cameras are not built for metric operations, and the instability of the optics can cause varying deformation. Any deformation drastically reduces the accuracy and must be compensated with camera calibration, either with
laboratory calibration or with selfcalibration during data processing. With everything in place, it is possible to achieve absolute accuracy of 0.5 pixel GSD in XY direction and 1 pixel GSD in height with aerial triangulation. For more details, please refer to the white paper [ 1]. CONCLUSIONS
As a method for acquiring aerial image data, UAS mapping is capable of providing high-quality results for the professional survey industry. Quality does not come easily, but instead requires advanced hardware and software, skilled operators and carefully executed mapping missions. Controlling quality throughout the entire production process increases productivity, helps to strengthen confidence in the UAS mapping method, and promotes project sales.
MORE INFORMATION 1. www.pieneering.fi
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Feature Sippo 21
INTERNATIONAL | 21
07-01-13 13:59:42
GIM0113_Feature Sippo 22
07-01-13 13:59:43
BY THOMAS WILLEMSEN, FRIEDRICH KELLER AND PROF DR-ING HARALD STERNBERG, HAFENCITY UNIVERSITY, GERMANY FEATURE
ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF INTEGRATED SENSORS
Indoor Navigation Using Smartphones Nowadays, navigation systems have become an integral part of everyday life. But since GNSS-based systems do not work in locations where GNSS signals cannot be received, a navigation solution can offer an interesting solution in such places – such as at congresses, in shopping malls, at train stations or in large office buildings. The HafenCity University in Hamburg, Germany, started exploring the possibilities of indoor navigation solutions in 2009, and especially in conjunction with smartphones since 2011. In order to devise a successful indoor navigation solution, it is important to understand the quality of smartphones’ integrated sensors. This article describes initial studies of the gyroscope and the barometer in the test smartphone, a Samsung Galaxy Nexus. It outlines a method for calibrating the gyroscope with a total station. Finally, the pressure from the barometer is used to identify different storeys in the HCU building.
Since 2011, the usage of smartphones in indoor navigation has been in the foreground at HafenCity University (HCU) in Hamburg, Germany. Just one example of a previous indoor navigation research project was a system with a backpack which
included computing hardware, batteries, cables and sensors such as GPS and a camera, which was unsuitable for use in everyday life. Today’s smartphones, such as the test device Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Figure 1), already include
Thomas Willemsen (MSc) has been a research assistant at HafenCity University in Hamburg since 2011. Prior to that, after graduating from the Jade University of Applied Sciences in Oldenburg in 2010, he worked for Dr Hesse & Partner Ing and Sigma3D from September 2010 to May 2011. thomas.willemsen@hcu-hamburg.de
sensors which can be used to calculate a relative position. Hence a smartphone-based indoor navigation solution offers two key benefits: firstly, the widespread use of smartphones in society and, secondly, a reduction in or even
Friedrich Keller (MSc) has been a research assistant at HafenCity University in Hamburg since graduating from there in 2010. friedrich.keller@hcu-hamburg.de
Prof Dr-Ing Harald Sternberg has been a professor of engineering geodesy and geodetic metrology at HafenCity University since August 2001 and became vice president of teachings and studies in January 2009. He graduated from the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich in 1999. harald.sternberg@hcu-hamburg.de
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Feature Sternberg 23
INTERNATIONAL | 23
07-01-13 16:53:42
Figure 1, Samsung Galaxy Nexus with coordinate system.
Figure 2, Modified Leica TCRA 1105 total station.
independence from additional hardware on the navigation device. In addition to typical MEMS (MicroElectronicalMechanical Systems) sensors such as a camera and WLAN receiver, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus features an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetic field sensor and a barometer. Because of their small size, these sensors are relatively inaccurate and their data include considerable measurement noise. In order to devise an indoor navigation solution based on smartphones, it is necessary to first analyse the MEMS sensors. The integrated gyroscope registers angular velocities from rotating the smartphone, and this can be used to calculate a relative orientation. The measured atmospheric pressure coming from the integrated barometer allows the device to calculate a relative height. In the tests described here, the smartphone is fixed on a modified Figure 3, Calculated heights of the different storeys.
total station and rotated in fixed angle velocities in order to make fair comparisons. Pressure data are then measured by the barometer in the same stairwell on four different floors of a building to test the resolution from this sensor. COMPARING GYROSCOPES
The accuracy of multi-axis gyroscopes is usually assessed using rotary tables which, depending on model and type, can often cost over EUR500,000. Therefore, a modified Leica TCRA 1105 total station is used in this research instead. The modification includes a mounting for smartphones to check the angle velocities from the gyroscope integrated in the smartphone (Figure 2). The angle velocities from the total station are compared against the angle velocities from the gyroscope. The motorisation of the total station allows rotation around the total
26
24
22 20
[m]
18
16
14 12
10 signal mean uncertainty(95%) new level real height
8
6
24 |
0
5
10
15
[min]
20
25
30
35
station’s horizontal and vertical axes, thus generating angles or angle velocities. The maximal angle velocity is 0.7rad/sec (40°/sec). The communication to the Leica TCRA 1105 total station can be realised using the integrated GeoCom interface which enables a serial port connection between a computer and the total station. The GeoCom interface includes various commands including to start the total station, to control its motorisation and to output measured data. Hence, this allows the total station to be operated by a program written in Matlab or C++ which includes a test scenario. To check the defined angle velocities, a Leica AT901 laser tracker is used. A laser tracker is often used in automotive and aircraft construction to solve problematic industrial measurement situations. The accuracy of 3D points measured with the Leica AT901 laser tracker is ±0.03mm and the time between measured points has a resolution of 0.001ms and a drift up to 0.020ms/sec. To generate reference data for the angle velocities of the modified total station, a reflector is fixed offset from the total station’s rotation axis. For at least 10 seconds, the reflector is pursued by the AT901 laser tracker which measures points the whole time. This approach is repeated for different angle velocities. The geometric data and the timestamps between the first and last point are used to calculate reference angle velocities. Another
INTERNATIONAL | J A N U A R Y 2 013
GIM0113_Feature Sternberg 24
07-01-13 16:53:44
FEATURE
scale
offset
Sensor
count
value (diff-ref)
dev.
value [°/sec]
dev. [°/sec]
phone 1
10
0.992412
0.000069
-0.010672
0.010156
10
0.995157
0.000111
-0.012416
0.022138
10a
0.994616
0.000192
-0.007025
0.038450
1
0.997747
phone 2 phone 3
0.004823
Table 1, Calibration results of angle velocities of z-axis for three Galaxy Nexus smartphones.
low-cost alternative for generating angle velocities is to use a light sensor, which sends a signal to a stopwatch whenever the rotation laser from the total station passes over it. The full circle (360°) and the detected time between two measurements are needed to generate the angle velocities. A test routine is used to generate different angle velocities for the z-rotation by three Galaxy Nexus smartphones. The scale and offset to reference data are calculated. The offset is not significant but the multiple measurements by smartphones 1 and 2 show that the scale can be calibrated. ASSESSING THE BAROMETER
A fundamental question regarding the usage of a smartphone’s barometer in indoor navigation is whether it can identify individual storeys. To test this, a series of measurements are carried out in the stairwell of a HCU building which has four different levels and a total height difference of 12.8m. The heights of each floor are measured with a levelling instrument and measuring tape. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus then calculates the height of each level for a period of four minutes by measuring the atmospheric pressure using the built-in barometer (Figure 3) and in the following sequence of storeys: 4-3-2-1-1-2-3-4. To calculate relative heights from atmospheric pressure, the first pressure is used as reference pressure. The average deviation of all calculated heights is 0.1m with an uncertainty (95%) of ±0.85m.
