geoinformatics 2010 vol08

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Indoor Positioning Cornwall’s Mining World Heritage Site Bentley BE INSPIRED 2010 Airborne Digital Frame Cameras Magazine for Surveying, Mapping & GIS Professionals December 2010 Volume 13 8

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Page 1: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

� Indoor Positioning � Cornwall’s Mining World Heritage Site

� Bentley BE INSPIRED 2010 � Airborne Digital Frame Cameras

M a g a z i n e f o r S u r v e y i n g , M a p p i n g & G I S P r o f e s s i o n a l sDecember 2010

Volume 13

8

Page 2: geoinformatics 2010 vol08
Page 3: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

On Technology and MarketAdaptionThe end of the year is always a good a moment to look back and also to look forward. Not

only to see how things have changed, but also how they will change. For many, 2010 will

be a year that was still a time for financial recovery. In a market where less is invested,

there’s not as much need for new products but rather a need to postpone investments until

later. Apart from this, trade shows such as Intergeo produced a lot of surprises. Overall, the

idea of managing the whole chain of data capture to a finished end product (whether it’s a

map or a web mapping service) seems to take flight more and more. The major acquisition

of Intergraph by Hexagon is an example of this.

In the New Year, I expect that a lot of things that have been discussed this year will happen

on a larger scale than in 2010. Although I heard and read a lot about the fusion between

imagery and GIS, I am still waiting to see this being adopted by the market. The techniques

are there, now it seems it’s time for the market to pick up on them. The same goes for the

fusion between GIS and the mobile platform, not just for data capture but the smart phone

too. Will ‘location business’, become big business? And who will lead here, the people who

really understand geospatial or the telecom industry?

Another topic that was discussed everywhere in the geospatial media was cloud computing.

Although at the moment its impact isn’t yet that big, it seems it’s a topic that should be

noticed in the long run. Maybe this technology is a bit too far ahead when looking at the

adoption of the GIS platform that consists of mobile, desktop and server technology. I could

be wrong, but I have a feeling that market adaptation of server technology is still a bit slow,

and the full potential of Web GIS has not been reached. Here, we are touching on the IT

side of GIS, a very interesting but nonetheless technical topic.

Lastly, I’d like to say something about the profession and the GIS worker. With the industry

changing so fast, it’s obvious that someone who works in this field has to change too. Since

it’s not always clear where the road is leading, this can be both challenging and /or tricky,

but it seems to me that this is something the industry shares with the job market of today.

Keeping oneself informed through media is indispensible and I am sure this magazine gives

a broad and informative overview of what’s happening today and tomorrow.

Enjoy your reading!

Eric van Rees

[email protected]

GeoInformatics is the leading publication for GeospatialProfessionals worldwide. Published in both hardcopyand digital, GeoInformatics provides coverage, analysisand commentary with respect to the international surveying, mapping and GIS industry.GeoInformatics is published 8 times a year.

Editor-in-chiefEric van Rees [email protected]

Copy EditorFrank Artés [email protected]

EditorsFlorian [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Contributing Writers:Joc Triglav, Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk, Somnath Ghosal,Nan Lin, Iain Cross, Ruud Groothuis, Lawrie Jordan,Adam Spring, Caradoc Peters, Justin Barton, Gordon Petrie, Remco Takken, Wayne Smith

Financial DirectorYvonne [email protected]

AdvertisingRuud [email protected]

SubscriptionsGeoInformatics is available against a yearly subscription rate (8 issues) of € 89,00.To subscribe, fill in and return the electronic replycard on our website www.geoinformatics.com or contact the subscription department at [email protected]

Webstitewww.geoinformatics.com

Graphic DesignSander van der [email protected]

ISSN 13870858

© Copyright 2010. GeoInformatics: no material maybe reproduced without written permission.

P.O. Box 2318300 AEEmmeloordThe NetherlandsTel.: +31 (0) 527 619 000 Fax: +31 (0) 527 620 989 E-mail: [email protected]

Corporate

Member

Sustaining

Member

3December 2010

Page 4: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

SARMAN: Search & RescueManagementThe Sarman system provides a search management tool based upon the

established search theory rules, asset management and full in-field

tracking of assets. This unique software firmly places Mountain Rescue

England & Wales at the forefront of Search technology.

C o n t e n t

ArticlesSearch & Rescue Management SARMAN 6

LBS on the Inside Indoor Positioning 10

For Handling INSPIRE-compliant Data The Role of Open Source Software 16

The Story continued GIS and Imagery 24

A Re-Evaluation Cornwall’s Mining World Heritage Site 28

Managing Railway Network with Geospatial SolutionRete Ferroviaria Italiana 32

As Displayed at the Intergeo 2010 Exhibition Current Developments in Airborne Digital Frame Cameras 34

Advanced Spatial Analysis GeoMedia 3D 48

EventsConverge, Connect and CollaborateTrimble 5th International User Conference 14

Italy, INSPIRE and Imagery Esri EMEA User Conference 2010 42

BE INSPIRED 2010 3D to Mobile to Integrated Data Model 44

Calendar 50

Advertisers Index 50

Page 6

Current Developments in Airborne DigitalFrame CamerasThe continuous rapid development of digital imaging technology

resulted in numerous airborne digital frame cameras being shown at

the Intergeo 2010 trade fair. For the airborne photogrammetric and

mapping community, the many new or improved frame cameras that

were on display in the exhibition formed a real highlight of the event.

4

Page 34

December 2010

Page 5: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com5

On the Cover:

James Needham, Faro UK, operating the Faro Photon 120 Phase Shift

Scanner. See article on page 28.

Esri EMEA User Conference 2010With 1500 visitors, the Esri EMEA User Conference is becoming larger and

larger. This year's event was held in Rome, Italy. During 26-28th of October,

the Ergife Palace Hotel was the stage for three days of keynotes and

presentations of Esri users and partners.

BE Inspired 2010Top users of Bentley software get invited to participate in the BE Inspired

Awards 2010. Interesting, innovative and sometimes mindboggling projects

fight for their moment of fame.

Page 46

Page 42

Page 28

December 2010

Page 6: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

SARMANSearch & Rescue Management

BackgroundWhen people think of search management, they readily visualise lines

of people searching across fields. Well that is all part of it, certainly

for searchers, but search theory dates back sixty years to work under-

taken by B.O. Koopman for the US Navy to search for enemy ships

and submarines. Nowadays this theory has developed and evolved

into its modern equivalent that is not only used for missing or lost

person search, but by mining and oil companies searching for min-

eral and petroleum deposits and in fact, the principles can be applied

across many industries where ‘search’ principles are utilised. The

application of search theory assists in finding anything that is lost,

missing, hidden or even evasive.

Mountain Rescue England & Wales (“MREW”)For MREW the essence of the practical application of search man-

agement is mapping. Ten years ago paper mapping was prevalent

6

Art ic le

This article presents the development and the basic functionalities of the Sarman system, a Search & Rescue Management

Solution designed by Mapyx, a GIS Company, in conjunction with Mountain Rescue England & Wales (MREW).

The Sarman system provides a search management tool based upon the established search theory rules, asset

management and full in-field tracking of assets. This unique software firmly places Mountain Rescue England & Wales

at the forefront of Search technology.

By Joc Triglav

December 2010

Page 7: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

but as digital mapping became more accessible, MREW transitioned

to digital mapping systems. In 2009, MREW identified that their exist-

ing digital mapping was limited and sought to find a better mapping

solution. After extensive research and analysis, MREW found Mapyx

and specifically the digital mapping system branded Mapyx QUO.

After testing, MREW was convinced that this was the best product

for its needs and rolled it out to all of its 3500 members.

However, even with the best mapping solution, there was limited

functionality in terms of search management. And that’s where it all

started for Sarman; MREW would provide the search know-how, train-

ing and information, and Mapyx would provide the technological

skills, programme and finance to develop a world leading system.

The brief was established in October 2009 and a mere six weeks

later the concept had

evolved into a very early

Alpha working pro-

gramme. In May 2010,

the Sarman system had

been fully field tested by

MREW and was released

to all Teams.

What is SarmanThe Sarman system is a fully integrated solution to search manage-

ment encompassing software (both desktop and mobile) and hard-

ware elements, such as GPS devices, Data Loggers, Satellite Trackers,

etc.

The system is not prescriptive, but permits complete flexibility to

use the system at various levels from the simple use of digital maps

with concentric circles of probability for detecting missing or lost

persons to complex search management, scenario analysis, consen-

sus, asset management and live tracking of all assets in the field.

Further, the system permits the use of various statistical models to

suit the user and geography.

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Art ic le

7 December 2010

Peter Bell, President of Mountain Rescue England andWales:

“Mapyx has worked tirelessly to fine-tune their QUO digital map-

ping software to encompass the operational demands of a moun-

tain rescue environment and to develop its new Sarman software.

Linked to, indeed part of, this advanced facility, they have similar-

ly fine-tuned their Sarman system to operate with various commu-

nications platforms, which will provide the integrated, on scene,

partner to the Mapyx search and rescue management applications.

QUO and Sarman software coupled with approved hand-held

devices are not, however, restricted to search and rescue opera-

tions. This combination will, I am convinced, provide a most valu-

able adjunct to safety, whatever the environment.”

Ewan Thomas, National Water Officer of MREW: “Mapyx has been an excellent development partner for the project

to provide MR teams with class leading search planning and man-

agement software. The Sarman application has been developed

from first principles to provide an incident management system

that is fully integrated into the Quo digital mapping platform. The

powerful combination of Quo, the Mapyx tracking system and

Sarman will make a significant contribution to search and rescue

planning and incident management in England and Wales.”

Mark Lewis, the Communications Officer for MREW: “Digital mapping has been a project we’ve been investigating for

some time and the wait has certainly paid off in choosing Mapyx

as a partner to supply a solution to our specification at no cost.

Since our first meeting with Mapyx I have never looked back. Every

recognised team and member of Mountain Rescue England & Wales

will benefit from the Quo package receiving a free copy with asso-

ciated maps. This is a great achievement for MREW to enable a

common GIS platform to be available across England & Wales –

and without teams having to spend any of their limited funds.”

Ann Ogden, Calder Valley SRT:“...provides controllers, search managers and mountain rescue in

general, with information promptly, accurately and at a standard

that is easily used by all.”

Jon Whiteley, Devon CRO:“A milestone for mountain and cave rescue teams, both in nation-

al issue and partnership working.”

Ian Clemmett, Penrith MRT:“The Sarman system neatly combines a number of SAR manage-

ment tools into one place. It will help us monitor our assets and

keep clear and consistent records – particularly welcome in the

often complex multi-team searches of the North Pennines.”

Creating an incident where all the first response and planning information

is added.

Overview of the incident information in Sarman.

All the critical information is drawn on the map

with two tabs on right and left showing

additional information about tasks and teams.

Underneath there is a log window for inputting

any information to be logged for future

investigative or decision making purposes.

Input Hasty Teams

information and tasks.

Page 8: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Main FeaturesThe system is designed to permit Search Management as a process,

including:

• Creation of an ‘incident’ whether a missing person, or a casualty

evacuation.

• Drawing routes and adding waypoints to define specific tasks and

information.

• Adding content such as photographs, videos, word documents or

in fact any type of file.

• Drawing of search areas and codification for ease of reporting.

• Asset management for the allocation and management of person-

nel and equipment.

• Consensus calculations based on three methods.

• Probability tracking and search time calculator to provide typical

search times in a variety of terrain and conditions.

• Automated and bespoke reporting facilities.

• A Communications Module to permit live-tracking of assets via

GPRS/GSM, Satellite, GPS Radio Mic and new modules for Tetra,

Airwave and APRS can be added.

• A Data Log to add key information.

• A ‘black’ box’ recorder to ensure that all data is time stamped and

can be played back as necessary.

The above described Search Management process is visually present-

ed with some screenshot examples in this article.

Latest DevelopmentToday, the system is used by all MREW Teams, the Search & Rescue

Dog Association, the British Cave Rescue Council, the Royal Air Force

Mountain Rescue Teams and Teams in the Association of Lowland Search

& Rescue. Nevertheless, Sarman continues to evolve and new modules

are being developed as new demands from new users are added.

Further, there is a River Tool and Flood Management Tool under devel-

opment and discussions of Missing Pilot and Missing Aircraft Modules.

In the last five months since the initial release of Sarman, word spread

rapidly and other organisations jumped on board. Today Mapyx is:

• Mountain Rescue England & Wales Official GIS & Digital Mapping

Partner.

• The Official GIS & Digital Mapping Partner of the British Cave Rescue

Council.

• The Exclusive Official Digital Mapping Partner of:

o Search & Rescue Dog Association of England.

o Search & Rescue Dog Association of Wales.

o Search & Rescue Dog Association of South Wales.

o Search & Rescue Dog Association of the Lakes.

o Association of Lowland Search & Rescue.

• Official MOD Supplier.

o Supplier of Mapyx systems to the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue

Teams.

o Supplier to RAF Air Defence & Air Traffic Systems.

In fact, many organisations in the UK involved in ‘search’ practices are

looking at the system and international interest has come from as far

afield as the US, Canada and New Zealand. More information about the

use of Sarman by MREW can be found at:

www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/media-centre/the-oracle/section-4-communications

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvuzDfRT2iA&feature=player_embedded

www.mapyx.com/mediarelations/SARMAN.pdf

Joc Triglav [email protected] is GeoInformatics editor. Special thanks

to Mapyx Ltd. and MREW teams for their help and enthusiasm. Questions can be

sent to [email protected] or Mapyx can be contacted on +44 208 972 1556.

8

Art ic le

December 2010

The Second stage of planning is drawing the search areas.

Track and Monitor progress and probability of Search Areas, which provides

valuable information to the Search Team.

The Tracker tool enables tracking of all the assets in the field, showing locations

on the map and key information.

3D View Tool Provides 3-D visualisation.

Page 9: geoinformatics 2010 vol08
Page 10: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

LBS on the Inside

Indoor PositioningNow that everyone is getting accustomed to Location Based Services (LBS) such as Layar, people start to wonder why they

need to be outside to make use of these kinds of services. Then again, just about everybody has experienced at some

point in time that their GPS devices do not work in tunnels or indoors. So how can we make LBS a success indoors as well

as outdoors? An overview of possibilities.

By Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk

Now that everyone is getting accustomed to

Location Based Services (LBS) such as Layar,

people start to wonder why they need to be

outside to make use of these kinds of ser-

vices. Then again, just about everybody has

experienced at some point in time that their

GPS devices do not work in tunnels or

indoors. So how can we make LBS a success

indoors as well as outdoors? An overview of

possibilities.

Before discussing specific devices and sensors

it is good to take a step back and have a look

at what positioning really involves. In the posi-

tioning industry there are, in general, two

types of measurements that will lead to a posi-

tion using one of three basic methodologies.

The two types of measurement are either

angular measurement or distance measure-

ment leading to the techniques called angular

positioning, range-range positioning and

range-bearing positioning.

An example of range-range positioning is GPS

which uses distances between satellites and

receiver for determining location. A common

method of range-bearing positioning is the use

of the Total Station in land survey. Angular

positioning used to be the most basic form of

positioning using theodolite or sextant but is

rarely practiced nowadays.

Why not GPS?The easiest solution to indoor positioning

would be GPS, so how come this does not

work. The answer is relatively simple and can

be divided into two parts. The first is that GPS

is 'line of sight'; due to the frequencies used

(1100 - 1500 MHz) these systems can only

transmit along a visible path between satellite

(transmitter) and receiver. The second is that

the power involved in GPS transmissions is rel-

atively low and therefore the signal is easily

blocked by thicker structures such as buildings,

tunnels and even leaf canopies. But, I hear you

say, what about the fact that my receiver is

capable of receiving the satellites while

indoors. The answer to that is manufacturers

know this problem, so they make the receivers

more sensitive so that they can receive weak-

ened signals. Also, new satellites broadcast at

slightly higher power giving more chances of

indoor reception. This all sounds very nice, and

definitely helps when under a leaf canopy but

that only solves the power problem. The main

problem is when inside a building the struc-

ture itself is still thick enough to block the sig-

nals. In short, most signals received indoors

10

Art ic le

December 2010

Using Navizon iphone app for retrieving a lost

cell phone using WiFi positioning

(source: www.techhail.com)

Trials with Leica Locata system using pseudolites / localites in an open mine pit

(source: www.leica-geosystems.com)

Page 11: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

are derived from reflection

against the walls etc. As a

result the derived position can

be off by quite a few meters

and as a result is not accept-

able for navigation purposes

other than very coarse loca-

tion (inside which building

etc).