Based on the measurements taken on each floor, it can be concluded that the barometer stayed within its specifications (±1.0m). For longer measurement periods, temperature of the smartphone should be observed since this might influence the results. In general, it is recommended to measure the temperature when atmospheric pressure is used to determine height; otherwise, the barometer data will start drifting. For optimum accuracy, temperature measurements should be done from within the smartphone. MERGING SENSOR DATA
Merging the measurement data obtained by the gyroscope and the accelerometer generates relative positions. During walking, the accelerometer from the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is used for step detection by emitting a repeating signal at each step. If the step length is known, these signals can be used to calculate the length of the trajectory. To receive a movement orientation, the angle velocities are integrated with known time steps during navigation. Using the dead reckoning method, these modified data from the accelerometer and gyroscope are combined to give a relative position. If the start position is known, thanks to the use of a QR-Code for instance, the navigation solution can be realised. Figure 4 shows an example of the data in combination with the dead reckoning method: one round of combined accelerometer and gyroscope data combined with dead reckoning on one level of the HCU building
(red = raw data; green = data corrected by calibration; blue = corrected data by calibration and alignment). After walking for 1 minute (80m), the start position was reached again. The red trajectory shows the untreated data combined with dead reckoning. This illustrates that there is a significant drift in the gyroscope. Based on the data corrected by calibration with the total station, the trajectory (green) is slightly better. The biggest influence is the drift of the gyroscope, which cannot be calibrated because of instability. One way of minimising the effect of drift is to align the gyroscope before commencing navigation, which entails recording data from gyroscope for a short time (approx. 6 seconds) before navigation begins. During this period, any movement of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus should be avoided. From these recorded gyroscope data, correction parameters (scale and offset) can be derived and then used for the following trajectory (blue). While an improvement is clearly shown, the solution’s performance deteriorates over time. In summary, while navigation with smartphones can be realised without GNSS, the smartphone requires supporting information at regular time intervals in order to continue to determine the right trajectory.
Figure 4, Dead reckoning in the HCU building.
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Feature Sternberg 25
INTERNATIONAL | 25
07-01-13 16:53:45
GIM0113_Feature Sternberg 26
07-01-13 16:53:45
FEATURE
OUTLOOK
underline how complicated a positioning solution for indoor navigation can be. To process these different types of information, tools such as a Kalman filter and particle filter are needed. Future research will explore how to obtain an optimum position estimation using tools like these.
FURTHER READING - Lukianto, C. and Sternberg, H., ‘Custom MEMS-based inertial measurement unit for pedestrian navigation use’, International Conference on Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN), 21-23 September 2011, Guimaraes, Portugal - Rosenberg, H., ‘Sensorfusion zur Navigation eines Fahrzeugs mit low-cost Intertialsensorik’, July 2006, http://www.vrosenberg.de/html/diplomarbeit.htm, retrieved 10 April 2012 - Molen, B., ‘Behind the glass: a detailed tour inside the Samsung Galaxy Nexus’, http:// www.engadget.com/2011/10/20/behind-the-glass-a-detailed-tour-inside-thesamsung-galaxy-nexu/, retrieved 4 July 2012 - Artese, G. and Trecroci, A., ‘Calibration of a low-cost MEMS INS sensor for an integrated navigation system’, ISPRS Congress Beijing 2008
No 2319
This article provides some initial ideas about indoor navigation using smartphones. It is possible to design a navigation solution based on a smartphone and its MEMS sensors rather than on GNSS. However, on its own the solution remains accurate for only a short time; it needs to receive supporting information periodically. The aim is to support individual sensor data using information with different stochastic behaviour. For example, an integrated angle (drift) created by angle velocities from the gyroscope is supported by azimuth calculations from magnetic field sensor (noise). Other ways to support the positioning solution can also be implemented. The signal strength to WLAN routers can be used to determine distances between the known router positions and the smartphone and hence support
the positioning solution. Another option could be to use the topological information from the relevant building model; for example, a person can only navigate in a room after having entered through its door. The various support possibilities such as quality, dimension and frequency
2319.indd 1
GIM0113_Feature Sternberg 27
03-01-2013 11:42:22
JANUARY 201 3 |
INTERNATIONAL | 27
07-01-13 16:53:45
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE GOES SPATIAL
Location Intelligence via Web-based Mapping Platforms Location Intelligence combines Business Intelligence with spatial analysis and includes the visualisation of various data on a map. Location Intelligence is an important tool for optimising business processes, business structures and customer relationships. Although some initial investment is necessary with respect to licenses, data, training and integration efforts, various companies have already discovered the benefits and have been using a classic Geographic Information System (GIS) since the early 1990s. Now, with the release of web-based mapping platforms such as Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps or Nokia/Navteq Location Platform (to name but a few) and their professional developer interfaces (APIs), the chance has arisen to add a spatial dimension to business tasks without requiring substantial initial investment. This article explains the differences between web mapping platforms’ APIs and the classic GIS solutions. It also focuses on some business examples and attempts to predict a number of market trends relating to the two basic architectures for commercial use. Many enterprises plan, optimise and monitor their business processes as well as their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by using IT-supported Business Intelligence (BI) systems. These systems are intended to collect, aggregate, extrapolate and visualise data in order to generate essential and transparent facts to aid decision-making. The data processed for these tasks originates mainly from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and other important information sources within the company. Business Intelligence systems are typically based on data warehouses with powerful data import and calculation methods which enable large datasets to be processed within a relatively short space of 28 |
time. By definition, a BI system has a powerful cockpit to allow the visualisation of data in the form of charts, dashboards and reports. Well-known BI systems include SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW), Oracle Business Intelligence Suite,
Microsoft Business Intelligence and IBM Cognos. In addition to the large BI system manufacturers, there are also many smaller, often highly specialised providers of BI systems such as Qlickview, Corporate Planning, KHK Sage and Evans Consulting.
Peter Brack, born in 1966, studied geography with a main focus on geomatics and cartography. Since the late 1990s, Peter has been working with internet-based mapping platforms and has extensive management-level experience in IT consulting, software development and Innovation Management. He joined BGI Solutions as CTO and partner in 2009. In 2010, BGI was named as Microsoft country partner of the year (Germany) for a solution based on Bing Maps. Peter is currently also working as a vTSP for Microsoft’s Bing Maps for the Enterprise platform. brack@borchert-geo.de
INTERNATIONAL | J A N U A R Y 2 013
GIM0113_Feature Brack 28
07-01-13 14:37:00
BY PETER BRACK, BGI SOLUTIONS, GERMANY FEATURE
Figure 1, Microsoft SQL Server 2008/2012 Reporting Server with standard static map output (Image courtesy: Microsoft Corp.).
In the past, BI systems have primarily been implemented and used in large, international companies. Today, however, increasing numbers of smaller companies are also investing in professional data structures. In view of this, and the fact that BI systems are now available with standard functionality and affordable pricing for licensing and implementation, it is clear that the number of implementations of BI systems among smaller companies is growing tremendously. According to Gartner Inc., revenues in the global market for Business Intelligence software reached USD12.2 billion in 2011. BI GOES SPATIAL
The need to analyse KPIs based on a spatial structure is obvious when one considers that at least 60-80% of all data acquired throughout a company has a spatial component or relationship. Managing, analysing and visualising data with a spatial relationship are the most important tasks of GIS. Unfortunately, a high level of initial investment is necessary to implement a GIS. With respect to licenses, data,
training and integration efforts and costs, only a few companies have already become aware of the benefits and are currently using a classic GIS to supplement their Business Intelligence system. Some BI manufacturers have responded to this challenge, either by including basic standard geodata and spatial functionality in their own BI software (e.g. Oracle/Microsoft, see Figure 1) or by providing their customers with a free GIS license (e.g. SAP BW). Nevertheless, a free license still entails certain commitments in terms of training and integration. A typical BI user with a business education will require initial training and considerable practice in order to be able to use a GIS professionally. Furthermore, initial IT efforts are needed to implement the GIS with an interface to the BI system. Last but not least, a GIS license includes little to no geodata; there is no stateof-the-art aerial imagery at all, for example. WEB-BASED LOCATION INTELLIGENCE
The first web-based mapping platforms were introduced in the mid-1990s. Some of them provided
an immersive amount of geodata (mainly with road maps and aerial imagery) and developer APIs to realise an interface to web mapping services. The comparative advantage over a classical GIS is that the data collected by the services can be updated and deployed for many customers via highly scalable content delivery networks. Such mapping platforms have been, strictly speaking, one of the first true cloud services. Initially, the web mapping platformsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; APIs were adopted by other World Wide Web portals to add a spatial dimension to their regular content (e.g. a retailerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website with added store locator). Business-to-business developers subsequently followed and, since then, more and more such interfaces have been developed and implemented in order to add a spatial dimension to Business (Intelligence) applications without requiring a high initial investment for licenses, geodata and trainings. Location Intelligence (LI) solutions using web mapping platforms are accessed via the internet (or intranet) using a regular browser (sometimes JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Feature Brack 29
INTERNATIONAL | 29
07-01-13 14:37:01
No 2316 2316.indd 1
18-12-2012 10:03:49
Higher Ground: Learning from the East Japan Tsunami and Meltdown at Fukushima NPS â&#x20AC;&#x153;In this remarkable book Professor Murai brings to bear not only his professional expertise but also his compassion for those who suffered.â&#x20AC;?
â&#x201A;Ź
21,90*
Extraordinary eye-witness accounts of heroism and survival, suffering, terror and death, are appended bij â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Memosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; listing the relevant statistics and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lessonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in which the author distils the cardinal mistakes and ways of correcting them for the future.
About the author: Shunji Murai, professor emeritus at Tokyo University, current president of the Japanese Association of Surveyors and chairman of the editing committee of a book on Human Beings and Disaster.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;His narrative approach is deeply humanâ&#x20AC;?
To download the preface or purchase the book please visit
www.gim-international.com/higherground.php *excl. VAT if applicable and shipment costs
GIM0113_Feature Brack 30
07-01-13 14:37:02
FEATURE
Figure 2, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 dashboard and map visualisation via BGI ThematicMapper (Image courtesy: Microsoft Corp. & BGI Solutions).
with a plug-in). The clients are very easy to deploy which results in lower maintenance costs. A typical BI user’s geo scenario is a geographic reporting tool for visualising KPIs, regional sales, incidents, customer bases and sales areas. Location Intelligence should work as an integrated solution in the company’s regular BI system – be that ERP, Business Cockpit, Global Market Portal, CRM, broker system or others. Key geographically related figures – such as addresses, postcodes, sales areas or international regions – can be quickly accessed and visualised either as symbols, pie charts, bar charts or heat maps for easy interpretation and analysis. This enables BI data originally held in alphanumeric tables to be presented in an integrated cockpit and an appealing (geo)graphic design. BI dashboard data can then be visualised on maps. Pie charts can describe revenues for certain business segments, additional locations for perspective customers can be added and mosaic maps can
demonstrate market demands. This combination of internal data (e.g. from an ERP or CRM) with external data (e.g. purchasing power) with the addition of a geographical dimension (e.g. Bing Maps) leads to better analytical capabilities and improved knowledge and awareness of business results, thus enabling better future decisions (see Figure 2).
typical functionalities found in GIS compared with WMS-powered solutions. TRENDS IN BI GEO-RELATED SOLUTIONS
Given the specific requirements of a typical BI user’s scenario, it would appear that solutions built on basic web mapping platforms offer advantages over an
COMPARING GIS AND WMS
On the one hand, web mapping platforms such as Microsoft Bing Maps for Enterprise, Google Maps Premier or Nokia Location Platform offer the advantage of easy access to geodata and other content as well as geocoding and routing services. On the other hand, they lack certain GIS functionalities. These missing functionalities would have to be developed separately by a solution provider, which entails extra effort on the part of the developer. Hence, in most cases, Web Map Service (WMS) solutions tend to feature fewer functions than a classic GIS, despite the fact that it is theoretically possible to add other functionalities. Figure 3 provides an overview of
Characteristics (Standard) Geocoding Routing Worldwide Streetmaps Coverage Worldwide Aerial Imagery Coverage Buffering Intersection Analysis Editing Advanced Editing Installed client Import vector data Import raster data Spatial queries Advanced spatial queries Labelling Advanced labelling Customised Layout
GIS
X X X X X X X X X X X X
(X) (X) (X) (X) (X)
Figure 3, Functionalities of GIS versus web mapping-powered solutions. JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Feature Brack 31
WebGIS X X X X (X)
INTERNATIONAL | 31
07-01-13 14:37:03
Why do leading aerial mapping and surveying FRPSDQLHV ZRUOGZLGH Ă \ ZLWK 8OWUD&DP" Blue Skies Consulting United States UltraCamLp
GeoAir Mexico
GEODIS Czech Republic
UltraCamD
UltraCamXp & Eagle
FMM Austria
AEROmetrex Australia
UltraCamD, X, Xp, & Eagle
UltraCamD & X
<RX¡YH VHHQ 0LFURVRIW¡V LQWHUQDWLRQDO ´, )O\ 8OWUD&DPÂľ YLGHR VHULHV IHDWXULQJ 8OWUD&DP FXVWRPHUV H[SODLQLQJ LQ WKHLU RZQ ZRUGV ZK\ WKH\ FKRVH DZDUG ZLQQLQJ 8OWUD&DP SKRWRJUDPPHWULF GLJLWDO DHULDO VHQVRU V\VWHPV %XW WKH\ werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only proud UltraCam users eager to share their H[SHULHQFHV &KHFN RXW WKH QHZ ´, )O\ 8OWUD&DPÂľ YLGHRV WKDW were personally created and submitted by UltraCam customers IURP DURXQG WKH ZRUOG
Visit www.WeFlyUltraCam.com to see their video testimonials!
No 2312
Â&#x2039; 0LFURVRIW &RUSRUDWLRQ $OO ULJKWV UHVHUYHG 0LFURVRIW 8OWUD&DP DQG 8OWUD&DP (DJOH DUH HLWKHU UHJLVWHUHG WUDGHPDUNV RU WUDGHPDUNV RI 0LFURVRIW &RUSRUDWLRQ LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV DQG RU RWKHU FRXQWULHV
GIM0113_Feature Brack 32 2312.indd 1
07-01-13 14:37:04 14-12-2012 13:09:10
3:09:10
FEATURE
Figure 4, Costs of GIS versus WMS. 10 8 6 WebGIS GIS
4 2 0
GIS
en Lic
se in Tra
ing
t en oym l p De
Fu
ordinary GIS. Th is is especially true whenever numerous users need to have access to the system without restrictions, training or separate installation. However, in cases in which BI users require many specific and complex spatial functions such as buffering, intersection analysis, network functionality and suchlike, a solution built on a GIS would be beneficial (as shown in Figures 3 and 4). Major GIS manufacturers have acknowledged these results and risen
n
on cti
alit
y
WebGIS
are rdw Ha
to the challenge by releasing Rich Internet Applications (RIA) with reduced functionality and access to geodata from web mapping platforms (e.g. ESRI MapIt using Bing Maps). Meanwhile, non-GIS manufacturers are adding more and more specific GIS functionality to their systems (see Figure 5). LOOKING AHEAD
Thanks to the extensive reach of platforms such as Google, Bing and Nokia Maps, users have become very familiar with geographical
visualisation via web mapping platforms. They combine a modern look and feel with easy access to worldwide coverage for street maps and aerial imagery as well as geocoding and routing capabilities. It is safe to assume that, in the near future, this kind of geovisualisation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; either powered by or integrated with one of the major web mapping platforms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will become increasingly widely used in business segments in which the requirements for typical GIS functionalities are not too complex.
Figure 5, The BGI ThematicMapper based on Bing Maps and Microsoft SQL Server: METRO GIS portal enabling spatial functions such as intersection methods and drive-time zoning (Image courtesy: Microsoft Corp., METRO Group & BGI Solutions).