Requirements forIndoor PositioningBased on the items above,

one can conclude that a solu-

tion, which has more power

and / or operates at a differ-

ent frequency, should solve

the problem of electronic

positioning. Greater power is possible but

requires more power available at the transmit-

ter, ruling out satellites that rely on solar pan-

els for their power. Also, since these are very

far away the signal will always be relatively

weak compared to the transmitted power.

Systems that are ground based do not have

this problem and can (in theory) output unlim-

ited power.

dreds of meters resulting in

downgraded positioning accu-

racy. As a result, the most

accurate frequencies are all

high, giving line of sight only.

There are a few systems that

use acoustics instead of radio

waves, but this will however

have little impact on the prob-

lems described.

A final requirement that

should be considered is the

number of people who will be

using the system at the same

time. For surveying it is

acceptable to have just a sin-

gle user in the system, but for

LBS in general more users

should be able to access the system simulta-

neously. GPS for example can sustain an unlim-

ited number of users whilst the Total Station

can only have a single user at a time making it

basically unusable for LBS. As a result only the

range-range type positioning systems are in

general usable for LBS. A specific problem

indoors is the third dimension. It is not enough

to just locate the position horizontally. The floor

The problem of frequency can also be solved

by transmitting in a different frequency band.

Also going outside the radio magnetic spectrum

and into the optical spectrum could solve the

problem. In order for a radio signal to deviate

from the line of sight (curve around the earth),

one has to go into the so-called Medium

Frequency to High Frequency (MF/HF) band. This

means a wavelength of a few meters to hun-

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Art ic le

11December 2010

Skyhook database of WiFi coverage of the central part of the Netherlands (source:

www.skyhookwireless.com)

Page 12: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

somebody is on plays an important role, too.

Which Alternatives Do We Have?As we are limited to range-range systems in the

higher frequency bands for indoor LBS with an

accuracy capable of locating things

indoors, we need to have a look

at systems operating in that

frequency band. The

irony of trying to solve

this problem is that only

20 years ago there were

tens of systems that were capa-

ble of solving this problem and were

available on the free market. I'm of course

talking about radio positioning systems such

as Decca, Loran and their more accurate survey

equivalents. But alas, these are no longer with

us.

Looking to alternative systems broadcasting in

the required frequency band and being avail-

able commercially we find the following cate-

gories of systems:

• Dedicated terrestrial positioning systems

• GSM / 3G based techniques

• WiFi / Bluetooth based techniques

• RFID

Dedicated SystemsEven though the great age of terrestrial posi-

tioning is long gone with the advent of GPS,

some alternatives still remain. Probably the one

with the least impact on the end-user is the use

of pseudolites. These GPS-like terrestrial trans-

mitters mimic the GPS signal and can be

received by all GPS receivers. Though normally

used to augment existing GPS satellites in areas

with poor reception, these could also solve the

indoor problem. In the GPS specification there

is room for four of these pseudolites that can

be operated in addition to the regular GPS

satellites. This can solve the problem however

only locally and is (at the moment) not a world-

wide solution to the problem. Besides a few

pilot projects there are very few references to

pseudolites actually being used.

A newer development is in UltraWideBand posi-

tioning where dedicated masts are erected

around e.g. a disaster area and specialized

receivers are used for signal reception. Again,

this technology seems to be mainly in the

research stages but is showing promising

results.

GSM / 3GPositioning using your mobile telephone is

already possible; using the signals transmitted

by your telephone, the provider can locate any

telephone to within a few meters to tens of

meters depending on the local situation. In

urban areas the location determination can be

very precise whereas in more rural areas (less

GSM transmitters) the determination is to with-

in a few tens to hundreds of meters.

What these systems do is essentially triangu-

late your position using the signals received by

at least three GSM stations. If more stations are

available the determination is more accurate.

The stations determine the time difference

between the receptions of the same signal at

those stations, which in turn generate a set of

hyperbolae, indicating where the receiver is

located. Another technique is by measuring the

angle of arrival indicating the angle between

receiving antenna and handset. When done

from the network this technique is relatively

easy as the network is already capable of accu-

rate timing or angle determination; knows the

location of transmitters and so forth and it is

just a matter of software implementation.

Implementing this on the telephone side is

slightly harder; first of all your telephone needs

to be aware of the location of the various sta-

tions, or in other words it needs a comprehen-

sive database. It must also be able to track the

signal strength from the stations and convert

this into a range measurement. So the trans-

mission power of the stations is also needed.

Taking into account that the signal strength will

vary depending on the signal path (through a

building or not for example), the potential errors

involved are quite large.

WiFi / BluetoothPositioning using your wireless network is also

a very viable way of determining ones position.

In general the same is needed as when using

GSM / 3G techniques. As the system only has

a limited range however, it is easier to calcu-

late positions. With WiFi this gives positions to

within say 20 meters. With Bluetooth the ranges

are smaller giving more positional accuracy.

For both systems the precision could be

enhanced locally by adding a model of the

environment to make location deter-

mination more accurate. This

would however mean a

specialized implemen-

tation at the receiver

side with knowledge of the

model and will only work for

the location for which the model

was made. Research has shown that

using an accurate model can bring down

precision to around a few meters for WiFi.

RFIDRFID - Radio Frequency IDentification is a tech-

nique using small chips that transmit a signal

when close enough to a receiver. Basically all

cards that work contactless (such as public

transportation cards) use this technology. In

most applications the RFID is unpowered and

transmits the signal using the power from the

magnetic field from the transmitter. There is

however no problem in powering these chips

by giving them e.g. a small battery.

Powering up the RFID chips enhances the range

from just a few millimeters / centimeters to

meters / tens of meters. By equipping the build-

ing with a number of receivers for the RFID sig-

nal it is possible to locate the RFID chip very

accurately within the room. Two-way communi-

cation would then give the location back to the

RFID.

Reality?Based on the above there are a number of

potential techniques that can be used. Actually

all of the techniques mentioned are a reality

already. Professional survey companies are

using pseudolites and dedicated systems

already; emergency services are using GSM / 3G

positioning to find where the caller is calling

from in an emergency situation. WiFi position-

ing is already available in some countries from

companies such as Skyhook but also Google

and Apple. Last but not least, RFID positioning

is used to track just about anything from con-

tainers to flowers.

The main problem is that different manufactur-

ers use different protocols with different soft-

ware etc., so at the moment there is no single

solution available for indoor positioning. From

that perspective it seems that currently the WiFi

solution is the one that is most commonly sup-

ported.

Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk

[email protected] is project

manager at IDsW and freelance writer and trainer.

This article reflects his personal opinion.

12

Art ic le

December 2010

Passive RFID chip (source: www.wikimedia.org)

Page 13: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Esri—Your Partner in SDI

A global network of Esri geographic information system (GIS)

professionals and business partners is ready to work with you to

build a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). Esri’s ArcGIS® provides

the foundation to integrate data and information for modeling

the world and analyzing its complex systems and behaviors.

data and services through metadata.

open technology.

SDI allows better decision making, leading to better

governance. Make ArcGIS the platform for your SDI.

“Our partnership with

Esri provides innovative

solutions, enabling our

stakeholders to access

relevant information on

demand.”

Jacqueline McGlade

Executive Director

European Environment Agency

Visit esri.com/sdisolutions to download the white paper

Creating and Maintaining a Geoportal—Management Considerations.

For Esri locations worldwide, visit esri.com/distributors.

gisdata.hr

arcdata.cz

Denmarkinformi.dk

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuaniahnit-baltic.lt

Finlandesri-finland.com

Franceesrifrance.fr

gisdata.hr

Germanyesri-germany.de

Austriasynergis.co.at

Belgium and Luxembourgesribelux.com

Bosnia and Herzegovinagisdata.hr

Bulgariaesribulgaria.com

Georgiageographic.ge

Greece and

marathondata.gr

Hungaryesrihu.hu

Icelandsamsyn.is

Israelsystematics.co.il

Italyesriitalia.it

Maltageosys.com.mt

Moldovatrimetrica.com

The Netherlandsesrinl.com

Norwaygeodata.no

esripolska.com.pl

esri-portugal.pt

esriro.ro

dataplus.ru

Slovak

arcgeo.sk

Sloveniagisdata.hr

Spainesri-es.com

Swedenesri-sgroup.se

Switzerlandesri-suisse.ch

Turkeyesriturkey.com.tr

ecomm.kiev.ua

esriuk.com

Page 14: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Converge, Connect and Collaborate

Trimble 5th International User Conference Trimble opened its 5th international user conference with more than 2,900 registered attendees from 67 countries around

the world. The Trimble Dimensions 2010 conference theme-Converge, Connect and Collaborate-provided insight into how

the convergence of technologies can redefine the way professionals connect and collaborate to achieve success.

The conference explored the use of technology in a wide range of applications including surveying, engineering,

construction, mapping, GIS, geospatial, utilities and mobile resource management. Trimble Dimensions 2010 was

held November 8-10th at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

By Ruud Groothuis

Attendees had the opportunity to network

with key industry leaders, build partnerships,

develop new contacts, discuss opportunities

and discover how to overcome obstacles in

today's competitive business environment.

With more than 400 sessions across multiple

specialty tracks, the conference focused on

increasing productivity in the field and the

office by revolutionizing work processes.

The ConferenceThe conference included an demonstration and

training area plus a Partner Pavilion that show-

cased the complete suite of Trimble solutions

designed for construction, survey, engineering,

mining, aerial and mobile mapping, GIS, utili-

ties, infrastructure, mobile computing, forestry

and agricultural applications. In addition, there

were products from Accubid, Applanix, Meridian

Systems, Pacific Crest, QuickPen and Spectra

Precision. Highlighted solutions and technolo-

gies included GNSS, total stations, field com-

puting and data collection, 3D scanning, pre-

design construction planning, 3D visualization,

Building Information Modeling (BIM), construc-

tion project management, aerial mapping, wire-

less communications, data transfer, field and

office software, and smart grid applications.

A number of other technology providers, who

are also Trimble partners, participated to

expand the conference as to the range of prod-

ucts available and their application potential.

A Talk with Mr. Steven W. Berglundpresident and CEO of TrimbleOf course our magazine GeoInformatics was

distributed to attendees at the Trimble

Dimensions event and we had the opportunity

to speak with Steven Berglund. Trimble, strong-

ly decentralized over the past several years has

a turnover of approximately 1.3 billion USD. Ten

years ago Trimble was primarily a GPS technol-

ogy company but has since evolved into a pro-

ductivity company and a provider of efficient

integrated solutions.

Trimble defines the market in terms of indus-

try and user identity. This can be asset man-

agement and/or Geospatial. “We are looking

for vertical markets, with the identity of the

user in mind. Geospatial is an element of the

solution.

Trimble’s eager expansion lies more in smaller

acquisitions with local content. The company

is not looking in traditional locations but more

towards places which, in general, have not

been on the growth market list. (China, India,

Brazil, Eastern Europe and the Middle East)

Who are the users and what are the problems

they are facing? The key is to add value which

14

Event

December 2010

Page 15: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

extends further then being just a provider of,

for example, raw data etc.

The amount of data that is becoming available

is growing. How can you beneficially use that

data? Well, this is the general challenge for the

geo-industry. One should understand the

nature of the use. The boundaries have shift-

ed/faded. It’s a challenging World”, Mr.

Berglund concluded.

New IntroductionsTrimble introduced nine new products at

Dimensions of which the Next Generation

Nomad Series of Outdoor Rugged Handheld

Computers. The Nomad 900 series adds a 5

MP auto-focus camera with flash, enhanced

GPS performance, and new Wi-Fi capabilities.

These new features, along with the its rugged

construction and computing power, make the

Trimble Nomad 900 series ideal for mobile

workers in forestry, public safety, surveying,

construction, mapping, field service, utilities,

and other outdoor or service-related fields.

Trimble has designed the Nomad handheld to

be the ultimate all-in-one computing device for

asset management. With the unit’s improved

camera and flash, low light and night images

are crisp and bright allowing mobile workers

to capture and geotag assets with confidence-

even the fine print associated with an asset,

such as a fire inspection tag, can be easily

read. Tuned to maximize the integrated GPS

receiver's performance, the Trimble Nomad 900

series handheld has an enhanced antenna

design which provides a rapid Time-to-First Fix

(TTF) to improve GPS productivity in difficult

GPS conditions. The handhelds ship with the

Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, featur-

ing a redesigned user interface, enhanced secu-

rity, simpler email and Bluetooth setup, and

more. Available in a variety of configurations,

the series features multiple language options

including, English, French, German, Japanese,

Chinese (Simplified), and Spanish.

For GIS data collection and asset management

activities, the 900G series includes 6 GB of

Flash storage ideal for field GIS applications

with large geospatial datasets. The GPS receiv-

er enhancements allow GPS data to be post-

processed to an accuracy of 1 to 3 meters. In

addition, these handhelds are compatible with

the entire portfolio of Trimble Mapping & GIS

field and office software products. The operat-

ing system downloads are available in English,

French, German, Japanese and Spanish, as well

as Italian, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese and

Russian.

As with most conventions, a lot was going on.

The booths were showing the latest innova-

tions, magazines from several industries were

on-site and thousands of conversations were

taking place simultaneously as surveyors, con-

tractors, industry representatives and salesmen

exchanged information. There was no doubt

Trimble Dimensions certainly succeeded in pre-

senting the Converge, Connect and Collaborate

theme, connecting different disciplines and

technologies, and presenting superb sessions

all with a focus on gaining that competitive

edge.

www.trimble.com

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Event

15December 2010

People are eager for

education instead of

novelties.

Page 16: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

The Role of Open Source Software For handling INSPIRE-compliant Data

Open source software offers freely available source code to the general public, thereby allowing for modifications and

redistribution. Freedom to modify source code offers significant opportunities in the establishment of a Europe-wide

spatial information infrastructure. The INSPIRE directive provides a legal framework for the establishment of a spatial infor-

mation infrastructure across the European Union. This article describes a study on open source tools for the

handling of INSPIRE-conformant data as carried out by the GIS4EU project. A case study is presented based on

extension of the OpenJUMP workbench for downloading and displaying INSPIRE-conformant data.

By Somnath Ghosal, Nan Lin and Iain Cross

IntroductionOpen Source Software is increasingly utilised

for the management, distribution and analy-

sis of geographic data. Proprietary GIS soft-

ware is typically costly, and open source alter-

natives can be significantly more cost effective

for organisations to use. Open source soft-

ware also offers the opportunity for plugins

to be developed which enhance the function-

ality of the software. This article describes the

application of two plugins for obtaining and

displaying INSPIRE compliant geographic data.

We describe a background to open source

GIS, the purpose of the INSPIRE directive and

the nature of the developed plugins. We con-

clude by addressing the potential for open

source plugins for organisations mandated to

adopt the INSPIRE directive.