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_Feature Brack 33
INTERNATIONAL | 33
07-01-13 14:37:05
SPACE FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT The faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) of the University of Twente is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foremost GFWECVKQP CPF TGUGCTEJ GUVCDNKUJGPVU KP VJG Æ&#x201A;GNF QH IGQ information science and earth observation with such a wide TCPIG QH FKUEKRNKPGU CPF CEVKXKVKGU KP VJKU Æ&#x201A;GNF © Gerard Kuster
CAREER PERSPECTIVES At the heart of ITCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities lies capacity building and institutional development, the processes by which individuals, groups and organizations strengthen their ability to carry out their functions CPF RWTUWG VJGKT IQCNU GHHGEVKXGN[ CPF GHÆ&#x201A;EKGPVN[ This dynamic setting offers attractive career perURGEVKXGU GPCDNKPI SWCNKÆ&#x201A;GF RGTUQPPGN VQ RWV VJGKT UMKNNU CPF GZRGTVKUG VQ GZEGNNGPV WUG DEGREE, DIPLOMA AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMMES Over the years, ITC has developed a wide selection QH EQWTUGU KP KVU FGITGG FKRNQOC CPF EGTVKÆ&#x201A;ECVG programmes in geo-information science and earth QDUGTXCVKQP 6JGUG EQWTUGU CTG QHHGTGF KP VJG Netherlands, online and abroad by ITC itself or by +6% KP EQNNCDQTCVKQP YKVJ TGRWVCDNG SWCNKÆ&#x201A;GF GFWECVKQPCN QTICPK\CVKQPU
DEGREE COURSES IN GEO-INFORMATION SCIENCE AND EARTH OBSERVATION FOR: r Applied Earth Sciences r Geoinformatics r Environmental Modelling and Management r Land Administration r Natural Resources Management r Urban Planning and Management r Water Resources and Environmental Management FOR MORE INFORMATION ITC Faculty University of Twente PO Box 217 - 7500 AE Enschede The Netherlands
No 2298
info@itc.nl www.itc.nl and www.utwente.nl
2298.indd 1 GIM0113_Feature Brack 34
21-11-2012 16:06:00 07-01-13 14:37:07
BY FANG DA AND STEVEN CHAN, MAPGIS, CHINA COMPANY’S VIEW
ZONDY CYBER GROUP (MAPGIS)
Committed to GIS Research and Innovation The past two decades of development plus its close collaboration with China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) and the Research Centre of GIS Software under the Ministry of Education have enabled Zondy Cyber Group – headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei, China – to become one of China’s leading GIS platform and solutions providers specialising in GIS research, development, application and services.
Chairman of Zondy Cyber Group, professor Wu Xincai.
Every month GIM International invites a company to introduce itself in these pages. The resulting article, entitled Company’s View, is subject to the usual copy editing procedures, but the publisher takes no responsibility for the content and the views expressed are not necessarily those of the magazine.
Zondy Cyber Group was founded by GIS expert, professor Wu Xincai, as a corporate enterprise. Officially started as Wuhan Huadi Cartography in 1992, the company evolved into Wuhan Maipu Computer in 1994 and subsequently Wuhan Zondy Information Engineering in 1998, which finally resulted in Zondy Cyber Group. Professor Wu successfully developed MapCAD – the first set of colour map editing and publishing system in China. Additionally, Zondy Cyber was the first to develop MapGIS – China’s national brand of GIS software with fully independent intellectual property copyright, hence changing the status of long-term dependence on foreign GIS software. In 2003,
Zondy Cyber obtained ISO9001 quality management system certification, and was adopted by ‘Shenzhou Manned Aircraft’. In 2004, MapGIS 7.0, a widely distributed GIS system, passed CMM (Capability Maturity Model) level 3 evaluation. The company’s most recently launched product, MapGIS IGSS, has removed the bottleneck which has hindered the development of information industry and created a new generation of development mode. NATIONAL GIS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
The company’s mission is to blaze a trail for national GIS software development. It provides clients with the MapGIS platform and GIS consulting services as well as professional assistance to developers. Its industrial application centre includes three solution departments for GIS application, namely land management, telecommunications and smart city. Zondy Cyber Group has MapGIS agents and offices spread throughout China. The company’s management philosophy and style JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_CompanysView 35
INTERNATIONAL | 35
07-01-13 14:05:23
is to promote a culture of entrepreneurship and to encourage innovation and communication, both within and beyond the company. Each Zondy Cyber employee should have a clear personal vision of himself and receive support in achieving their targets.
President of Zondy Cyber Group, Liu Yong.
The groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four branches and subsidiary companies, in Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Xinjiang, employ more than 800 people in total and have achieved an average annual growth rate of 21.02% in the past three consecutive years. Overview of the MapGIS activities of Zondy Cyber Group.
Industry
Products E-government Urban Cadastre
Land Management
Land Utilisation Planning Land Helper Others Broadcasting Resource Management
Telecommunications
Communications Service Sharing Platform Mobile Products and LBS Water Sector Solution
Smart City
Gas Sector Solution Package Solution for Smart City Others Basic Geography Driving Test System
Other Applications MapGIS
Field Investigation and Surveying Meteorology Real Estate Public Security Secondary Development
R&D Centre
Desktop Server Mobile IGServer
Web GIS
Hydraulic Engineering Geological Disaster Digital Mining
3D GIS
3D Geology 3D Platform MapGIS RS Platform
RS Products
Forestry Agriculture Electronic Sand Table
36 |
INTERNATIONAL SCOPE
Zondy Cyber Group is currently at the exploratory stage of global expansion but is particularly interested in areas of Southeast Asia, Africa and the US market. The company already has a number of strategic partners, including in Greece, Sweden and other European countries. In addition to developing software systems to meet specific industrial requirements, the company also provides assistance for partners and clients who are willing to have secondary development, and is currently on the lookout for partners who are interested in MapGIS and have the necessary local marketing capabilities and fundamental technical software skills. In return, Zondy Cyber Group will provide them with the MapGIS platform and help them with technical aspects. Other support includes an online remote learning system for training purposes, an instant Q&A system and the MapGIS online library to help partners and clients in using and developing the products. In order to better serve its customers, Zondy Cyber Group has placed considerable emphasis on structure layout. The company offers two different kinds of partnership centres: the group headquarters in Wuhan acts as the regional cooperative partnership development centre,
INTERNATIONAL | J A N U A R Y 2 013
GIM0113_CompanysView 36
07-01-13 14:05:25
COMPANY’S VIEW
Zondy Cyber Group hosting foreign business visitors.
while the Beijing branch serves as the industrial partnership development centre. Together, these two centres form a network market structure that facilitates a win-win result for the platform provider, cooperative partners and end users alike. MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL
The company is well aware that every corporation has its own strengths and weaknesses, and that overall benefits are always shared by each part in the industrial chain. In order to ensure a complete and well-functioning industrial chain – and thus inject new impetus for further development – the group is committed to achieving and maintaining a cooperative and mutually beneficial enterprise chain and a smooth and communicative supply-demand chain.
believes that great importance should be attached to two aspects in particular. Firstly, it is necessary to improve information exchange
the two aspects mentioned above into practice. By building a platform for sharing spatial information services, information islands and
Improved information exchange removes obstacles to facilitate collaborative sharing
FUTURE OUTLOOK
among different governmental departments, enterprises and public institutions to remove the obstacle of information islands in different industries and to facilitate collaborative sharing. Secondly, it is essential to further explore and utilise captured data effectively to develop fi nancially efficient applications and services. Th at, in Zondy Cyber Group’s view, is the key aim of offering increased levels of geographic information.