Open Source GISSoftware applications are developed from

source code. Developers can choose to make

source code publicly available, or to keep it

hidden. Software that has its source code

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Page 17: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

published for free viewing, redistribution or

modification, is referred to as Open Source

Software (OSS). Proprietary software is usual-

ly 'closed', meaning that its source code is

not published. Whereas companies tend to

offer closed proprietary software to protect

commercial interests, individual developers

often publish OSS in order to allow other

developers to contribute to the development

of the software and build additional features

that extend the functionality of the original

software programme. OSS is typically free for

distribution and modification. However, it is

accompanied by a licence that protects the

developers from litigation and protects spe-

cific intellectual property rights. The geospa-

tial community has established an OSS com-

munity offering free and open source GIS

(osGIS). osGIS has made it possible for sev-

eral government agencies and companies to

use and manipulate geospatial data without

incurring the potentially significant expense

of proprietary GIS. Examples of osGIS include

osGIS is already making significant contribu-

tions to handling and processing geographic

data. For example, local residents in the

Surrey Heath Borough Council have been able

to access geographic information on tree pro-

tection orders using OSS and open-source

data (see GIS Professional, 34: 22-24). The

online application links information on tree

preservation orders, planning applications

and conservation zones. Residents are able

to easily locate their property and identify

nearby trees that may be subject to specific

planning restrictions and preservation orders.

The council aims to develop systems to deliv-

er geographic data to staff ‘in the field’ using

handheld GPS hardware. The council claims

that using osGIS has been instrumental for

creating high-quality web services and devel-

oping a map creation and publishing system.

Open Geospatial ConsortiumStandardsThe Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is an

industry consortium of 400 companies, gov-

ernment agencies, and research organizations

worldwide participating in a consensus pro-

cess to develop publicly available interface

standards. Prior to its foundation, there was

the Geographic Resources Analysis Support

System (GRASS) and OpenJUMP. GRASS was

originally developed by the United States

Army Corp of Engineers more than 20 years

ago and it is now maintained by a communi-

ty of volunteer developers. GRASS is used

by academic, commercial, government depart-

ments as well as environmental organizations

for geospatial data analysis and management,

graphics and data modelling purposes. The

development of the OpenJUMP platform is dis-

cussed later. Several more examples of osGIS

are offered by the Open Source Geospatial

Foundation (OSGeo), an organisation which,

through a number of projects, provides finan-

cial, organisational and legal assistance to

osGIS developers. Some examples of current

OSGeo projects include:

• GeoServer: An osGIS that allows users to

share and edit geospatial datasets through

web services.

• OpenLayers: A javascript toolkit for creat-

ing interactive maps of web pages.

• PostGIS: An extension of the PostgreSQL

database for supporting geospatial data

and functions.

• gvSIG: A GIS for capturing, storing, han-

dling and analyzing geospatial data.

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Art ic le

17December 2010

OSM data in OpenJUMP

OpenJUMP screenshot

Page 18: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

lack of extensibility and flexibility of GIS soft-

ware though GIS had shown great potentials

to a variety of business sectors. Users felt

frustrated when they were forced to use inef-

ficient, time consuming, and error-prone data

transfer methods to share geospatial data

between systems. The OGC has developed

standards that empower technology develop-

ers to make complex geospatial information

and services accessible and useful for many

different applications. These standards sup-

port interoperable solutions on the Web, wire-

less and location-based services to be loca-

tion-aware and geospatially-enabled.

An example of an OGC standard for web ser-

vices is the Web Feature Service (WFS) which

defines interfaces for data access and manip-

ulation operations on geographic features

using HTTP as the distributed computing plat-

form. Through these interfaces, a web user or

service can combine, use, and manage

geospatial data. WFS offers data encoded in

Geography Markup Language (GML), an OGC

standard for encoding location-referenced

data in eXtensible Markup Language (XML). A

typical processing request would proceed as

follows (assuming a web server implementing

the WFS):

1. A client application initially requests a

‘capabilities document’. This is a descrip-

tion of the operations that that particular

WFS supports and a list of datasets that

it offers.

2. A client application may then make a

request to the WFS to define features that

the WFS can handle, using a

DescribeFeatureType operation.

3. Based on the definitions of the features,

the client application generates a request

via a GetFeature operation.

4. The data request sent to web server.

5. The request for data is read, by the WFS

which then processes the request to gen-

erate a dataset.

6. A status report is generated and sent back

to the client. This may also communicate

any errors encountered.

More details on WFS can be found at

http://bit.ly/dvYRku.

OpenJUMPIn 2002, Vivid Solutions developed the Java

Unified Mapping Platform (JUMP), a vector GIS

and programming framework for supporting

the matching of roads and rivers from differ-

ent digital maps in order to produce a single

integrated geospatial dataset. JUMP has since

been used to process other types of spatial

data such as provincial boundaries and remote-

ly sensed images. The package rapidly gained

popularity among users and developers who

customized it to suit their own needs. After

Vivid Solutions ended the development of

JUMP, the potential advantages of moving the

application into the OSS domain became

apparent. The application became known as

OpenJUMP, which is now developed and main-

tained by a group of volunteers.

OpenJUMP is an OSS application and therefore

freely available. It has a number of specific fea-

tures that are useful for users and developers:

• Compatibility with many operating systems

(including Windows, Linux, UNIX and

Macintosh platforms);

• Easily extensible environment for user-spe-

cific GIS applications;

• A number of existing plugins to enhance

functionality;

• The ability to read and write shapefiles

and simple GML files;

• Support for the display of images;

• Support for showing data retrieved from

WFS and Web Map Services (WMS);

• Full geometry and attribute editing;

• Support for multiple languages.

OpenJUMP, like most OSS, also offers the

developer a programming environment in

which it is relatively easy to develop tools for

specific features without an extensive working

knowledge of the entire software architecture.

This can assist the rapid development of plu-

gins. OpenJUMP is therefore an attractive

proposition for both GIS users and develop-

ers for economic, development and usability

reasons. This article describes the develop-

ment of two plugins for the OpenJUMP plat-

form. The plugins were designed to address

specific user needs identified during usability

testing of INSPIRE compliant datasets.

The INSPIRE DirectiveHistorically, European spatial information was

characterised by lack of harmonisation

between datasets at different geographical

scales, different languages, fragmented

datasets, gaps in availability and duplication

of information. To address such inconsistency

of data, the European Union published the

INSPIRE directive which aims to establish an

infrastructure for the sharing of environmen-

tal spatial information among public sector

organisations and facilitate public access to

spatial information across Europe. To ensure

that the spatial data infrastructures of the

Member States are well-matched and

exploitable in a Community and trans-bound-

ary context, INSPIRE has provided common

Implementing Rules (IR) in a number of spe-

cific areas (such as Metadata, Data

Specifications, Network Services, Data and

Service Sharing, and Monitoring and

Reporting). These IRs are put into action as

Commission Decisions or Regulations.

The GIS4EU ProjectThe GIS4EU project was commissioned by the

EU eContentPlus programme to make base

cartographic datasets available by address-

ing cross scale, cross language, cross border

interoperability and accessibility issues fol-

lowing the standards and requirements of the

INSPIRE directive. The project involves 23 organ-

isations including national mapping agencies,

local authorities, private companies, and uni-

versities. Ten of the project partners were local

and national mapping agencies. We refer to

these agencies collectively as ‘data provider-

s’. GIS4EU has developed common data mod-

els based on INSPIRE data specifications for

Administrative Units, Trans portation Networks,

and Hydrography. The project has also devel-

oped a common data model for Elevation that

is expected to inform the forthcoming INSPIRE

data specification for Elevation. GIS4EU has

developed processes for data harmonisation

and aggregation in order to enable carto-

graphic authorities to publish consistent and

homogenous reference data conformant to

INSPIRE regulations.

In order to test the potential for applying the

common data models, more than 50 datasets

from the participating data providers were

remodelled based on matches between fea-

ture types in the supplied datasets and fea-

ture types in the common data models. After

remodelling the supplied datasets, the data

providers specified the transformation rules

required to aggregate the supplied datasets.

The appropriate transformation rules for a

supplied dataset depended on whether the

intended scale of the target dataset was at

local, regional, national or continental

(European) scale. This meant that supplied

datasets at very large scales were simplified

and the content generalised in order to aggre-

gate them into regional, national or smaller

scales. After the aggregation process,

data was validated before publication via

the GIS4EU web portal (available at

www.gis4eu.eu). The GIS4EU portal was

developed to serve as a testbed for the dis-

tribution of INSPIRE-compliant datasets using

WFS technology.

Defining, Testing and AddressingIssues of Spatial Data Usability The GIS4EU project aimed to improve the

sharing and utilisation of geographic data

between many different organisations, result-

ing in spatial data being accessible to a

potentially diverse range of end users.

Therefore it was important that the usability

of the remodelled and aggregated datasets

was assessed to ensure that all potential

users could interact with the new datasets.

This was done through a specific work pack-

18

Art ic le

December 2010

Page 19: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

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age within the GIS4EU project. Currently,

assessing data usability is difficult as the fea-

tures of datasets that determine their usabili-

ty are vague and poorly defined. This means

that there are few established protocols for

identifying if datasets are usable. In order to

address this, the GIS4EU data providers devel-

oped a consensus on the meaning of spatial

data usability by drawing iterative spider dia-

grams. The testing procedure consisted of

designing a series of logical (yes / no) ques-

tions to be answered about each dataset

which addressed the usability elements inden-

tified in the spider diagram. The logical ques-

tions were posed in a questionnaire for data

providers, which also allowed for the oppor-

tunity to make specific comments on individ-

ual datasets and issues of usability.

The usability evaluation highlighted two

issues. First, users found it difficult to read or

display data encoded in GML based on the

INSPIRE application schemas. GML is a geogra-

phy-oriented version of eXtensible Markup

Language (XML). Although there are several

desktop applications for reading various GML

application schemas (FME, Geomedia), and an

FME-based plugin to enable ArcGIS to handle

GML, there is currently no free desktop appli-

cation that can read and display INSPIRE GML.

Secondly, users found it difficult to download

data from the WFS. If a WFS-enabled GIS is

not available, retrieval of data from a WFS

requires prior knowledge of the parameters

accepted by WFS, and also an ability to read

the XML-encoded metadata describing the

datasets offered by a particular web service.

Some users were not familiar with the param-

eters used or XML coding. Therefore, there

was a need to enable users to easily down-

load data from a WFS and display the data

encoded using the INSPIRE GML.

Currently, organisations that are mandated to

adopt the INSPIRE directive (such as National

Mapping Agencies and local organisations

with cartographic interests) do not receive

additional funding to cover the cost of remod-

elling and aggregating to achieve INSPIRE com-

pliance. Cost-effective solutions to handle and

process data in order to meet INSPIRE require-

ments are therefore a particularly attractive

proposition for such organisations. osGIS

therefore has the potential to contribute

towards achieving INSPIRE compliancy.

Furthermore, the availability of free and osGIS

with the capability to handle INSPIRE-confor-

mant data could help to standardise funda-

mental operations such as the loading, writ-

ing and viewing of such datasets. INSPIRE-ready

osGIS could potentially offer a benchmark for

any application that offers support for INSPIRE-

conformant data display and processing. With

the benefits of osGIS, specific benefits of

OpenJUMP and the usability problems identi-

fied in the GIS4EU project in mind, two plug-

ins were developed for the OpenJUMP plat-

form.

GIS4EU plug-ins for OpenJUMPPlug-ins are designed to answer specific needs

identified during the usability testing in the

GIS4EU projects:

1. A plug-in to download data from an INSPIRE-

compliant WFS: this is referred to as the

‘download plug-in’

2. A plug-in to display downloaded INSPIRE-data

within the OpenJUMP workbench: this is

referred to as the ‘parse plug-in’.

The two plug-ins are designed to be easily

accessible within the OpenJUMP graphical user

interface (GUI). Both of them are located in the

‘Layers’ menu, ensuring that users will be able

to quickly locate and access them in a familiar

way. The file size of the plug-ins is also small

and so that the plug-in can be distributed quick-

ly and easily and without overloading users’

hardware.

Use of the download plug-in comprises two

stages. First, a text-field inside the GUI is dis-

played, allowing users to input the uniform

resource locater (URL) of the target data. In

order to save users’ effort, only the URL of the

WFS implementation is required to be typed in;

the other part of the URL which is defined in

the WFS standard is automatically added by the

plug-in. Next, users click the ‘Get Capabilities’

button which retrieves a list of all available

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December 2010

wxPython-based GRASS GIS GUI

Page 21: geoinformatics 2010 vol08
Page 22: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

datasets . Users must select one layer from the

drop-down list and then click the ‘Save GML

file’ button. As a result, the feature dataset is

downloaded to a user-specified location on the

local hard drive. During data download, a sta-

tus bar concurrently displays the downloading

progress. After this, users may choose to down-

load another feature dataset or close the GUI.

During the whole procedure, OpenJUMP and the

portal use the OGC WFS standard to communi-

cate with each other. In the first stage,

OpenJUMP sends a WFS GetCapabilites request

message to the portal and receives the

response. Instantly, the response message is

parsed and GIS4EU features available are

shown. In the second stage, after selection of

a feature dataset, a WFS GetFeature message

is sent to the portal to commence the down-

load of the dataset in GML format.

The parse plug-in displays a GUI allowing users

to locate, select, and upload one INSPIRE-based

GML file. When a GML file is selected for upload,

it automatically retrieves attribute sets of INSPIRE

feature types from a configuration file. The plug-

in is then able to parse the GML file and create

an OpenJUMP layer with the appropriate INSPIRE

attributes. This uploaded layer is displayed

inside the OpenJUMP workbench allowing users

to use standard OpenJUMP tools for spatial

analysis of the dataset.

Because of its open architecture, we are able

to quickly and easily develop plug-ins to extend

the OpenJUMP features. However, the plug-in

does have some limitations. For example, the

name of the geometry attribute is restricted to

‘geometry’, but INSPIRE introduces other names

like ‘centralLineGeometry’ and ‘represen -

tativePoint’. Another limitation inherited from

OpenJUMP is that a dataset must include geom-

etry features; however, some GIS4EU and INSPIRE

feature types do not have geometry attributes

so cannot be displayed inside the OpenJUMP

workbench. It is envisaged that these minor lim-

itations will be addressed through future devel-

opments by the INSPIRE community.

Other Potential Plugins for theGIS4EU ProjectThere is some considerable scope for addition-

al plugins to be developed for OpenJUMP in

order to assist with the remodelling of datasets

into an INSPIRE-compliant form. The GIS4EU pro-

ject has used Intergraph Geomedia Fusion to

convert datasets into an INSPIRE-compliant form,

but there may be significant potential for an

open-source alternative to be developed. The

remodelling process principally consists of

determining how spatial features in an original

dataset compare with those that form the INSPIRE

data model for the relevant theme (hydrogra-

phy, transportation networks etc.). The process

requires four pieces of information (the original

dataset’s data and structure, the target data

model, matching tables and enumerations and

code-list mappings). Matching tables may

require multiple operations, intermediate vari-

ables to be created or filters and rules to be

applied in order to remodel the data. The pro-

cess results in a remodelled dataset and report

detailing the errors and miss-

ing or redundant informa-

tion. A plugin developed to

perform these operations

would not only share the

economic and software

development ad van tages of

the Open JUMP platform, but

would be highly complemen-

tary to the download and

parse plugins.

Conclusions andDiscussionsWe believe that osGIS can

play a significant role for

organisations that obtain,

process and interact with

geographic data. The eco-

nomic advantages of osGIS

compared to proprietary

solutions are likely to be a

key driver of the continued

adoption of osGIS solutions,

particularly amongst public

organisations in the UK fac-

ing budgetary constraints.

The economic advantage of osGIS is particular-

ly important for organisations that are required

to adopt the INSPIRE directive, as implementing

INSPIRE is not supported with additional funding.

We have demonstrated that plugins developed

for osGIS can address specific issues with

obtaining and displaying INSPIRE-compliant

datasets, in direct response to the findings of

the usability testing procedure within the

GIS4EU project, by increasing the functionality

of the OpenJUMP package. This suggests that

organisations may benefit from using osGIS in

order to meet the requirements of the INSPIRE

directive. Furthermore, a selection of plugins

developed for a common osGIS platform to

address additional implications of handling

INSPIRE-compliant datasets may significantly

assist the adoption of the INSPIRE directive.