With regard to promoting the sustainable development of spatial information sharing, the company
A sustainable spatial information industry is required in order to put
technical barriers can be overcome to enable accurate analysis and measurement of objects in the Remote Sensing, GPS and GIS industry. Over the next five years, Zondy Cyber Group will further its R&D work, sparing no efforts to develop various GIS application such as web GIS, embedded GIS, etc. As service sharing plays an ever more important role in the spatial industry, the company intends to do its best to improve the service capacity and take the Chinese GIS industry to a new level. JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_CompanysView 37
INTERNATIONAL | 37
07-01-13 14:05:25
GIM0113_CompanysView 38
07-01-13 14:05:26
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SURVEYORS FIG
FÉDERATION INTERNATIONALE GÉOMÈTRES INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SURVEYORS INTERNATIONALE VEREINIGUNG DER VERMESSUNGSINGENIEURE PRESIDENT CheeHai Teo, Malaysia
VICE-PRESIDENTS Dalal S. Alnaggar, Egypt Iain Greenway, United Kingdom Chryssy A. Potsiou, Greece Rudolf Staiger, Germany REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF COMMISSION OFFICERS Michael Sutherland, Canada/Trinidad and Tobago COMMISSION CHAIRS COMMISSION 1: PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS & PRACTICE Leonie Newnham, Australia COMMISSION 2: PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION Steven Frank, USA COMMISSION 3: SPATIAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Yerach Doytsher, Israel COMMISSION 4: HYDROGRAPHY Michael Sutherland, Canada/Trinidad and Tobago COMMISSION 5: POSITIONING & MEASUREMENT Mikael Lilje, Sweden COMMISSION 6: ENGINEERING SURVEYS Gethin W. Roberts, United Kingdom COMMISSION 7: CADASTRE & LAND MANAGEMENT Daniel Roberge, Canada COMMISSION 8: SPATIAL PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT Wafula Nabutola, Kenya COMMISSION 9: VALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF REAL ESTATE Frances Plimmer, United Kingdom COMMISSION 10: CONSTRUCTION ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT Robert Šinkner, Czech Republic FIG OFFICE Louise Friis-Hansen, office manager Markku Villikka, FIG director International Federation of Surveyors, FIG Kalvebod Brygge 31-33 DK-1780 Copenhagen V, Denmark Tel + 45 3886 1081 Fax + 45 3886 0252 Email: fig@fig.net Website: www.fig.net
Review of 8th FIG Regional Conference in Montevideo The 8th FIG Regional Conference in Montevideo, Uruguay, was held successfully in November 2012, attracting some 250 participants from 33 countries across Latin America and beyond. One aim of the conference was to increase co-operation between the Latin American countries. The regional flavour of the event and its perfect organisation by the Asociación de Agrimensores del Uruguay (AAU) was a solid base for colleagues to get acquainted with each other and to share ideas, knowledge and ambitions. The theme of the conference was ‘Surveying towards Sustainable Development’. Keynotes were organised in three sessions: • ‘Relevance and Contribution of Surveying and Spatial Information’, with keynotes from Ambassador John Biehl del Rio, Organisation of American States (OAS), and Victoria Stanley, World Bank, about activities, impacts and benefits of various (OAS and World Bank) initiatives in Latin America, from Jorge Franco, Uruguay, on the challenges of surveying, and from Solomon Abebe Haile, UN-HABITAT, on participatory and inclusive land readjustment. • ‘Technological and Educational, Regional and Youth Initiatives for Sustainable Development’, with keynotes from Andrés Diez Galilea, Spain, on the impact of initiatives such as INSPIRE on education, from Claudio Brunini, Argentina, on the SIRGAS – the regional reference system for the Americas, from Hector Cancela, Uruguay, on curricula in Uruguay, and from Toril Iren Pedersen, Norway, on youth responsiveness in the land sector. • ‘Professional and Technological Trends and Horizons of Surveying Spatial Technologies’ with keynotes from Brent Jones of ESRI, USA, on
Excursion to Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay.
current, upcoming and future trends and technologies, from Roberto Perez Rodino, Uruguay, on the new paradigm for the survey engineer, and from Fausto Savoldi, Italy, on the agenda, vision and opportunities for the profession. The final session was closed with an impressive keynote from FIG president CheeHai Teo. He introduced FIG as a global society with a membership from over 120 countries. There are now 10 technical commissions that demonstrate the breadth and diversity of our competence within the land, natural and built environment, he said. There is extensive co-operation with sister organisations. As a United Nations and World Bank Group-recognised non-governmental organisation, FIG is seeking to collaborate and to ensure that the surveying disciplines are relevant and meeting the needs of both the places and the people they serve. Some highlights have been: • the outcome of the UN Conference in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro. The document entitled ‘The Future We Want’ recognised the need for reliable geospatial information.
• the UN Voluntary Guidelines endorsed by the United Nations Committee on World Food Security. FIG has to move to the implementation phase. • the key message of FIG at the 2012 World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty: the recognition that we are in an era of competing demands on existing resources, and that there is the continued need to ensure the efficient and effective deployment of solutions, approaches and tools to achieve the desired outcomes. • the affirmation of the continuum of land rights by UN-HABITAT’s Governing Council, which include both documented and undocumented rights. This range of rights generally cannot be described relative to a parcel, and therefore new forms of spatial units are needed. Work to be done!! Louise Friis-Hansen Christiaan Lemmen
MORE INFORMATION www.fig.net
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_FIG 39
INTERNATIONAL | 39
07-01-13 15:53:21
GIM0113_FIG 40
07-01-13 15:53:24
GLOBAL SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE ASSOCIATION GSDI
GSDI
Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association
PRESIDENT David Coleman, Canada PAST PRESIDENT Abbas Rajabifard, Australia PRESIDENT ELECT David Lovell, Belgium EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Harlan Onsrud, USA SECRETARY Alan Stevens, USA TREASURER Marilyn Gallant, USA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President, president elect and past president GSDI STANDING COMMITTEES 1) LEGAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC Chair: Bastiaan van Loenen, The Netherlands Vice-chair: Katleen Janssen, Belgium 2) TECHNICAL Chair: Erick Van Praag, Venezuela Arup Dasgupta, India Chris Holmes, USA Doug Nebert, USA Mick Wilson, Kenya 3) OUTREACH AND MEMBERSHIP Chair: Mark Reichardt, USA Vice-Chair (Communications): Roger Longhorn, Belgium Vice-Chair Africa: Sives Govender, South Africa Vice-Chair Americas: Nancy Aguirre, Colombia Vice-chair Asia Pacific: Tien-Yin (Jimmy) Chou, Chinese Taipei Vice-Chair Europe: Joep Crompvoets, Belgium Vice-Chair Middle East: Khalid Al-Haidan, Bahrain 4) SOCIETAL IMPACTS Chair: Carmelle Terborgh, USA Juna Papajorgji, USA Jeremy Shen, Chinese Taipei Brigitta Urban-Mathieux, USA International Geospatial Society President: Mabel Alvarez, Argentina
GSDI OFFICE GSDI Association Attention: Marilyn Gallant, Business Manager 946 Great Plain Avenue, PMB-194 Needham, MA 02492-3030, USA www.gsdi.org
Kingdom of Bahrain: E-WayLeave Clearance Operation System The GIS Directorate of the Central Informatics & Telecommunications Organisation (CITO) on behalf of the National GIS Clearing House Committee has managed to develop a high-quality geospatial application system (E-WayLeave Clearance Operation System) in order to increase efficiency and improve governance by automating the manual clearance operation process of the Wayleave. Development work has been carried out in-house based on local domain expertise, and the full deployment was completed in 6 months. The system has been deployed within the Bahrain Spatial Data Infrastructure (BSDI) portal as part of the Kingdom’s strategic modernisation scheme. Previously, the WayLeave approval for new or maintenance infrastructure projects on public properties in the Kingdom of Bahrain was processed manually. This resulted in duplication of efforts, indefinite approval times ranging from 3 months to 2 years, excessive manual paper work, WayLeave documents becoming lost, and a lack of up-to-date and accurate supporting information required for approval. The E-WayLeave application has enabled stakeholders to manage their WayLeaves by allowing them to create, search, comment, track, edit, print and approve these documents. The project has a very strong integration with spatial technology and is unique: it shares the policies and data access rights from Bahrain Spatial Data Infrastructure (BSDI) portal to access the central GIS data repository. The automation
achieved through the project has considerably decreased the approval time and increased approval confidence in the WayLeave approval cycle. The system also reduces risk by providing proper information at all stages of the e-WayLeave lifecycle. The system has thus made government-to-government data transmission and services more accountable, flexible and standardised. In turn, this has tremendously increased the decision-making capabilities of the organisations, thus improving the equilibrium of governance by Bahrain Government Organizations. The return on investment (ROI) is real and demonstrable and includes: - Request creation –Throughput has been increased from 4 WayLeave requests to 10-15 per day. - Distribution of WayLeave – Reduced from a couple of days to instantaneous delivery. - Lost WayLeave request – The possibility of lost requests has been eliminated. - WayLeave approval – Turnaround time has been reduced from several months to 5 days provided the request satisfies all requirements. - Approval confidence – All spatial supporting data is now available to the approving officer, thereby increasing overall approval confidence. - WayLeave tracking – The user can track a WayLeave request and monitor its approval process within and outside the lifecycle of the WayLeave request. - GIS data sharing – Cross-platform GIS data is shared through the
Dr Khalid A. Rahman Al-Haidan.