Dr. Somnath Ghosal – Working as a Research

Associate at the Centre for Geospatial Science

(CGS), University of Nottingham. Before starting

work at the CGS, Dr. Ghosal did his PhD in

Environmental Management and Policy from the

School of Geography, University of Nottingham.

We would like to convey our gratitude to Prof.

Mike Jackson, Director of the Centre for Geospatial

Science (CGS), University of Nottingham, for his

kind guidance during the project. We appreciate

the support we have received from Dr Gobe

Hobona and Dr Suchith Anand for the writing of

this paper. The research presented in this article

was funded by the European Commission through

the eContent Plus programme.

22

Art ic le

December 2010

OpenJUMP screenshot

Page 23: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

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Page 24: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

The Story continued

GIS and ImageryIn GeoInformatics issue 4, of June this year, Lawrie Jordan explained how imagery and GIS came together. With the release

of ArcGIS 10, which includes a new set of tools for image analysis, the integration of ITT VIS software in the ArcGIS

toolbox, it is a good moment to continue this story and discuss into more detail how imagery is integrated in

Esri’s new products and services.

By Lawrie Jordan

Imagery: the Next Phase in GISThe timing of the union of GIS and imagery

was fortuitous. The trend is that platforms are

becoming more interoperable. Basically

mobile, cloud, desktop, and server are all just

different implementations of an extensive

platform. One of the core benefits of ArcGIS

is its unique ability to unify various imple-

mentations and access methods. It's one sys-

tem that runs on everything and can be

accessed by everything – from browsers, to

smartphones, to desktop applications. It

essentially empowers people, from high-end

desktop users right down to field workers, to

use these tools in tandem to get important

work done. Hardware, especially thanks to

cloud technology and caching, is no longer a

limitation. That's allowing GIS and incorpo-

rated imagery tools to flourish throughout the

entire digital realm.

Imagery Types and DatasetsProduced NowadaysGIS not only runs on all platforms, but accepts

all forms of geospatial data, including all

forms of imagery. So both in the public sense

and in the restricted non-public sense, there’s

an enormous expansion of new sources of

imagery across the entire electromagnetic

spectrum. For example, outstanding high-res-

olution multispectral satellite imagery that's

now publicly available, down to half-meter

resolution, and soon to be better than that.

With airborne imagery, users are routinely

working with data that has resolutions on the

order of inches. There’s also hyperspectral

sources of data, along with improved radar

collection in all of its different modalities.

And, of course, radar has the advantage of

being day, night, and all weather. Radar also

has some unique properties in terms of

ground penetration, as well as the capability

to detect minute shifts in location using

advanced processing techniques called inter-

ferometry. Then there’s thermal imagery and,

of course, lidar for terrain mapping with active

sensors. At the moment there’s a gigantic

expansion of the quantity and quality of

imagery of all types, not just one type cover-

ing a limited spectrum.

‘Sandwich’ of Image LayersOne of the things that has been done for

many years, which is really coming into its

own now, is the fusion of multiple sources of

imagery into a single “sandwich” of image

layers. For example, in one of these synthetic

image stacks, you may have multispectral,

panchromatic, hyperspectral, radar, and lidar.

And by looking at special combinations of

these layers you can see things in the combi-

nation that you can't see in any one of them

by itself. This is also one of the fundamental

approaches used in digital cartography, as

overlays have historically been used for

decades to expand our perception and under-

standing of geography.

ITT VISEsri has already integrated ITT VIS software

in the ArcGIS toolbox, providing imagery anal-

ysis tools for ArcGIS users. This means that

when the user is in the ArcGIS environment,

he or she can literally press a button and

open up all these new ITT VIS ENVI tools. And

what's exciting about that is it's in the main-

stream and goes with the grain of what Esri

is doing. Our partners are closely aligned with

us, and they work very closely with Esri’s engi-

neering teams to make sure that all the new

24

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December 2010

On-the-fly NDVI calculation in ArcGIS. ‘Image shows beta version of ArcGIS 10.’

Page 25: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Art ic le

25

things that we release are fully compatible

and integrated with theirs.

Online Access to Imagery HoldingsEsri users are now able to directly connect to

online services from ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS.com,

and Bing and easily incorporate imagery within

their GIS. We’re putting up the Landsat GLS

EPOCH datasets, which contain almost 50,000

full Landsat scenes that go back 40 years. These

will be full-resolution scenes, with all bands,

enabling rich analysis with ArcGIS software, not

merely a tile cache. We’ll be adding some addi-

tional services to go along with these, and there

will be some new announcements soon.

Improving the ImageWhen you have a very good set of tools to

fix an image that's not perfect, you can do a

tremendous amount to improve the image,

especially since that image itself may have

unique content that initially may be hidden.

Anyone who’s ever used PhotoShop on their

home pictures knows this. If you've got a pic-

ture of someone that came out blurry or was

taken in low light, you can apply similar tools

to save the image and unlock the value con-

tained within it. Modern sensors, by and

large, capture excellent quality images. When

they don’t, the integrated image analysis tools

in ArcGIS can fix them.

Those capabilities are being complemented

by integrating the sensor models into the soft-

ware. The sensor model's a math model that

helps us precisely locate that image on the

ground. That's what GIS users want. We want

our imagery to accurately fit the map. With

older imagery that may not have all the nec-

essary information, there are a lot of tools

that allow one to take an image that may be

inaccurate or fuzzy or cloudy or hazy and

apply some of these image transforms to it

to make it the very best that it could be.

Image Analysis Window andCommunity BasemapArcGIS Desktop 10 has a new set of tools in

its main interface called the Image Analysis

window. These tools make all the basic

things that a person would want to do with

imagery much, much easier to use. You don't

have to be an expert or have a master's

degree. A lot of these tools are just simple

point and click, like a point-and-shoot cam-

era. You can essentially get the results back

in real time. That’s the trend of the future:

more and more easy-to-use tools.

Esri’s also providing a lot of best practices

techniques that are rolled up into templates.

Users can now pour their data into a template

and out comes a finished map. We're doing

this worldwide with our Community Basemap.

Now imagery templates are built for users in

the imagery community to share best prac-

tices with them so they can get the best

results from their image holdings.

Lawrie Jordan, Director of

Imagery Enterprise Solutions, Esri.

Overlay of basemaps in ArcGIS. Image courtesy of GeoEye, DigitalGlobe, and MDA Federal. ‘

Image shows beta version of ArcGIS 10.’

Color-infrared imagery. Image analysis window provides a set of powerful tools

for processing imagery on the fly. Image courtesy of GeoEye. ‘Image shows beta ver-

sion of ArcGIS 10.’

Color-infrared imagery with segmentation overlay. Image courtesy of GeoEye.

‘Image shows beta version of ArcGIS 10.’

December 2010

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Page 28: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

A Re-evaluation

Cornwall’s Mining World Heritage Site

Continued fieldwork and research focused on the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscapes World Heritage Site,

UK - and the 175 sites known to be associated with the worldwide migration patterns of its associated workforce in the

19th and early 20th centuries – represents the application and use of tools born from the Information Age in order to

understand the Industrial past. The examples shown in this article are taken from fieldwork conducted at the Grass

Valley in California, USA, and Wheal Coates, Cornwall, UK. All work would not have been possible without the help

and support of CyArk (a California non profit founded by Ben Kacyra), Adam Technologies, Canon UK, Leica Geosystem’s

USA, Faro UK and Point Tools.

By Adam P. Spring, Caradoc Peters and Justin Barton

The iconic Cornish Engine House with its sim-

ple yet distinctive engineered shape made its

way all over the world. With its design went

workforces of highly skilled miners and engi-

neers whose influences on landscapes in

Mexico, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and North

and South America (to name but a few) still sur-

vive today. Websites like cousinjack.org provide

links to societies made up of the genetic rem-

nant of these work forces. In Grass Valley, a

large community of Cornish workers made their

way from the Upper Mid West lead mining

regions, Mexico (where they introduced football

to the country also), from Cornwall and from

further afield in 1854 to take advantage of the

Gold Rush. Annual celebrations held in July, tra-

ditional Cornish pasties, place and family name

evidence provide insight into the cultural impact

mining had on the area. Such cultural ties are

intrinsically intertwined with the physical impact

of mining in the area, now fossilised in the land-

scape by features like the Holbrooke Hotel, vol-

unteer-run organisations like the North Star

Mining Museum and Cousin Jack’s Pasty Shop.

Recording the Industrial Age in theInformation AgeUsing mid range scanning or photogrammetry

to record relic mine workings present engineer-

ing solutions to past industrial problems.

Engine houses and associated mine workings

are perfectly designed for the application of

such digital high definition survey tools, with

their distinctive geometric and uniform shape

presenting ease of capture (depending on envi-

ronment) at an acquisition stage, and rapid and

easy registration at an initial processing phase.

In a climate where hackneyed catchphrases like

‘end user requirements’ and ‘moving beyond

the point cloud’ are used in commercial and

research environments in broad and liberal

fashion, the use of an engineering tool to

address questions pertaining to Industrial her-

itage gives key information even before mod-

elling off the point cloud (see Spring, Peters et

al IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications,

May/June 2010, pp. 15-19). Accurate measure-

ments and detailed 3D recordings provide vital

28

Art ic le

December 2010

Adam Technology’s Powerful 3DM Analyst photogrammetric package being used to map an open cast mine

in the present. Mapping a large pit. The area being captured is nearly 3 km long and ranging from 300–600

m deep. The two camera stations on the left are using a 100 mm lens at a distance of 450–700 m; the three

on the right are using a 200 mm lens at a distance of 1000–1400 m from the opposite wall.

Triangulation and contours generated by 3DM Analyst of one of the stockpiles in the earlier images. Note the

inverted cone in the top of the stockpile has been successfully captured.

Page 29: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

information towards overall structural analysis

like load and stress capabilities for internal

workings; the ability to produce detailed plans

and specifications (which have not survived or

are yet to be rediscovered); accurately recon-

struct the internal workings that have been

removed; and create a corpus of detailed 3D

time slices that can be used to chart their devel-

opment and modification on an international

scale. The value of such data sets are champi-

oned further by online archives like CyArk,

where with a mouse click, complementary infor-

mation like site plans, videos and HDR panora-

mas give better impressions of context and

details like surface texture.

sub-centimetre coordinated, measurable infor-

mation. It is the latter that is of interest to the

archaeologist or heritage specialist and, in this

example, provides an engineering solution used

to digitally preserve relic structures developed

for engineering needs. As Shakespeare aptly

wrote, it is almost as if: “The wheel is come full

circle”. Incidentally ‘Wheal’ is the Cornish word

for ‘a shaft mine’.

Scanning Wheal CoatesOn August 16th 2010 a Faro Photon 120 was

used to capture part of the tin mine workings

at Wheal Coates, Cornwall, UK. Towanroath

Pumping Engine House (1872) was used to

pump water from its associated shaft, which

was incorporated into a naturally occurring sea

cave. From two hours in the field a texture rich

point cloud was generated using a phase based

laser system, which in itself has implications at

a data processing and archiving phase. It also

provided complimentary information to data

captured in Grass Valley in July 2009 using the

time of flight based system housed in the Leica

Scanstation 2. Much like the Grass Valley scan

sessions, fieldwork addressed questions per-

taining to structural development and use, as

well as the life of the pump engine, its location

on the now picturesque coastline and everyday

workings. In both instances water was key to

the running of the site, and the driving force

behind engineered approaches applied.

Utilisation of natural features on the landscape

in relation to its water driven power source mir-

Heritage Work Flows End user requirements for cultural heritage

extend beyond 2D or 3D work flows (see

GeoInformatics Issue 8 2008, pp. 50-54). Long

term data acquisition and preservation strate-

gies are paramount, with data use and reuse

key to generating information that does not fall

into a short term mentality of capture it, use it

and effectively bin it. Applications are, to an

extent, idiosyncratic to each site, with no sin-

gle manufacturer’s work flow or ethos offering

a complete solution to conservation, restora-

tion or preservation requirements. No one solu-

tion or data capture system provide all the

answers at this time, with data validation pro-

cesses crossing quantitative and qualitative

boundaries (see Spring, Peters et al IEEE

Computer Graphics and Applications, May /June

2010, pp. 15-19).

Marrying Past and PresentEngineering Solutions There is a sense of irony when applying mid-

range scanning solutions to the Cornwall and

West Devon Mining Landscapes World Heritage

Site. This is especially apparent when looking

back to California based companies like Cyra

Technologies and Riegl in Austria in the mid

1990’s, where the underlying paradigm driving

technological development was industrial and

engineering applications. In addition to the cre-

ation and rapid development of a commercial

market, such companies also produced a read-

ily accessible rapid capture method generating

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Art ic le

29December 2010

3D model of an underground heading, seen from

the "outside" generated using 3DM Analyst. 16

images are captured from four different locations

in about ten minutes to capture the entire surface;

processing takes 5–10 minutes to generate

between about 400,000 and 2 million points,

depending on settings.

James Needham, Faro UK, operating the Faro Photon 120 Phase Shift Scanner..

Page 30: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

rored that of Grass Valley, providing evidence

of and remaining testament to the highly skilled

work forces that followed work all over the

world. So far the scan data has started to shed

light on the technological thought processes

spreading out from Cornwall in the 19th and

20th centuries, as well as retracing the foot-

steps of a highly skilled artisan class. The lat-

ter of which have left far more physical evidence

than written evidence.

ConclusionDigital high definition survey tools are making

Industrial heritage more accessible, not only in

terms of the knowledge extracted from data

sets but also in the experiential sense. Entire

sites can now be accessed at a click of a but-

ton in one environment, presenting rapid access

to multiple data sets that are a direct product

of the Information Age and the rise of user cre-

ators. In the case of Cornwall’s mining heritage,

digital survey is making cross-comparisons not

just within Cornwall, but wherever Cornish min-

ing sites are found in the world. The rise of user

creators empowered by easy-to-use digital tech-

niques is relevant to sites like Towanroath

where independent of the project outlined in

this article programs like Google SketchUp have

been used to build and represent the site in

Google Earth also. Digital photogrammetry and

close relatives like Terrestrial Laser Scanning are

part of a wide range suite of tools designed to

tackle the most difficult thing of all - recreating

and modelling the real world. In doing so their

use by design throws up more questions than

answers, and that is where the excitement

begins.

Websites:

www.adamtech.com.au

www.canon.co.uk

http://archive.cyark.org

www.faro.com/uk.aspx

www.leica-geosystems.us/en/index.htm

www.cornish-mining.org.uk

30

Art ic le

December 2010

Towanroath point cloud with targets and scan posi-

tions included.

Complete registered point cloud of Towanroath

Pumping Engine House in context. This

information has been used to recreate plans

of the structure and its workings.

Aerial view of the inner workings of the mine.

Even working off of the point cloud in such a

basic way provides greater understanding of how

the mine worked.

Page 31: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

I believe in reliability.

Reliability means peace of mind – knowing that

your equipment will never let you down.

Regardless of the situation, you want to be able to rely on your

equipment and the results you get. That’s why Leica Geosystems

places great emphasis on dependability. Our comprehensive

spectrum of solutions covers all your measurement needs for

surveying, engineering and geospatial applications. And they are

all backed with world-class service and support that delivers

answers to your questions. When it matters most. When you

are in the field. When it has to be right.

You can count on Leica Geosystems to provide a highly reliable

solution for every facet of your job.

Leica Geosystems AGSwitzerland

www.leica-geosystems.com

The Leica Viva GNSS – this exceptionally rugged,

easy-to-use instrument with a self-explanatory

interface is a fine example of our uncompromising

dedication to your needs. Reliability: yet another

reason to trust Leica Geosystems.

Page 32: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Managing Railway Network with Geospatial Solution

Rete Ferroviaria Italiana Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), Italy’s national rail infrastructure operator, made geospatial integration a fundamental

component of its corporate information and communication technology strategy. Careful planning and implementation has

enabled RFI to integrate spatial data and technology with core business workflows and systems (like SAP), which ensures

data are accurate and current. The geospatial solution supports and enhances critical, high-value business functions.

By Claudio Mingrino

RFI was established in 2001 to manage infrastructure for the Group

Ferrovie della Stato and meet Italian Government directives for the separa-

tion between the system operator and the producer of transport services.

RFI is responsible for maintaining and renewing the conventional rail net-

work, according to the latest technological and safety standards, in accor-

dance with passenger and freight traffic growth needs and for the design

and the implementation of the high-speed/high-capacity network (1,000

km). RFI employs more than 32,000 people and manages more than 16,500

km of lines and 2,300 stations. The system serves in excess of 9,000 trains

daily.

RFI’s main activities include:

• Management of the railway capacity allocation processes

• Application and collection of charges for the use of the rail infrastruc-

ture

• Maintenance and development of railroads and rail infrastructure, based

on a contract with the Italian Government (Minister of Infrastructure)

• Railway traffic-control management on the network

According to Intergraph’s Claudio Mingrino, RFI wanted to implement a

geospatial system to manage the maintenance of its railway stations and

ensure high-level service to clients. It successfully integrated Intergraph

and SAP ERP platforms and continues to gain benefits in its daily opera-

tions. These benefits include saving time and money by using friendly and

intuitive applications that merge master data with geospatial data.

Because the project was implemented over several years means that RFI

used a number of different integration methods in the SAP platform’s

development. One notable feature is how the Intergraph platform has guar-

anteed all the upgrades. This article spotlights the particular vision

Intergraph uses to provide the appropriate platforms aimed at supporting

the typical mission of a solution provider. Rather than relying on a single

technology or product-based vision, RFI harmonizes technologies that can

benefit other companies who have specific needs and ambitious objec-

tives.

The Value of Geospatial InformationGeospatial information adds value to the development of both current and

future processes. The step required to implement decision-support sys-

tems “integrated” with geospatial information is a short and immediate

one. In fact, you only need to consider how the geographical location and

the definition of a territorial context can significantly speed up and enrich

any analysis related to railway processes. For example, you can use the

operational rooms (central and/or local) for effectively monitoring the infras-

tructure (technical control, maintenance, and diagnostics) planning for the

railway line.

Intergraph’s solution is based on standard technology that complies with

RFI’s instructions and requirements – a three-level architecture with an

exclusively Web-based platform using service-oriented architecture (SOA)

and Web services in accordance with the Open Geospatial Consortium

(OGC) standard for achieving maximum interoperability and modularity.

Geospatial Database ManagementMingrino explains that the process of integrating/updating and the conse-

quent maintenance of the database are very important and basic for any

32

Art ic le

December 2010

Figure 1: This screen image illustrates RFI’s plans database

Figure 2: This screen image illustrates the bi-directional link with SAP

and GeoMedia.

Page 33: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

system that deals with informa-

tion, especially geospatial data.

“RFI makes this process a priori-

ty,” says Mingrino. “For five years,

RFI defined and implemented a

set of rules and procedures for

integrating and updating its

geospatial database in a well-

managed process.”

The rules, focused for example

on topology and geometry vali-

dation or metadata management

(FGDC appropriately simplified

and directly related to the standard ISO19115), concern both the availabil-

ity of other cartographic data sources (CAD files related to the plan of

new railway lines; CAD files related to the plan of future railway lines;

raster files; and GPS file tracking) and data integration of other enter-

prise systems.

Business Process Support Based on ERP IntegrationThe following are some of the processes, including those regarded as “crit-

ical,” which are managed on an integrated basis by SAP and GIS, with

Intergraph Italy involved in the implementation.

The main goal was to manage contracts for cleaning and maintenance of

the railway stations RFI owned to maintain a high level of service to clients.

To reach this goal, the project was divided into three parts and assigned

to specific working groups: plans database (Figure 1), contracts manage-

ment for cleaning/maintenance, and ordinary maintenance. Intergraph’s

efforts have focused on the first item, building an architecture to integrate

CAD, GIS, and SAP data. The reference architecture complies as closely as

possible with the standards of an “enterprise SOA.”

This project involves integration at application and technology levels to

allow the use of data from both the cartographic database and the master

infrastructure database. The key aspect of this integration is that the two

sources of information are held in both SAP’s and Intergraph’s GIS plat-

forms, which could not be more different from each other technically. The

solution core is software middleware – based on clients – which contains

the application logic to establish the communication. It is also possible to

switch the communication itself toward GIS-client application or Web-GIS

application.

In addition, an authorization policy was established to manage:

• The GIS access for a certain user and the area they can visualize.

• The choice to activate a GIS-client session vs. a Web-GIS session.

Intergraph delivered the integration process on two different levels in terms

of the logic and implementation methodology used. This provides a unique

architecture that not only facilitates the integration of data from both

databases, but also makes it possible to “navigate” in one database while

“experiencing” the results of this navigation in the other. This was achieved

by integrating both the data and the relevant navigation consoles.

As a result, users can navigate within the cartographic database via

Intergraph’s GeoMedia client. For example, users can position themselves

on a railway bridge and using a custom command, activate the SAP graph-

ical user interface (GUI), which, when connected online to the master infras-

tructure data database, displays the relevant view of the master data

corresponding to the bridge selected in the cartographic database.

This operation also works in the

opposite direction; when navigat-

ing using the SAP GUI, it is possi-

ble to switch to a view displayed

on the GeoMedia GIS client

(Figure 2). The implemented solu-

tion provides three software com-

ponents required to achieve this

two-way communication between

the SAP and GIS systems. The

components include two “server

logics” in the direction SAP to GIS,

and one “client logic” in the direc-

tion GIS to SAP. These compo-

nents provide the architecture’s middle level and are located on the client.

These projects address the corrected positioning of fleet maintenance

vehicles and of work teams in real time (Figure 3). This process becomes

“critical” when the same vehicles and related teams are used in activi-

ties such as emergencies or programmed maintenance. Critical elements

include the correct choice of the tracking device for the vehicles and

the various procedures for the registration, retrieving, and onboard data

analysis – with particular attention to the efficacy, availability, and acti-

vation characteristics.

Geospatial Framework for TransportationClaudio Mingrino explains that RFI maps is a Web-based application, such

as Google maps and this solution can be considered as the new portal for

all applications; it will be a consultation application and will also repre-

sent the entry point for all vertical systems.

The application consists of three levels or workflows:

• Level one – The user wants essentially to locate a position or visualize

a territorial context: the user performs a consultation.

• Level two – The user adds a specific request at the consultation that

requires the activation of the other system; these systems work this

request inside and return the information at the portal for visualiza-

tion/consultation.

• Level three – The user requests a specific elaboration that requires acti-

vation of vertical and specific systems based on “specific and vertical”

logics on geospatial information, and in particular with the technology

and products Intergraph provides.

These systems work inside their environment and both return the informa-

tion to the portal and generate data as thematic analysis available for

future consultations.

These systems concern, for example, data interaction produced by the

“noise pollution” software module in an integrated geographic view, or

the management of geospatial data with Intergraph technology, as well as

alphanumeric data in the SAP R/3 environment arising from the survey of

protection infrastructure carried out to defend the territory along the rail.

Another example of a “vertical” system concerns the analysis and themat-

ic reports about cadastre data overlapping vectors and raster layers belong-

ing to the RFI cartographic databases.

Internet: www.intergraph.com

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Art ic le

33December 2010

Figure 3: RFI uses the system to monitor and locate vehicles in real time.

Page 34: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Current Developments in AirborneDigital Frame Cameras

As Displayed in the Intergeo 2010 Exhibition

The continuous rapid development of digital imaging technology resulted in numerous airborne digital frame cameras

being shown at the Intergeo 2010 trade fair. For the airborne photogrammetric and mapping community, the many new or

improved frame cameras that were on display in the exhibition formed a real highlight of the event.

By Gordon Petrie

IntroductionWhile the editor-in-chief (Eric van Rees)

has already provided readers with his

overall impressions of Intergeo 2010 in

the previous issue of GEOInformatics, I

have been asked by him to focus atten-

tion on a particular subject area within

which considerable technical develop-

ment has taken place and a substantial

number of new or improved products

have been introduced and displayed in

the exhibition. The area of

was an obvious choice for me to make,

since it quite definitely meets these criteria. This

review of the activity that is taking place in this

particular area, as seen at Intergeo 2010, will

be conducted under the now widely accepted

classification of airborne digital frame cameras

on the basis of the of the image

that is being generated in the camera’s focal

plane at a single exposure station in the air –

with the individual cameras having small, medi-

um or large formats respectively.

When I first wrote about this topic in GEO -

Informatics in 2003, small-format cameras gen-

erated frame images that were between 1 and

6 Megapixels in size; a medium-format camera

produced frame images that were typically 16

Megapixels in size; while a large-format camera

delivered frame images that were larger than

25 to 30 Megapixels in terms of their format

size. Now, in 2010, cameras include

digital SLR cameras producing frame images

that are 25 Megapixels in size (and are going

up rapidly). cameras currently

produce frame images in the range 39 to 60

Megapixels (and are set to increase to 80

Megapixels by the end of this year).

While a frame image is

now regarded as being in the range

100 to 250 Megapixels. What a

change has taken place during this

seven year period!

I - Small-Format Frame Cameras

Single Camera SystemsTwo representative examples of the small-for-

mat digital frame camera systems that are com-

mercially available and are in current use for

the acquisition of near-vertical airborne images

are those produced by MosaicMill Ltd. and

Geoniss. The Finnish-based compa-

ny acquired the well-established

business from the large Stora Enso forestry,

paper manufacturing, packaging and wood

products group in October 2009. Besides its

photogrammetric and image processing soft-

ware, EnsoMosaic is also offered as a complete

turnkey system for airborne imaging, including

the possibility of such an operation being con-

ducted on UAVs. The standard camera that is

offered as part of the overall EnsoMosaic sys-

tem is the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III digital SLR

camera with its 21 Megapixel image format.

However the Nikon D3x SLR camera with its

24.5 Megapixel format and the compact Sony

Alpha camera with its smaller 14.2 Megapixel

image have also been supplied to certain cus-

tomers as part of their system. Besides these

small-format cameras, the EnsoMosaic aerial

imaging system can also utilize Hasselblad

34

Art ic le

December 2010

Fig. 1 – A Geoniss system with the digi-

tal SLR camera supported on its rotat-

able azimuth mount at right and with

the display screen of the control com-

puter at left. (Source: Geoniss)

Fig. 2 - Diagram showing the

principle of operation of a

stepping frame camera.

(Source: Goodrich)

Page 35: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

medium-format cameras. Along with the cam-

era, MosaicMill also supplies the flight control

and camera electronics, including a GPS receiv-

er for flight navigation purposes, together with

the required planning, calibration, navigation

and imaging software. Similarly the air-

borne digital imaging system – which comes

from the company in

Slovenia – is designed specifically for use on

small and ultra-light aircraft. It comprises a cam-

era base plate incorporating a circular yaw

(heading) movement, together with appropri-

ate electronics and software to control the cam-

era exposures [Fig. 1]. The Nikon D3x digital SLR

camera is used as standard. However, like the

EnsoMosaic system from MosaicMill, the

Geoniss system can also utilize Hasselblad

medium-format frame cameras.

Multiple Camera SystemsThe increasing use of small-format

frame cameras and images to provide greater

area coverage of the ground is a feature of the

current airborne imaging scene. One approach

is to generate a fan of vertical and oblique dig-

the cameras can be supplied with a CIR (colour

infra-red) capability. The twin cameras that are

used in the A3 system are equipped with folded

reflective mirror optics having a focal length (f)

of 300 mm and a maximum scan or sweep angle

of 104 degrees. A single cross-track scan or

sweep takes 4 seconds and generates up to 29

pairs of photographs. The twin-camera A3 unit

weighs 15 kg, while the accompanying on-board

control computer unit – which includes an

OmniSTAR-supported GNSS receiver; a solid-

state memory; and an on-board JPEG 2000 pro-

cessing capability – weighs a further 10 kg. A

complementary digital photogrammetric process-

ing system accompanies the A3 camera system.

Several of these A3 camera systems are already

in commercial operation, including two operated

by Fugro EarthData in the U.S.A.; a further two

that are in use with Aerodata International

Surveys from Belgium (which is now controlled

ital frame photos dur-

ing a single rapid rota-

tion of these cameras

in a series of steps in

the cross-track direc-

tion relative to the

flight line – a technique

that is called “step-

and-stare” or “sweep-

framing” by the recon-

naissance community

[Fig. 2]. This technique

has been used for the

last decade or more

on military reconnaissance aircraft – for exam-

ple on Tornado aircraft of the U.K.’s Royal Air

Force; on F-16 aircraft of the Polish Air Force;

and on Predator-B UAVs operated by the U.S.

Air Force – in each case, using purpose-built

camera systems that have been supplied by the

Goodrich Corporation in the U.S.A. The same

basic configuration of

has been adopted, albeit in a more compact

form, by two Israeli companies that are produc-

ing camera systems for use in commercial aeri-

al survey and mapping operations.

The first of these is the that has been

produced by the company from Tel

Aviv in Israel. This system employs twin digital

stepping frame cameras to generate pairs of 11

Megapixel panchromatic or RGB photographs

side-by-side during its cross-track scan or sweep

over the ground [Fig. 3]. At Intergeo 2010,

VisionMap announced that, if required, one of

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Art ic le

35December 2010

Fig. 3 – (a) The VisionMap A3 twin stepping frame

camera system. (b) A diagram showing the pat-

terns of ground coverage that are generated by the

A3 camera system. The “Single Frames” are those

acquired by a single camera; the “Double Frames”

are those acquired simultaneously by the twin

cameras of the A3 system. The “Super Large

Frame” (SLF) comprises all the single and double

frames acquired during one specific sweep over

the ground. The SLF is a synthetic image formed

from the multiple A3 frame images covering a

large area and is intended for use in stereo-inter-

pretation and stereo-photogrammetric mapping.

(Source: VisionMap)

Fig. 4 – The VisionMap MIST stepping frame camera for use in small UAV aircraft

with its single camera shown uncovered at (a) and encased at (b). (Source:

VisionMap}

Fig. 5 – (a) Showing the ground coverage of the

forward and backward looking scans or sweeps

of the twin cameras forming part of the

Airborne Mapping Unit (AMU). (b) The twin

camera system of the AMU.

(Source: Tiltan Systems Engineering Ltd.)

[a]

[b]

[a] [b]

[a]

[b]

Page 36: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

by the Pasco Corporation from Japan); a single

example by GetMapping in the U.K.; and anoth-

er by the Ofek mapping company in Israel. A fur-

ther development of this technology by

VisionMap is the system. This is based on

the same stepping frame camera principle, but

employs only a single small-format camera gen-

erating colour RGB imagery, instead of the twin

camera unit of the A3 [Fig. 4]. With its light weight

of 10 kg, the MIST system is intended principally

for use in small tactical UAVs.

The second stepping frame camera system –

called the (AMU) – was

introduced at Intergeo 2010. The system is pro-

duced by the

company, which is based in Petach Tikva in

Israel. Its development has been carried out in

partnership with , a

subsidiary of the Diamond aircraft manufactur-

ing company which is based in Austria. Again

twin frame cameras with 11 Megapixel CCD

arrays are used in conjunction with f = 300 mm

optics. However the configuration is somewhat

different to that of the VisionMap A3. With the

AMU system, one camera points in the forward

direction at slant angles of +160 to +450, while

the other points in the backward direction at

slant angles of -160 to -450 [Fig. 5 (a)]. Each of

the two cameras steps to expose a fan or strip

of four frame photographs in the cross-track

direction sequentially. This sweep gives an

angular coverage of 19 degrees for each of the

two strips in the cross-track direction. The over-

all system includes a scanning, pointing and

stabilization (SPS) unit, which stabilizes the two

cameras around their pitch and roll axes and

controls the scanning angles of the rotatable

mirrors that are placed in front of the cameras

[Fig. 5 (b)]. A GPS receiver provides positional

information for geo-referencing purposes, with

the overall system being controlled via the sys-

tem PC. As with the

VisionMap system, the

Tiltan system is supplied

together with its so-called

, which comprises

photogrammetric software

that converts the acquired

image data into mapping

and modelling products, including the automat-

ed production of DTM data leading to the gen-

eration of true orthophotos and 3D urban mod-

els.