e-WayLeave system, making the entire WayLeave approval process much more organised and efficient. Striking the right balance between the process generalisation and stakeholder specificity is the key to sustainability. The project has led to the development of some reusable components which can be easily integrated with other applications as well as to replicate projects of similar nature. Learn more about the GSDI Association and how to participate here 1. Dr Khalid A. Rahman Al-Haidan is director of GIS Directorate, Central Informatics Organization, general secretary of National GIS Steering Committee (NGISSC) in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the GSDI Association.
MORE INFORMATION www.gsdi.org www.gsdi.org/joinGSDI
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_GSDI 41
INTERNATIONAL | 41
07-01-13 14:11:02
No 2314 2314.indd GIM0113_GSDI 1 42
14-12-2012 07-01-13 14:11:02 13:07:08
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GEODESY IAG
The mission of the Association is the advancement of geodesy.
The ILRS, an IAG Service for Laser Ranging
IAG implements its mission by: - advancing geodetic theory through research and teaching, - collecting, analysing and modelling observational data, - stimulating technological development, and - providing a consistent representation of the figure, rotation and gravity field of the Earth and planets, and their temporal variations. IAG EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2011 - 2015
President: Chris Rizos, c.rizos@unsw.edu.au Vice-President: Harald Schuh, harald.schuh@tuwien.ac.at Secretary General: Hermann Drewes, iag@dgfi.badw.de Immediate Past President: Michael Sideris, sideris@ucalgary.ca President of Commission 1 Reference Frames: Tonie van Dam, tonie.vandam@uni.lu President of Commission 2 Gravity Field: Urs Marti, urs.marti@swisstopo.ch President of Commission 3 Rotation & Geodynamics: Richard Gross, richard.gross@jpl.nasa.gov President of Commission 4 Positioning & Applications: Dorota Brzezinska, dbrzezinska@osu.edu Chair of Global Geodetic Observing Systems (GGOS): Hansjörg Kutterer, hansjoerg.kutterer@bkg.bund.de President of Communication & Outreach Branch (COB): József Ádam, jadam@sci.fgt.bme.hu Representatives of the Services: Riccardo Barzaghi, riccardo.barzaghi@polimi.it Tom Herring, tah@mit.edu Ruth Neilan, ruth.e.neilan@jpl.nasa.gov Members at large: Claudio Brunini, claudiobrunini@yahoo.com Richard Wonnacott, rwonnacott@gmail.com President of the ICC on Theory: Nico Sneeuw, sneeuw@gis.uni-stuttgart.de Assistant Secretary: Helmut Hornik, hornik@dgfi.badw.de
Since the predecessor of the IAG, the ‘Mitteleuropäische Gradmessung’, was established back in 1862, IAG is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2012. Celebrations will climax in September 2013 at the IAG Scientific Assembly in Potsdam, Germany. This location is particularly significant since the first ever meeting, in April 1862, was organised by General Baeyer, as representative of the Kingdom of Prussia, in Berlin. The participants were several geodesists from the Kingdom of Saxony and the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.
The International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) [ 1] is one of the IAG services and a data-gathering and processing component of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS). The ILRS collects laser ranging data to satellites from LEO to geosynchronous altitudes as well as the Moon, and delivers a range of geodetic products derived from these data. Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) uses short pulse lasers and fast electronics to measure the two-way range to satellites carrying specially designed retroreflector arrays. A constellation of passive, spherical geodetic satellites, including two LAGEOS, two Etalon, LARES, Starlette, and Stella, forms the basis for SLR reference frame contributions and temporal gravity variations monitoring. SLR-derived Earth centre-of-mass and scale information are fundamental inputs to the production of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF). SLR measures positions and velocities of its network ground stations, spatial and temporal variations in the Earth’s gravity field to help understand Earth’s structure and mass transfer, accurate satellite ephemerides to support precision orbit determination and calibration for altimeter and other remote sensing missions, precision time transfer, Earth rotation parameters and fundamental constants (e.g. GM). Applied to the Moon, Lunar Laser Ranging provides fundamental physical constants (e.g. ), lunar ephemerides and librations, lunar
The ILRS Tracking Network.
orientation parameters, which supports studies in lunar physics and the Moon’s interior, and contributes to the establishment of various reference frames, Earth orientation parameters in inertial space and the study of Earth-Moon dynamics. Laser ranging is also now being applied to one-way time-offlight measurements to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in preparation for extraterrestrial transponder applications. Established under the IAG in 1998, the ILRS today is formed by over 60 organisations operating 50 ground stations and 30 analysis and associate analysis centres in 27 countries coordinated by the ILRS Central Bureau. Several Working Groups have been established to provide expertise and scientific and technical guidance for its operations and products. Laser ranging technology is now moving from legacy to state-of-theart systems to address the GGOS requirements for higher quality (factor 10 to 20 times) products. Stress is being placed on: - higher pulse repetition rate (kHz rate) laser for faster data acquisition
- faster slewing telescope for more rapid target acquisition and pass interleaving - narrower laser pulse width for greater precision - single photon detection for greater accuracy - greater automation for economy and increased efficiency (24/7) - greater temporal and spatial filtering for improved signal to noise conditions - more modular construction and off-the-shelf components for lower fabrication/operations/ maintenance cost The ILRS holds international workshops on laser ranging approximately every two years to provide a forum for engineers, practitioners, data specialists and scientist to meet to discuss technology, operations and future plans. The next workshop will be held in Tokyo, Japan, 9-15 November 2013. MORE INFORMATION 1. http://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov www.ggos.org www.iag-aig.org http://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov http://itrf.ign.fr
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_IAG 43
INTERNATIONAL | 43
07-01-2013 14:59:29
PRECISION IS OUR GOAL
No 2318
High Accuracy GNSS Receivers s 30cm RMS Real-time Accuracy using EGNOS and other SBAS. s Full DGNSS Solution that integrates GLONASS with SBAS Corrections. s Compatible with PDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Smartphones and Tablets. s Compatible with EZSurvTM GNSS Post-processing Software. s Rugged IP67 Construction. All Day Battery. 2 Year Warranty.
sxbluegps.com info@geneq.com +1 514 354 2511 Made in Canada
2318.indd 1
02-01-2013 10:39:36
COMPARE TOOLS BEFORE YOU BUY! .BLF Geo-matching.com ZPVS m STU TUPQ
5IF JOEFQFOEFOU QSPEVDU DPNQBSJTPO XFCTJUF GPS HFPNBUJDT EFWJDFT.
t 'JOE EFUBJMFE TQFD CBTFE DPNQBSJTPOT GPS NPSF UIBO QSPEVDUT t 3FBE PUIFS JOEVTUSZ QSPGFTTJPOBMT DPNNFOUT BOE PQJOJPOT t "DDFTT EBUB RVJDLMZ FBTJMZ BOE GSFF PG DIBSHF #SJOHJOH UPHFUIFS UIF IJHIMZ WBMVFE (*. *OUFSOBUJPOBM BOE ):%30 *OUFSOBUJPOBM QSPEVDU TVSWFZT BMM JO POF QMBDF
BRO & CO WSE ove MPARE
r 500
PROD
UCTS
GIM0113_IAG 44
!