“Maltese Cross” SystemsThis type of imaging system comprises a sin-

gle nadir (near-vertical) pointing frame camera

and four oblique pointing frame cameras, all of

which are mounted rigidly together in a spe-

cially built frame. Two of the oblique cameras

point in opposite directions cross-track, while

the remaining pair of oblique cameras point in

opposite directions along-track [Fig. 6]. The

resulting ground coverage of the five cameras

takes the distinctive form of a “Maltese Cross”.

The principal independent supplier of this type

of system is Track’Air, which is based both in

Oldenzaal in The Netherlands and in Orlando,

Florida. The implementation of this

imaging scheme is its system, which uti-

lizes five of the small-format Canon EOS 1Ds

Mark III cameras that have already been men-

tioned above. Each of the five cameras is fitted

with a Zeiss lens. In order to ensure the com-

plete rigidity and stability of the lens and cam-

era body, as required for photogrammetric

work, each of the Canon cameras is fitted into

an exoskeleton frame that ensures that no

movement can take place between these major

components [Fig. 7 (a)]. Each camera is then

calibrated by Applanix, which also supplies the

POS-AV position and orientation system – if this

is required by the customer. Track’Air has sold

35 MIDAS systems to date [Fig. 7 (b)].

The Track’Air company has also designed a

with one vertical and eight

oblique pointing frame cameras [Fig. 8]. The

four additional cameras have the same align-

ment as the four oblique cameras of the exist-

ing five-camera MIDAS system, but each will

have a different oblique angular pointing. This

arrangement will extend the ground coverage

along the arms of the “Maltese Cross”.

Besides the established five-camera MIDAS sys-

tem, it is worth noting that Track’Air is also

introducing a compact small-format frame cam-

era system for use in light aircraft. This utilizes

a special mount that can be controlled either

manually or automatically. This mount allows

the installation of various camera configurations

– such as single or dual vertical digital SLR cam-

eras; or a combination of a vertical and an

oblique camera; or a triple camera installation

comprising forward, vertical and backward

36

Art ic le

December 2010

Fig. 6 – Diagram showing

the distinctive “Maltese

Cross” ground coverage of a

five camera system that pro-

duces a single near-vertical

photo and four oblique pho-

tos. (Drawn by Mike Shand)

Fig. 7 – (a) Showing a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III at

left; the exoskeleton frame in the middle; and the

camera enclosed in its exoskeleton frame at right.

(b) A complete MIDAS system as fitted in a photo-

graphic aircraft. (Source: Track’Air)

[a]

[b]

Page 37: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

pointing cameras. A further possible develop-

ment is the use of the larger-format (37.5

Megapixel) Leica S2 digital SLR camera, which

is under test by Track’Air at the present time.

II – Medium-Format FrameCameras

By far the largest suppliers of medium-format

airborne digital frame cameras have been

Applanix (with its DSS camera systems) and

RolleiMetric (with its AIC metric cameras). Both

companies have been bought by Trimble which,

as a result, is now the largest supplier within

this category. So it was especially interesting to

see and hear about the new airborne camera

products from Trimble GeoSpatial that were

being introduced at Intergeo 2010. On the one

hand, the company introduced its

camera system which generates a

60 Megapixel frame image and can be equipped

with either f = 35 or 50 mm lenses that can be

interchanged by the user [Fig. 9 (a)]. The body

of the actual camera, which was formerly sup-

plied by Contax (which has gone out of busi-

ness), is now manufactured in-house by

Applanix. It includes a user-replaceable focal-

plane shutter cartridge. The overall DSS

WideAngle system is integrated with a POS-AV

(GPS/IMU) unit for direct geo-referencing and

patents, was acquired by from Canada,

which is well known as a major supplier of both

airborne and ground-based laser scanning sys-

tems. A large proportion of the Optech compa-

ny’s ALTM range of airborne laser scanners have

been sold integrated with medium-format digi-

tal frame cameras. Previously these cameras had

been supplied to Optech by RolleiMetric and

Applanix. However, in September 2008, Trimble

bought the TopoSys company and started to

compete in the airborne laser scanning market

with the Harrier scanner product that had been

developed by TopoSys. Besides which, Trimble

also acquired the RolleiMetric company in

September 2008 and it already owned Applanix.

Thus it was not unexpected that Optech would

seek a new camera supplier that was not owned

by a competitor. Through its acquisition of

DiMAC, Optech is now able to offer a varied

range of airborne digital cameras – comprising

the twin-camera DiMAC Wide+; the DiMAC

Light+; and the DiMAC UltraLight+ models – all

of which it can now produce and support in-

house. All three camera models are available

with 60 Megapixel digital backs generating RGB

images and they all utilize the DiMAC forward

motion compensation (FMC) technology. The

production of the DiMAC cameras is now being

undertaken in Optech’s main facility in Vaughan,

Ontario, while the camera research and devel-

opment department will remain in Belgium.

Already the first fruits of this merger were to be

seen with a fully integrated ALTM scanner and

DiMAC UltraLight+ camera package that utilizes

a custom-built mount [Fig. 10].

In the article published in the June 2009 issue

of GEOInformatics, in which I reviewed the

range of DiMAC cameras that were available at

that time, the design of the six-camera

system was included. Since then,

a completely new design of this system has

been developed by DiMAC for the sole use of

the Cicade mapping company [Fig. 11]. At pre-

sent, there are no plans to market the system

commercially, neither by Cicade, nor by DiMAC.

As described in a previous article of mine that

was published in the September 2009 issue of

GEOInformatics, first entered

the medium-format airborne frame camera mar-

ket in 2007 with its RCD105 model that was

designed specifically for integration and con-

current operation with Leica’s ALS series of air-

borne laser scanners. This product was followed

by the “stand-alone” RCD100 system in which

the camera was fully integrated with a control

electronics unit; with the company’s IPAS

(Inertial Position & Attitude System); and with

the PAV80 gyro-stabilized mount. The actual

CH39 frame camera unit that was used in both

the RCD100 and RCD105 systems was sourced

also includes the Applanix POSTrack flight man-

agement system. The second product release

concerned the (formerly

the AIC metric camera), which is available in

both 39 and 60 Megapixel versions for the

acquisition of RGB or CIR frame images [Fig. 9

(b)]. A forward motion compensation (FMC)

capability for this camera was announced at

Intergeo. This allows a 2x increase in the maxi-

mum flight speed of the airborne platform and

a decrease of up to three stops in shutter speed

for typical flight altitudes. Existing examples of

the AIC camera can be upgraded to have this

FMC capability too. Trimble is also offering its

four-coupled with the

four medium-format cameras set in an oblique

but slightly overlapping block configuration and

encased in a rigid mount [Fig. 9 (c)]. After recti-

fication and stitching, the resulting four merged

images constitute a single large-format frame

image.

Another much smaller supplier of medium-for-

mat airborne cameras has been ,

which is based at Charleroi Airport in the south-

ern part of Belgium. Its range of cameras was

described in my article that was published in

the June 2009 issue of GEOInformatics. Three

months before Intergeo (in June 2010), the

DiMAC company, including its technology and

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Art ic le

37December 2010

Fig. 8 – CAD drawings of the proposed nine camera system comprising one vertical pointing camera and

eight oblique pointing cameras - (a) a side view showing the stacked cameras; and (b) a view of the system as

seen from below. (Source: Track’Air)

Fig. 9 – (a) At right is the Trimble DSS WideAngle camera system with its accompanying IMU, both of which

have been mounted on the system’s base plate that can be rotated in azimuth. At left is the control cabinet

with its stack of drawers containing the integrated POS-AV direct geo-referencing system and the system con-

trol electronics, with the system display monitor placed on top of the cabinet. (b) The ruggedized Trimble

Aerial Camera with its control electronics box placed on top of the camera. (c) The Trimble Aerial Camera x4

comprising four medium-format frame cameras that are set in an oblique pointing block configuration with-

in a rigid cylindrical box. (Source: Trimble GeoSpatial Division)

[a] [b]

[a] [b] [c]

Page 38: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

from Geospatial Systems in the U.S.A. However,

at Intergeo 2010, came the announcement of a

completely new series of RCD30 medium-for-

mat frame cameras. These new cameras are

being made in-house by Leica and are very sub-

stantially different in their design and construc-

tion to the earlier RCD100/105 models.

Each RCD30 frame camera [Fig. 12 (a)] features

(i) a 60 Megapixel CCD array (instead of the 39

Megapixel arrays that were used in the previ-

ous RCD100/105 models); (ii) a between-the-

lens shutter (instead of a focal plane shutter);

and (iii) a forward motion compensation (FMC)

capability that operates along two axes (line-

of-flight and cross-track). The variant of

the camera features twin CCD arrays that receive

their respective images via a beam splitter to

generate (i) an RGB colour image (using a Bayer

mosaic pattern filter), and (ii) an NIR image

simultaneously. When the two images are co-

registered, a colour infra-red (CIR) image will

result. The variant of the camera is not

fitted with the beam splitter and has only a sin-

gle CCD array, so it produces only the RGB

colour image. The camera system control box

can handle up to five CH-6x cameras simulta-

neously. This allows single, dual, triple, quadru-

ple and quintuple configurations to be imple-

mented for image data acquisition. The Duo

pod and mount for dual camera operation is

shown in Figs. 12 (b) and (c).

The range of modular medi-

um–format frame cameras were also reviewed

in another (separate) article of mine that also

appeared in the September 2009 issue of

GEOInformatics. This highlighted the large range

of camera configurations that are offered by IGI

– using between one and five cameras in every

possible configuration to acquire both vertical

and oblique aerial photography, either in com-

bination or separately. These different configu-

rations can be implemented in combination

with a wide range of lenses with focal lengths

varying from 28 to 300 mm. Yet another varia-

tion is possible in terms of the format size; cur-

rently three different sizes – 39, 50 and 60

Megapixels – are being offered. As with those

other suppliers who offer airborne laser scan-

ning systems, many of the single DigiCAM cam-

eras are being supplied fully integrated with

IGI’s LiteMapper laser scanner products.

At Intergeo 2010, IGI displayed the latest ver-

sion of its Quattro-DigiCAM camera fitted into a

new outer case [Fig. 13 (a)], which in turn fits

directly into modern gyro-stabilized mounts

such as the Somag GSM 3000 or the Leica

PAV30 and PAV80 models. The Quattro-DigiCAM

has its four medium-format frame cameras

closely coupled together, with each tilted in an

oblique but overlapping block configuration

[Fig. 13 (b)]. The shutters in each of the four

cameras expose their low oblique images simul-

taneously and with a very high degree of syn-

chronization. After rectification and stitching, the

four merged images produce a final large-for-

mat frame image that is either 145, 191 or 235

Megapixels in size – depending on which digi-

tal backs (either 39, 50 or 60 Megapixels) have

been fitted to the individual DigiCAM cameras.

IGI is also offering its airborne ther-

mal-IR frame camera system which operates in

the 8 to 14 ɥm wavelength range. The actual

camera is based on the Jenoptik unit which uses

an uncooled micro-bolometer focal plane array

(FPA) to produce a frame image that is 640 x

480 pixels in size. The camera is linked to IGI’s

own DigiControl control unit with its TFT touch-

screen display [Fig. 14]. IGI has also partnered

with the Dutch company to offer a

complete UAV system that uses IGI’s DigiCAM

or DigiTHERM cameras in combination with its

AEROcontrol (GPS/IMU) system to acquire geo-

referenced imagery [Fig. 15].

The company is incorporated

in the U.S.A., but has its research and develop-

ment facility in Israel. It is yet another company

that is offering a complete package comprising

an airborne digital photographic imaging system

and an accompanying highly automated pho-

togrammetric system (called IPS2.OT) that pro-

duces mapping and modelling products from the

acquired airborne imagery. The

(IDM) digital photographic system com-

prises three major components or units. (i) The

first of these consists of the actual camera and

its mount [Fig. 16 (a)]. These are placed in a pro-

tective box that can be moved out on slides

externally into the airstream when the aircraft

reaches the target area that is to be pho-

tographed from the air. The camera mount is sta-

bilized in roll and pitch using the signals from a

two-axes gyro, while the signals from a GPS

receiver equipped with two antennas are used

to correct the heading or yaw movement in

azimuth. The camera can either be a single unit,

as in the system, or the system can uti-

lize three cameras, as in the IDM 600 system. A

medium-format digital SLR camera producing 60

Megapixel RGB colour images is the current stan-

dard with the IDM 200 system. An 80 Megapixel

digital back will be available soon. As for the

system, a typical installation comprises two

medium-format digital frame cameras exposing

60 Megapixel RGB and CIR images respectively,

with the third camera being a thermal-IR unit

exposing frame images that are 640 x 480 pix-

els in size [Fig. 16 (b)]. Several other combina-

tions of cameras are possible with the IDM 600

– for example, three RGB cameras for wide swath

coverage or a combination of RGB + NIR + ther-

mal-IR came ras. (ii) The second major compo-

nent of the system consists of a box that con-

tains the control electronics, storage media, etc.

– which remains inside the body of the aircraft

at all times. (iii) The overall control of the sys-

tem, including the flight management, naviga-

tion and camera exposure control operations, is

carried out by the camera operator using a suit-

ably programmed laptop computer, which forms

the third major component of the system.

38

Art ic le

December 2010

Fig.10 – This illustration shows an integrated

ALTM scanner & DiMAC camera package from

Optech. At left are an Orion ALTM laser scanner

and a DiMAC UltraLight+ medium-format frame

camera, which are mounted together on a custom-

built tiltable mount; in the middle are a laptop

computer and a small system display monitor;

while at right is the “IT Cube” with its control and

data acquisition electronics and computers and its

removable data storage units. (Source: Optech)

Fig. 11 – (a) This CAD drawing shows the arrange-

ment of the new DiMACoblique camera system - with

its twin vertically pointing cameras and four oblique

pointing cameras. (b) This diagram shows the ground

coverage of the DiMACoblique camera system – the

green box showing the combined coverage of the

twin vertical frame cameras, while the red boxes

(linked to the angular cones of coverage) show the

ground coverage of the four oblique frame cameras.

(Source: Cicade)

[a]

[b]

Page 39: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Art ic le

On show on the stand was the

latest version of the company’s

medium-format airborne digital camera. This

has a rather unique design utilizing four frame

cameras [Fig. 17]. Two of these cameras oper-

ate side-by-side to generate an image that is

9.5k x 6.6k pixels = 64 Megapixels in size.

Forward motion compensation to ensure blur-

free images is achieved using CCD arrays incor-

porating Time Delayed Integration (TDI) tech-

nology. A further pair of frame cameras expose

smaller-format colour (RGB) and NIR images

Information about yet another system compris-

ing multiple medium-format frame cameras –

called the system – was given in posters

and a brochure that were available on the stand

of the company,

which is an offshoot of the Chinese Aca demy

of Surveying & Mapping. The SWDC is an inte-

grated system with four oblique-pointing frame

cameras arranged in an overlapping block con-

figuration and firing simultaneously from a sin-

gle station in the air – which is similar in its

basic concept to that of the IGI Quattro-DigiCAM

and the Trimble Aerial Camera x4 that have

already been discussed above. The final recti-

fied, stitched and merged large-format frame

image – which is produced from the set of four

39 Megapixel medium-format images that have

been exposed simultaneously by the SWDC

camera – is 145 Megapixels in size.

III – Large-Format FrameCameras

With regard to large-format digital frame cam-

eras, there is a very simple choice. On the one

hand, there is the new

camera with its single monolithic CCD array gen-

respectively, each of which is 5.4k x 3.8k pixels

= 20 Megapixels in size. The data from these

smaller-format images may be used to colour-

ize the pan image, for instance to generate

false-colour (CIR) images. A new version of this

camera – called the – was

announced at Intergeo 2010. In this improved

model, the main panchromatic image produced

by the twin cameras will be increased in size

to 11.7k x 7.9k pixels = 92 Megapixels, while

the two smaller-format RGB and NIR images are

5.3k x 3.6k pixels = 19 Megapixels in size.

www.fi g.net/fi g2011 www.onigt.ma/fi g2011 (French and Arabic)

FIG Working Week 2011Bridging the Gap Between Cultures 18–22 MAY, MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

Fig. 12 – (a) The new Leica Geosystems RCD30 medium-format airborne digital frame camera. (b) & (c) - CAD

drawings showing the mount for the dual camera version of the Leica RCD30 as seen from above in (b); and

as seen from below in (c). (Source: Leica Geosystems)

[a] [b] [c]

Page 40: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

erating large-format pan frame images. The

camera’s pan imager is supplemented by four

medium-format (42 Megapixel) CCD arrays that

produce separate multi-spectral frame images

in the red, green, blue (RGB) and NIR parts of

the spectrum. These images can be used to

colourize the large-format pan frame images to

produce colour and false-colour images – if this

is required. As described in my recent article on

the DMC II camera that was published in the

July/August 2010 issue of GEOInformatics, the

current DMC II140 model generates a 140

Megapixel pan frame image. Already ten of

these cameras have been delivered, supple-

menting the 100+ examples of the previous

DMC model that had already been supplied to

users. Apparently the first deliveries of the

newest and still larger-format DMC II230 and

DMC II250 models with their 230 and 250

Megapixel frame images will start soon. For

most visitors, Intergeo 2010 was the first oppor-

tunity to see the new DMC II camera at first

hand. It should be noted that, if the camera is

supplied without the large-format pan imager,

it then becomes the product, which is

purely a medium-format four-channel multi-

spectral frame camera.

The alternative product to the DMC II is the

large-format frame camera.

This utilizes an array of small- and medium-for-

mat CCDs to expose their images in a very rapid

time series from a single position in the air to

produce (after processing and merging) its final

pan frame image which is 17.3k x 11.3k pixels

= 196 Megapixels in size. Again this large-for-

mat pan imaging capability is supplemented by

four small-format multi-spectral (RGB + NIR)

cameras, each of which generates frame images

that are 5.7k x 3.8k pixels = 22 Megapixels in

size and can be used to colourize the large-for-

mat pan image. The UltraCam Xp is available

in two flavours – (i) the standard model, which

is equipped with lenses having focal lengths of

100 mm (for its pan imager) and 33 mm (for

each of the multi-spectral channels) respective-

ly; and (ii) the wide-angle model with lenses

having focal length values of 70 mm (pan) and

23 mm (multi-spectral) respectively. Various

models (UC-D, UC-X & UC-Xp) in the UltraCam

large-format frame camera series have been

released successively since 2003. Reportedly a

total of over 150 units have been sold to date.

Thus it has proven to be very popular with aeri-

al photographic companies and with commer-

cial and national mapping agencies.

Other than the DMC II and the UltraCam Xp

cameras, then, as discussed above, the alter-

native route to the acquisition of large-format

frame images is to utilize the integrated four-

coupled medium-format camera systems such

as the IGI Quattro-DigiCAM; the Trimble Aerial

Camera x4; and the Chinese SWDC camera and

then rectify, stitch together and merge the

resulting images.

ConclusionThe Intergeo 2010 exhibition showcased the rich

variety of airborne digital frame cameras that

are currently available on the market – with a

huge range of format sizes, focal lengths, cam-

era configurations and supporting systems.

Even the most discerning and demanding cus-

tomer might (or should) be satisfied with the

choice that is currently being offered.

Gordon Petrie is Emeritus Professor of Topographic

Science in the School of Geographical & Earth

Sciences of the University of Glasgow, Scotland,

U.K. E-mail - [email protected]; Web Site -

http://web2.ges.gla.ac.uk/~gpetrie

40

Art ic le

December 2010

Fig. 13 –The IGI Quattro-DigiCAM as displayed at

Intergeo 2010, with (a) the view of the newly

designed case containing the four cameras and the

accompanying AEROcontrol GPS/IMU system, as

seen from above, and (b) the view from beneath the

multiple camera system, showing the four oblique

pointing camera lenses in their block configura-

tion. (Source:IGI)

Fig. 14 – (a) At the left side of this photo is the TFT

touch-screen display; in the middle is the

DigiControl control unit; while at right is the

DigiTHERM thermal-IR frame camera. (b) This

Dual-DigiTHERM system, with its twin cameras

pointing obliquely on either side of the flight line,

has been placed in a cylindrical adapter box that

fits into a Somag GSM 3000 gyro-stabilized mount.

The IMU from an AEROcontrol system (which is

contained in the red box) has been placed on a

shelf directly above the two DigiTHERM cameras.

(Source: IGI)

Fig. 15 – (a) A Geocopter UAV. (b) The view from

beneath the UAV showing an IGI DigiCAM camera

and the storage box for the controller and data

storage units. (c) The view of the camera compart-

ment from above, showing the DigiCAM camera

(lower) and the IMU of the AEROcontrol system

(upper) on their shared mount. (Source: IGI)

Fig. 16 – (a) An overall view of an Icaros Digital

Mapper (IDM) system showing the controller unit

mounted inside the aircraft, while the unit con-

taining the camera and its mount has been moved

out into the shooting or exposing position which

is located external to the aircraft. (b) This illustra-

tion shows the three major components of an

Icaros IDM 600 system. At left is the laptop com-

puter; in the middle is the electonics control unit;

while at right is the camera unit containing the

three cameras – two of them are Phase One medi-

um-format digital SLR cameras, while the third is a

thermal-IR frame camera. (Souce: Icaros

Geosystems)

Fig. 17 – (a) The Vexcel

UltraCam L camera show-

ing the arrangement of

its four lenses capturing twin pan and single RGB

and NIR images respectively. (b) Showing the drawer

of electronics cards in the upper part of the camera

that control the camera’s operations. (Source: Vexcel

Imaging)

[a] [b] [a]

[b] [c]

[a] [b]

[a]

[b]

[b]

[a]

Page 41: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

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now enhanced with exceptional imaging platforms

from DiMAC. Tightly integrated and fully supported

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the industry has to offer. The choice is clear.

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Page 42: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Esri EMEA User Conference 2010

Italy, INSPIRE and ImageryWith 1500 visitors, the Esri EMEA User Conference is becoming larger and larger. This year's event was held in Rome, Italy.

During 26-28th of October, the Ergife Palace Hotel was the stage for three days of keynotes and presentations by Esri

users and partners.

by Eric van Rees

No less than 1500 visitors were welcomed

at the Esri EMEA User Conference 2010. The

main topics were the major new release of

ArcGIS 10, the INSPIRE directive and the fusion

between imagery and GIS, all of which were

discussed several times during the event.

Although these topics were expected to be

high on the agenda, others such as mobile

GIS were slowly emerging. For instance, loca-

tion-aware devices promise to be very inter-

esting for the GIS market in the coming years,

not only in terms of using citizens as data col-

lectors and sharers through different types of

social media, but also for business GIS (loca-

tion based advertising for example).

The first conference day featured a keynote

speech by Jack Dangermond, as well as sev-

eral European keynotes and a number of tech-

nical presentations and demonstrations of

ArcGIS 10. The following two days highlight-

ed a series of user presentations (or paper

sessions), in no less than ten different tracks.

ArcGIS 10Before his keynote speech, Dangermond was

presented with a lifetime achievement award

by Esri Italia, which celebrated its 20th

anniversary this year. The following keynote,

named 'GIS for Everyone', stressed that ArcGIS

10 was a major release, because it includes

not only desktop, but also mobile and server

platforms, which together form one integrat-

ed GIS platform. Apart from the desktop, serv-

er and federated approach, a pervasive

approach through cloud/web GIS and the

mobile device can be seen. A great deal of

the keynote was about ArcGIS Online and the

basemap initiative, where authoritative carto-

graphic data is provided by cartographic orga-

nizations worldwide to produce a basemap of

the whole world. It was interesting to see that

an Open Street Map template is used for hard

to reach locations, such as the city of Algiers.

The following three keynotes showed a

glimpse of what to expect for the coming two

days: topics discussed were GIS and humani-

tarian aid, environmental information in

Europe and intergovernmental geo-intelli-

gence. Apart from user presentations such as

these, various technical presentations and

demonstrations could be followed, given by

Esri staff worldwide.

TrimbleMichelle Frey and Lee Braybrooke from

Trimble presented different GPS and GIS appli-

cations used for rail infrastructure manage-

ment in Canada and the U.S. One of the tasks

was to create a database that describes the

network and wayside assets (tracks, mile-

42

Event

December 2010

Before his keynote speech, Esri President Jack Dangermond was presented with a lifetime achievement award by Esri Italia.

Page 43: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

posts, switches etc.) of the railway company

and to keep the track database updated as

changes occur in the field. To facilitate field

and office use, a combination of four compo-

nents was created: Esri ArcGIS mobile, Esri

ArcGIS Server, Trimble post processing and

Trimble devices for use in the field. The field

users include mobile staff as well as inspec-

tors, maintenance crews and construction

workers. The office users are GIS analysts.

Since there are a lot of assets to be main-

tained and mapped, the system requires rapid

data collection, via simple data entry forms.

Although not as accurate as employing sur-

veying instruments, the end solution guaran-

tees highly accurate data capture of assets

and precise positional information for each. It

also enables a seamless transfer of data direct

from the field, travel time savings, and an

almost real-time review of project progress.

ITTITT Visual Information Solutions was in atten-

dance with a presentation called 'Image

Analysis Techniques for Disaster Management

and Monitoring'. Cherie Darnel presented a

number of case studies in which image anal-

ysis techniques were used for disaster man-

agement.

First, she showed how remote sensing was

used for damage analysis after Hurricane

Katrina. She then went on to explain how

change detection, as well as assessments,

was done on a regional, neighborhood and

per-building level. Qualitative analysis was

done with ArcGIS for the assessment of flood-

ed areas. For this, available Quickbird and

LiDAR data were used.

Quantitative and qualitative analyses were

combined for a case study of the Indian

Ocean tsunami. Here, extracted building out-

lines and locations were viewed, evacuation

routes were planned and the most distressed

or flooded areas requiring immediate assis-

tance were identified.

In Western North America, mountain pine bee-

tle outbreaks can result in the loss of millions

of pine trees. Through forestry analysis, the

damage to the forest can be analyzed. The

steps required are as follows: calculate the

NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation

Index), calculate the vegetation difference

and, the last step, perform post classification

clean up.

In her conclusion, Darnel made clear that

image analysis and GIS, when used together,

can have powerful results, such as the ability

to perform advanced analytics using imagery-

derived data, and geodatabases that are eas-

ily updated with the availability of current

imagery.

presentation on the Eagle product was given

by Frits van der Schaaf (Esri The Netherlands).

He focused on how a netcentric and mapcen-

tric approach for crisis management and

emergency response could serve as a 'com-

mon operational picture' where different par-

ties share the same information rather than

just a piece of the puzzle. The system com-

bines GIS, the web and general IT to share

and update information when managing dis-

asters. Making this 'common operational pic-

ture' happen requires a steady technological

infrastructure (internet connection, a lot of

bandwidth, etc.) and audience members

asked if this was actually the case in disaster

areas such as Pakistan, where Eagle was

applied successfully.

GIS and Humanitarian ResponseThe Humanitarian Response track concluded

with three strong presentations. Inna Cruz

from the Geneva International Centre for

Humanitarian Demining presented a project

called SERWIS, a server for the global con-

tamination from the explosive remnants of

war (SERWIS is short for Server for Explosive

Remnants of War Information Systems). With

the project, overview maps are created of

areas where mines are located but have not

yet been disarmed. Not only is the location

mapped, but also the population density in

the contaminated areas, which enable the

potential dangers to be estimated. The aim

of the project is to display data on a global

scale, which is badly needed, because collect-

ed vector data is unable to show the real con-

tamination problem on such a scale. Output

maps have four different layers: the first layer

shows the ERW (explosive remnants of war)

contamination, the second layer illustrates the

field activity, layer three shows the impact and

layer four the operational difficulties for dem-

ining. Critical points for this project are data

accuracy and sensitivity of the data (if the

data is available at all).

Next year, the Esri EMEA User Conference will

be hosted in Madrid, Spain (26-28 October

2011), followed by the Esri Middle East and

Africa Conference in Lebanon (1-3 November

2011).

Internet:

www.esri.com/events/EMEA

www.ittvis.com

www.sdi-suite.com

www.esri.com/INSPIRE

www.isma.org

ITT announced ENVI 4.8 and ENVI for ArcGIS

Server. ENVI 4.8 now includes full integration

with ArcGIS, making image analysis tools

accessible directly from within the ArcGIS

interface (accessible through the ArcGIS tool-

box). The release also includes functionality

for viewing LiDAR data in a display as well as

a new automated process for viewshed anal-

ysis, giving users situational awareness from

fixed vantage points.

GIS and INSPIRE

INSPIRE was a central theme for this conference,

not just because of the location of the event

(Europe) but because the INSPIRE deadline is

getting closer and closer. This is causing soft-

ware companies and government agencies to

get their acts together and work hard to offer

software solutions, and get the data right.

Announced during Intergeo, but discussed in

detail during this event, the ArcGIS for INSPIRE

product was showcased during a presentation

from con terra GmbH, which developed the

product.

ArcGIS for INSPIRE includes a commercial exten-

sion to ArcGIS Server as well as Esri's open

source solutions for geoportals. With this, it

is possible to manage and publish metadata,

manage and publish geospatial data and con-

sume INSPIRE data and services. On top of this,

there are also a number of add-ons from the

sdi.suite from con terra. These enable extend-

ed data sharing and monitoring, and report-

ing of quality control, usage accounting and

the like. To make things a little more clear,

Christian Elfers from con terra outlined a sce-

nario for applying ArcGIS for INSPIRE for a pub-

lic agency that owns and manages a dataset

of the administrative boundaries of Europe.

Elfers identified three tasks for the product:

first, the use of data models for spatial data

sets that are compliant with INSPIRE data spec-

ifications. Second, the integration of business

processes and the transformation of data, into

INSPIRE. Third, access via INSPIRE network from

UML models to enterprise geodatabase

schema (in other words, publish an INSPIRE

Network Service, a web services extension to

ArcGIS Server). For performing the second

task, an add-on from FME is available, called

the FME INSPIRE Solution Pack, which can be

used to simplify the complex INSPIRE schema

mapping.

GIS and Disaster ManagementThere were also a number of Dutch presenta-

tions: the Railways Management track fea-

tured a presentation on the integration of

three databases of the Dutch Railway Network

(GIS, SAP, Infra Atlas Triangle), by Juliette van

Driel from ProRail. During the 'Techniques and

Methods for Disaster Management' track, a

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Event

43December 2010

Page 44: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

44

Event

December 2010

Top users of Bentley software get invited to participate in the Be INSPIRED Awards 2010. Interesting, innovative

and sometimes mindboggling projects fight for their moment of fame.

By Remco Takken

Be Inspired 2010

3D to Mobile to Integrated Data Model

Page 45: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Approximately four hundred invitees from all

over the world gathered around the fifty five

finalists for the Be INSPIRED Awards 2010, held

in Amsterdam. It soon became apparent that

this was not some cooked-up awards meeting.

According to Bentley, the quality of the live pre-

sentations of top Bentley users was to be

judged by a panel of former winners, journal-

ists and skilled users. However, at least one of

the winners, Odense Kommune, had not been

presenting.