07-01-2013 14:59:34
INTERNATIONAL CARTOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION ICA
EXECUTIVE MEMBERS PRESIDENT Georg Gartner, TU Wien, Austria SECRETARY-GENERAL & TREASURER Laszlo Zentai, Eotvos University, Hungary VICE-PRESIDENTS Derek Clarke, Surveys and Mapping, South Africa Menno-Jan Kraak, ITC, The Netherlands Sukendra Martha, Bakosurtanal, Indonesia Paulo Menezes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Anne Ruas, IFSTTAR, France Tim Trainor, Census Bureau, USA Liu Yaolin, Wuhan University, China PAST-PRESIDENT William Cartwright, RMIT University, Australia EDITOR ICA NEWS Igor Drecki, University of Auckland, New Zealand COMMISSION CHAIRS Cognitive Visualisation sara.fabrikant@geo.uzh.ch Map Design kfield@esri.com Art & Cartography scaquard@gmail.com History of Cartography elri@worldonline.co.za Map Projections mlapaine@geof.hr Theoretical Cartography qydu@whu.edu.cn Data Quality chenxy@ecit.cn Atlases peter.jordan@oeaw.ac.at Mapping from Remote Sensor Imagery xyang@fsu.edu Geospatial Analysis and Modeling bin.jiang@hig.se Geovisualisation gennady.andrienko@iais.fraunhofer.de Maps and the Internet rcammack@mail.unomaha.edu Ubiquitous Cartography arikawa@csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp Digital Technologies in Cartographic Heritage livier@topo.auth.gr Open Source Geospatial Technologies suchith.anand@nottingham.ac.uk Generalisation and Multiple Representation dirk.burghardt@tu-dresden.de Planetary Cartography hhargitai@gmail.com Mountain Cartography karel.kriz@univie.ac.at Neocartography s.l.chilton@mdx.ac.uk Maps and Graphics for Blind and Partially Sighted People acoll@utem.cl Maps and Society chris.perkins@manchester.ac.uk Use and User Issues elzakker@itc.nl Cartography and Children jesus@map.elte.hu Education and Training dave.fairbairn@newcastle.ac.uk GI for Sustainability vstikunov@yandex.ru Map Production and Geobusiness philippe.demaeyer@ugent.be Cartography in Early Warning and Crises Management undatra@yahoo.com Geoinformation Infrastructures and Standards acooper@csir.co.za GIM CORRESPONDENT David Fairbairn, Newcastle University, UK
The Wide Scope of Geovisualisation The ICA Commission on Geovisualisation has always been active in engaging with researchers and practitioners in the wider fields of information visualisation and visual analytics. As the oldest discipline concerned with visualising knowledge, cartography has a central place in the ‘infovis’ community, and contributes to its development as a mature scientific activity. A successful workshop entitled ‘GeoVisual Analytics, Time to Focus on Time’ was held in September 2012 in conjunction with the GISCience 2012 conference in Columbus, Ohio, USA. A range of papers were presented (all available at 1), with the focus on the use of geovisual analytics approaches for exploring and analysing large datasets with both spatial and temporal components. The importance of time in visualisations of spatial phenomena was stressed, and nine papers dealing with this topic were chosen to form a special issue of the Information Visualization journal. Two further workshops are planned by the Commission for 2013. The first, on 6-8 March, will take place in Hamburg [ 2], following the tradition of biennial GeoVis meetings in that city. Subtitled ‘Interactive maps that help people think’, it will address the computational and cognitive challenges associated with the analysis and synthesis of messy, large datasets (typical of contemporary spatial data handling) to produce meaningful insights about phenomena and processes. Papers from this meeting will be directed towards a special issue of IJGIS. The Hamburg workshop will be
GeoVis2013 will take place in Hamburg, Germany.
held in collaboration with the ICA Commission on Cognitive Visualisation. The second commission workshop of 2013 will be a similar joint meeting, and will also involve the Commission on Use and User Issues. Held a couple of days before the main international cartographic conference in Dresden, Germany, in late August, the topic of this two-day workshop will be eyetracking in cartography and geovisualisation. From 23 to 24 August, at the Technical University of Dresden, researchers and practitioners from the three commissions will address a range of common issues, but will concentrate particularly on an eye-tracking data analysis challenge. Full details will be released on the commissions’ websites in due course, along with three real eye-tracking datasets and associated analytical tasks. The Commission also once again had significant impact during the annual IEEE VisWeek event, held
this year in Seattle, USA. Involving the annual InfoVis (Information Visualisation), the annual VAST (Visual Analytics Science and Technology) and the SciVis (Scientific Visualisation) streams, a number of geovis-related papers were presented. Those cartographers present – and presenting – ensured that the contribution of mapping and mapping-related insights to the broader field of visualisation remains at a high level.
MORE INFORMATION www.icaci.org 1. http://geoanalytics.net/ GeoVA(t)2012/ 2. www.geomatik-hamburg.de/ geoviz/
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_ICA 45
INTERNATIONAL | 45
07-01-2013 15:59:24
" More than 30% savings. Outstanding reliability.â&#x20AC;?
N7 GNSS Sensor N71 Set up your own Reference Station Designed for seamless integration, the CHC N71 is a powerful 220-channel multi-applications GNSS sensor which delivers state-of-the-art positioning features in a rugged enclosure. The CHC N71 is the most affordable high-end GNSS reference station solution for demanding system integrators, RTK network providers and Survey & Construction professionals. Employing more than 450 people, CHC designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of professional GNSS solutions in over 50 countries.
Dealer Opportunities Available
No 2313
www.chcnav.com
GIM0113_ICA1 46 Naamloos-4
07-01-2013 13:11:11 15:59:25 14-12-2012
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE SENSING ISPRS
ISPRS COUNCIL 2012 – 2016
CHEN JUN PRESIDENT National Geomatics Centre of China 28 Lianhuachixi Road Haidian District, Beijing 100830, PR CHINA Email: chenjun@nsdi.gov.cn
CHRISTIAN HEIPKE SECRETARY GENERAL Leibniz Universität Hannover Insitut für Photogrammetrie und GeoInformation (IPI) Nienburger Str. 1, 30167 Hannover,GERMANY Email: isprs-sg@ipi.uni-hannover.de
ORHAN ALTAN 1ST VICE PRESIDENT Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Civil Engineering Department of Geomatic Engineering 34469 Ayazaga-Istanbul, TURKEY Email: oaltan@itu.edu.tr
MARGUERITE MADDEN 2ND VICE PRESIDENT Center for Geospatial Research (CGR) Department of Geography The University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602-2305, USA Email: mmadden@uga.edu
LENA HALOUNOVA CONGRESS DIRECTOR Czech Technical University Faculty of Civil Engineering RS Laboratory Thakurova 7 166 29 Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC Email: Lena.Halounova@fsv.cvut.cz
From Human History to the Future with Spatial Information In 2012, the XXII ISPRS General Assembly held in Melbourne, Australia, elected Prague to host the XXIII ISPRS Congress from 12 to 19 June 2016. This will be the first ISPRS Congress organised in the Czech Republic since 1910 – the year when ISPRS was founded by Prof Eduard Doležal who was born in Moravia, a part of the Czech Republic. Organised once every four years, the ISPRS Congress brings together thousands of specialists in photogrammetry, remote sensing and the spatial information sciences. The congress programme typically covers all areas of the eight ISPRS Technical Commissions – from new technical tool development to final application of spatial data. The organising country is keen to prepare the XXIII ISPRS Congress as an activity involving cooperation from other Central European countries. One step in this direction will be a series of Technical Tours, which include planned visits to organisations in Austria (RIEGL, Vexcel Imaging, Metrology Service BEV-Eichwesen), DLR in Germany and Geodis in the Czech Republic.
Prague is situated on the banks of the river Vltava.
As one of the youngest in the family of European countries, the Czech Republic was founded on 1 January 1993, when the Czechoslovak Federal Republic, or Czechoslovakia, split into two independent states: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Since time immemorial, the Czech lands have been at the crossroads of different European cultures. The cultural history of Czech cities, villages and spa towns has been a continual source of inspiration to visitors from all four corners of the world. The Czech Republic features three primary regions: the Czech lands to
JON MILLS TREASURER School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences University of Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UNITED KINGDOM Email: jon.mills@ncl.ac.uk
the west, Moravia to the southeast and Silesia to the northeast. Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is situated at the heart of the country. It is a beautiful city boasting a long and colourful history. Visitors can discover many different architectural styles simply by strolling through the city centre. The summer period is particularly suitable for a visit thanks to the very pleasant climate. Prague and the Congress organisers are already making preparations to ensure they offer an attractive and interesting cultural programme in 2016. Congress participants will be able to choose from a large selection of optional trips before, during and after the event. XXIII ISPRS Congress: ‘From human history to the future with spatial information’,12-19 June 2016, Prague, Czech Republic.
ISPRS HEADQUARTER see address of secretary general
MORE INFORMATION www.isprs.org The famous Charles Bridge with Prague Castle in the background.
JANUARY 201 3 |
GIM0113_ISPRS 47
INTERNATIONAL | 47
07-01-13 14:29:03
No 2222 GIM0113_ISPRS 2222_KOLIDA.indd481
07-01-13 17-08-12 14:29:06 09:00:54
o t k c i Cl-INTERNATIONAL.COM
GIM
AGENDA
for mnotrse eve
Future events FEBRUARY Second High Level Forum on Global Geospatial Information Management Doha, Qatar from 03-06 February For more information: W: http://ggim.un.org
GeoNext 2013 Sydney, Australia On 27 February For more information: E: info@geonext.com.au
AAG Annual Meeting Los Angeles, CA, USA from 09-13 April For more information: E: meeting@aag.org W: www.aag.org/annualmeeting
International Lidar Mapping Forum Denver, CO, USA from 11-13 February For more information: E: info@lidarmap.org W: www.lidarmap.org
MARCH GeoViz_Hamburg 2013: Interactive Maps That Help People Think Hamburg, Germany from 06-08 March For more information: E: geoviz@geomatik-hamburg.de W: www.geomatik-hamburg.de/geoviz/
17. Internationale Geodätische Woche Obergurgl, Austria from 17-23 February For more information: E: geodaetischewoche@uibk.ac.at W: www.uibk.ac.at/vermessung/veranstaltung/obergurgl.html
8th International Congress on Geomatics 2013 Havana, Cuba from 18-22 March For more information: E: raul@geocuba.cu W: www.informaticahabana.cu
Geospatial Conference in Tunis (GCT) Tunis from 18-22 February For more information: E: GCT@3g-consult.de W: www.gct-tunisia.com
APRIL Geomatics Meeting Rabat, Morocco from 08-09 April For more information: E: rsc2013@amjgistes.org
Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2013 Munich, Germany from 26-28 February For more information: E: info@munich-satellite-navigationsummit.org W: www.munich-satellite-navigationsummit.org
8th EARSeL Imaging Spectrometry Workshop Nantes, France from 08-10 April For more information: W: http://bit.ly/Tpa6TS
JURSE 2013 São Paulo, Brazil from 21-23 April For more information: E: jurse2013@dpi.inpe.br W: www.inpe.br/jurse2013 35th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment Beijing, China from 22-26 April For more information: E: isrse35@ceode.ac.cn W: www.isrse35.org Interexpo GEO-Siberia-2013 Novosibirsk, Russia from 24-26 April For more information: E: nenasheva@itcsib.ru W: http://geosiberia.ssga.ru
8th International Symposium on Mobile Mapping Technology (MMT 2013) Tainan, Taiwan from 29 April-03 May For more information: E: mmt2013@conf.ncku.edu.tw W: http://conf.ncku.edu.tw/mmt2013/
FIG Working Week Abuja, Nigeria from 06-10 May For more information: W: www.fig.net/fig2013 8th Annual International Symposium on Environment Athens, Greece from 13-16 May For more information: E: atiner@atiner.gr W: www.atiner.gr/environment.htm JUNE MundoGEO#Connect LatinAmerica 2013 São Paulo, Brasil from 18-20 June For more information: E: imprensa@mundogeo.com
Calendar Notices Please send notices at least 3 months before the event date to: Trea Fledderus, marketing assistant, email: trea.fledderus@geomares.nl For extended information on the shows mentioned on this page, see our website: www.gim-international.com.
ADVERTISERS INDEX Beijing UniStrong, www.unistrong.com
40
CHC, www.chcnav.com
46
FOIF Co. Ltd., www.foif.com.cn
22
Geneq, www.geneq.ca
44
Hi-Target Surveying, www.zhdgps.com/en
26
KCS TraceMe, www.traceme.tv
38
Kolida Instrument, www.kolidainstrument.com
48
KQ Geo Technologies, www.kanq.com.cn
30
Leica Geosystems, www.leica-geosystems.com
52
Microsoft, www.microsoft.com/ultracam
32
MicroSurvey, www.microsurvey.com
4
Pythagoras, www.pythagoras.net
12
RIEGL, www.riegl.com
11
Sanding, www.sandinginstrument.com
8
SOUTH Surveying, www.southsurvey.com
42
SuperGeo, www.supergeotek.com
44
TI Asahi Co. Ltd., www.pentaxsurveying.com/en
2
TI Linertec, www.tilinertec.com
44
Trimble Navigation, www.trimble.com
51
JANUARY 201 3
GIM0113_Agenda 49
49
07-01-2013 15:49:49
WEBCONNECT
GIM-IN
IONAL T A N R TE
.COM
For details or to participate, please contact Victor van Essen, sales manager GIM International. Tel: +31 (0)514 561854 • victor.van.essen@geomares.nl • www.gim-international.com
The following companies, displaying their homepages in the Web Connect section of GIM International, invite you to visit their websites for up-to-date information about their businesses, products and services.
GEO-ALLEN CO., LTD: WWW.GEOALLEN.COM
GEOMASTERGROUP: WWW.GEOMASTERGROUP.COM
GEO-TECH, CHINA: WWW.SURVEYQUIP.COM
OPTECH: WWW.OPTECH.COM
SOUTH SURVEYING: WWW.SOUTHINSTRUMENT.COM
SUPERGEO TECHNOLOGIES: WWW.SUPERGEOTEK.COM
.BQQJOH UIF XPSME 4UBZ JOGPSNFE XJUI (*. *OUFSOBUJPOBM o BOZUJNF BOZXIFSF Supporting geoprofessionals in mapping the world
GIM International, the independent and high-quality information source for the geomatics industry, focuses on worldwide issues to bring you the latest insights and developments in both technology and management.
4JHO VQ for a free subscription to the XFFLMZ OFXTMFUUFS which brings you: t /FXT BOE EFWFMPQNFOUT t 1SPEVDU JOOPWBUJPOT t +PC WBDBODJFT t $POHSFTTFT BOE FYIJCJUJPOT www.gim-international.com OFXTMFUUFS
50 |
INTERNATIONAL | J A N UARY 2013
GIM0113_Webconnect 50
07-01-2013 15:56:29
No 2291 GIM0113_Cover 51
07-01-2013 16:15:32
There are 149 Million km2 to map. Go out and play!
Leica ADS80
Leica ALS70 HA
Leica ALS70 HP
Leica ALS70 CM
Leica RCD30
Leica RCD30 Oblique
Swiss Drone UAV with Leica RCD30
Z/I DMC II 140
Z/I DMC II 230
Z/I DMC II 250
Total Geospatial Solutions for every Application.
No 2315
To select the right sensor for your application go to http://di.leica-geosystems.com www.ziimaging.com
GIM0113_Cover 52
07-01-2013 16:15:34