While the track ‘Innovation in Government’, host-

ed by Bentley’s Richard Zambuni, focused main-

ly on geospatial issues during the two-day event,

many aspects of spatial information were seen

in other categories.

An interesting observation was that all nominees

in the ‘Government category’ were Danish. This

might be due to the firm legislation and forward-

looking attitude of the geospatial community in

that country.

Odense KommuneThe winner was the on-the-Fly 3D City and

Urban Modeling of Odense Kommune. This

Danish municipality devised a method for

dynamically updating their 3D models so they

can be used in future workflows. The process

retrieves existing GIS data and generates

objects on the fly. These objects automatically

update when changes are made in the data

register or base map.

Using the GenerativeComponents element sen-

sor, any object with a geographical represen-

tation can be generated, such as buildings,

roads and street furniture like benches and

lamp posts. The 3D objects inherit the attribute

links or semantic data, so they can be used

for GIS enquiries and analysis. This produces

a simplified 3D city model which can be gen-

erated quickly for large areas.

GIS4MobileOf the finalists, the GIS4Mobile project was

deceptively simple, and thereby the one with

the broadest appeal. The solution, presented

by GeoSite, connected an online mobile GPS-

enabled device to MicroStation allowing users

to send and receive data wirelessly. This can

be any smartphone, tablet PC or handheld (like

the Trimble Juno they showed in their exam-

ple).

The system can be dissected in three parts:

Mobile (cellphone, handheld GPS), webserver

(Geobox using GML) and GIS, synchronizing the

service and application.

Using a spatial Web service developed for this

project, municipal work crews can use mobile

phones to capture and submit photos and

attributes from the field. The background

default when working online is Google aerial

photo material. However, the live demo fell flat

because only Danish data had been uploaded,

which was invisible during the conference.

A nice feature was the manual map adjustment

tool. When registering dangerous regions

where surveyors typically don’t want to go, reg-

istration is still possible by shuffling the map

around. Managers can transmit design file data

from MicroStation to mobile phones to indi-

cate locations for inspection.

The MicroStation application GeoSync, imports

and exports data from the GIS4Mobile spatial

server, such as position, attributes and images.

It synchronizes deleted items and adds time

stamps, while maintaining a local link (shad-

ow file). Modified elements are detected auto-

matically using checksum.

TvilumThe third Danish nominee, geodetic company

Tvilum Landinspektørfirma, showed its solu-

tion for mapping using Web Feature Services

(WFS). This Danish surveyor routinely checks

cadastral and construction drawings to ensure

they conform to restrictions. The challenge is

to retrieve these restrictions from multiple

servers, which requires manual retrieval and

tracking when the data is updated.

Tvilum uses national vector base maps with

attributes from different map providers: cadas-

tral, topographic, nature and environmental,

municipality and local area plans, and admin-

istrative boundaries.

The goal of this $100,000 project was to devel-

op a workflow that saves time and ensures that

official and up-to-date data is used. Typical

problems that arose in the existing workflow

were based around outdated maps. End users

typically worked from locally stored copies, and

no one knew whether the map was up to date

or not. Now all map providers in Denmark are

able to deliver maps through WFS and a map

area can be requested by bounding box. The

preferred Microstation application of use here

is WFS Booster. Multiple maps from different

providers can now be downloaded simultane-

ously in just a few seconds, and with a single

click.

XFM Moves Maps to Integrated GISTelefónica O2, a major operator of voice and

data services in the Czech Republic, talked

about its implementation of Oracle Spatial and

MicroStation V8i plus XFM. The operator con-

sistently maintains accurate and complex

documentation for its network. The goal of the

project was to provide more efficient do cu -

mentation. Therefore, the geodetic style of data

capture was abandoned in favour of a data

model based on the description of real objects.

Also, there was a very strong wish to be able

to handle mass data updates and to allow

offline data updates done by external suppli-

ers.

Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Event

45December 2010

CEO Greg Bentley and Resilience,

the recurring theme from his

assessment of everything Bentley.

Bentley’s Bhupinder Singh during his overview of

current Bentley products like Asset Wise and

Project Wise.

Page 46: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Cable tracks, schematics and information from

other OSS systems were to be integrated. As

for the storage of the data, duplication was

to be avoided, so an open standard had to

be applied for all users to access the data.

The open data model was built around

Bentley’s own XFM schema, itself based on

XML. The new data model was dramatically

simplified from 3000 to 189 features. The data

is now stored in SDO DB instead of DGN files,

complete with XFM feature (SDO_Geometry

plus XML Fragment) and history tracking.

Data migration was pulled off automatically

from DGN V7 to SDO_XFM. In this way, more

than 140,000 DGN files were scattered into

250,000,000 features.

Whole EventThe grand total of more than 50 finalists, rep-

resenting 21 countries, is one of the more over-

whelming facts surrounding the Be INSPIRED

Awards 2010 event. Over the course of 2011,

many best practices, case studies and exam-

ples from those finalists will appear in the

media.

Because not all participants seemed to welcome

huge press coverage, and because none of the

presentations is available online, the Award

event itself will maintain its position as a unique

gathering of exceptional minds, all Bentley

users. In the near future, Bentley will publish

its 2010 edition of the book ‘The Year in

Infrastructure’. This will no doubt be a valuable

handbook for those who were unfortunate

enough not to be there. With so many presen-

tations going on in two days, one easily miss-

es a vast amount of them. That is exactly what

happens if you choose to showcase only four

examples for an article like this. So stay tuned

for more detailed, in-depth reports on some of

the other exceptional finalists of Be INSPIRED

2010.

Internet:

www.bentley.com/enUS/Community/

BE+Awards/2010

46

Event

December 2010

On-the-Fly 3D City and Urban Modeling of Odense Kommune, Danmark, BE INSPIRED winner in the category Innovation In Government. Bentley’s

GenerativeComponents product offers a parametric modeling capability that leverages GIS data to swiftly create 3D City models. Image courtesy of Bentley.

Page 47: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

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Page 48: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Advanced Spatial Analysis

Intergraph GeoMedia 3DGeoMedia 3D is the latest addition to the Intergraph GeoMedia product suite, a set of integrated applications that offers a

wide range of geospatial processing capabilities across multiple industries, including defense, intelligence, government,

transportation, utilities, communications, public safety, and security applications.

By Wayne Smith

GeoMedia 3D fully integrates the

advanced spatial analysis and data

capture of GeoMedia with the 3D “vir-

tual earth” style of presentation pop-

ular in today’s mainstream consumer

mapping applications. This combina-

tion delivers more precise visualiza-

tion of surface and environmental

characteristics for increased insight,

data accuracy, and user productivity.

Intergraph included 3D visualization

with GeoMedia products in recent

years. However, the 3D visualization

was a separate application outside of

GeoMedia. Users could export a surface to view in 3D, but had to leave

the application and return to GeoMedia to make any adjustments to the

geospatial data.

Vertical ApplicationsThe new functionality will enhance infrastructure management, land infor-

mation management, geospatial intelligence exploitation and production,

cartographic production, and public safety and security solutions, and pro-

vide more realistic reporting and analysis across all solutions where

GeoMedia is deployed.

Examples of specific vertical applications include, among many others:

strengthening security and military assessment through realistic 3D simu-

lations; evaluating sub-terrain interference for utility lines; Creating hotspot

maps for crimes and representing other statistical data in 3D; providing

visuals of a destination to assist dispatchers in communication with first

responders; capturing elevation data in realistic 3D views; Assessing the

community and environmental impact of government and transportation

development projects; providing the public with project visualization.

Users can also dynamically integrate surfaces, imagery, feature data, and

vector data to create a 3D view of all data sources in a GeoMedia 3D map

window, enabling rapid assessment of fast-changing conditions. GeoMedia

3D also allows users to import pre-built city models and other readily avail-

able 3D files from organizations such as Google into their projects, as well

as perform fly-throughs of areas of interest and save them as video files

for viewing and distribution.

Project VisualizationOne of the benefits that GeoMedia 3D offers is project visualization. For

example, a government organization planning a downtown development

can fly through an area in 3D during a public hearing and show citizens

exactly what the completed project will look like. Instead of relying on maps

and artist renderings, the 3D view helps eliminate confusion and provides

a clearer understanding of the impact of the development project.

One GeoMedia customer – the City-Parish Planning Commission in Baton

Rouge, La., -- expects to realize imme-

diate benefits from GeoMedia 3D.

“We’ve been using GeoMedia Grid and

we can bring GeoMedia 3D into that

realm where we’re looking at the land

form and bringing in data in three

dimensions rather than always just

looking at something in plan view,”

said Warren Kron Jr., the coordinator

of the planning commission’s GIS divi-

sion. “If it’s at a public hearing or a

meeting outside the office, we can

show what a development will look

like within the context of the city.”

The ability to locate targets with subterranean views of underground infras-

tructure can prove valuable for utilities. For instance, if a utility needs to

replace an underground line in a historic district and wants to minimize

the impact of drilling, 3D views could help pinpoint infrastructure loca-

tions and minimize disruption.

For public safety dispatchers, a 3D view enables them to tell emergency

first responders what to expect when they arrive.

The integrated technology helps users better understand the environment

in which they are working. Whether it’s crime statistics or the number of

accidents along a highway, GeoMedia 3D users can easily distinguish the

location of peak areas. For example, utilities wanting to gauge pressure

readings of fire hydrants can extrude the hydrants and rapidly identify

those with low pressure.

Another benefit of GeoMedia 3D is it leverages the attribute-based sym-

bology (ABS) of GeoMedia to control 3D symbolization. You can use differ-

ent 3D symbols as a means to communicate more effectively. Instead of

just using push pins to highlight high-crime areas, for example, a gun sym-

bol could indicate that an area needs a more serious response.

Supporting Different WorkflowsWhen Intergraph researched how users would want to use GeoMedia 3D,

two workflows emerged. One workflow is characterized by performing all

tasks in the 3D map window (convert to 3D and go) and the other by

using the 3D map window as a supplement to a 2D map window. GeoMedia

3D can support both workflows. It coordinates between the 2D and 3D

map windows for selection and location to keep the two map windows in

synchronization. You can also use just one map window for all of the work.

You can choose to work one way and then change at any point through

the use of a 2D/3D map window conversion. This allows you to select the

most appropriate workflow for the task at hand, while providing optimal

productivity.

Internet: www.intergraph.com/geomedia3d.

48

Art ic le

December 2010

Page 49: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

2011

The european 3D simulation and visualization event

www.imagina.mc

Urbanism and Landscape conference track:

How can 3D improve the prospects of an urban area, town or city?

How is georeferenced 3D adopted by engineering firms?

Natural environments – can 3D help us to preserve them more effectively?

Architecture conference track:

Digital modeling – in all its forms

What BIM could and should be – and what it will be in the future

+

+

Page 50: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

Calendar 2011

Advertiser Page

CycloMedia www.cyclomedia.com 9

DGI www.defencegeospatial.com 27

DigitalGlobe www.digitalglobe.com 52

Esri www.esri.com 13

FIG www.fig.net/fig2011 39

Geodis www.geodis.cz 11

Imagina www.imagina.mc 49

ITC www.itc.nl 26

Leica Geosystems www.leica-geosystems.com 31

NovAtel www.secretofsix.com 19

Optech www.optech.ca 41

Pacific Crest www.pacificcrest.com 46

Sokkia www.sokkia.eu 23

Stonex www.stonexeurope.com 2

SuperMap www.supermap.com 51

Topcon www.topcon.eu 47

Vexcel www.vexcel.com 21

Advertisers Index

January

05-07 January GeoDesign SummitRedlands, CA, U.S.A.

Internet: www.geodesignsummit.com

18-21 January Geospatial World Forum 2011Hyderabad, India

Tel: +91 9313292284

Fax: +91 120 4612555/666

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.geospatialworldforum.org

19-21 January Esri Federal User ConferenceWashington, DC, U.S.A.

Internet: www.esri.com/events/feduc/index.html

24-27 January DGI Europe 2011QE II Centre London, London, U.K.

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.wbresearch.com/dgieurope/home.aspx

February

01-03 February ImaginaMonaco

Internet: www.imagina.mc/2011/content/Home/homeUK.php

07-09 February 11th International LiDAR Mapping ForumAstor Crowne Plaza, New Orleans, LA, U.S.A.

Internet: www.lidarmap.org

07-09 February 6th EARSeL Workshop Remote Sensing ofSnow and Glaciers: Cryosphere, Hydrology and ClimateInteractionsUniversity of Bern, Switzerland

Internet: www.earsel.org/SIG/Snow-Ice/workshops.php

07-18 February Water Scarcity Winter School "Analysing,mapping and evaluating spatio-temporal water scarcityproblems"Salzburg, Austria

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.edu-zgis.net/ss/waterscarcity2011

13-19 February 16. Internationale Geodätische WocheObergurgl, Tirol, Austria

Info: Dr. Thomas Weinold

Tel.: +43 (0)512 507 6755 or 6757

Fax: +43 (0)512 507 2910

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: http://geodaesie.uibk.ac.at/obergurg.html

March

03-04 March W2GIS 2011 Web & Wireless GeographicalInformation SystemsKyoto, Japan

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.w2gis.org

07-10 March Esri Developer SummitPalm Springs, CA, U.S.A.

Internet: www.esri.com/events/devsummit/index.html

10-11 March GeoViz Hamburg 2011: Linking Geovisualizationwith Spatial Analysis and ModelingHafenCity University Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.geomatik-hamburg.de/geoviz

15-18 March GEOFORM+ 2011 - Geodesy, Cartography,NavigationEcoCenter Sokolniki, Moscow, Russia

Tel: +7 (495) 925-34-97

Fax: +7 (495) 925-34-97

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.geoexpo.ru

21-24 March SPAR US 2011 ConferenceHouston, TX, U.S.A

Tel: +1 (207) 842 5671

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.sparllc.com

23-25 March 1st Conference on Spatial Statistics 2011Mapping Global ChangeUniversity of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

Internet: www.spatialstatisticsconference.com

28-31 March CalGIS 2011 - 17th Annual California GISConferenceFresno, CA, U.S.A.

Internet: www.calgis.org

April

05-07 April Ocean Business 2011 - The ocean technologytraining and procurement forumSouthampton, U.K.

Internet: www.oceanbusiness.com or www.lidarmap.or

06-07 April Offshore Survey 2011 - Technical ConferenceSouthampton, U.K.

Internet: www.offshoresurvey.co.uk

06-07 April GEO-11 A World of Geomatics With GISInnovationsHoliday Inn, London Elstree, U.K.

E-mail: [email protected]

11-13 April JURSE 2011 - Joint Urban Remote Sensing EventMunich, Germany

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.jurse2011.tum.de

11-13 April EARSeL 7th Workshop of EARSeL Special InterestGroup “Imaging Spectroscopy”University of Edinburgh, U.K.

Internet: www.earsel2011.com/Welcome

10-15 April 34th International Symposium on RemoteSensing of EnvironmentSydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney, Australia

Internet: www.isrse34.org

18-21 April 14th AGILE International Conference onGeographic Information ScienceUtrecht, The Netherlands

Internet:

www.uu.nl/faculty/geosciences/EN/agile2011/agile2011welcome

/Pages/default.aspx

25-29 April SPIE Defense, Security, and SensingOrlando, FL, U.S.A.

E-mail: [email protected] or

[email protected]

Internet: www.spie.org

May

01-05 May ASPRS 2011 Annual ConferenceMidwest Airlines Center/Hyatt Hotel, Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A.

Internet: www.asprs.org

10-11 May IF&GIS 2011 5th International Workshop onInformation Fusion and Geographical Information Systems:Towards the Digital OceanBrest, France

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: http://if-gis.com

18-22 May FIG Working Week 'Bridging the Gap betweenCultures'Marrakech, Morocco

Internet: www.fig.net/fig2011

31 May-01 June 3rd EARSeL Workshop on Remote Sensing inEducation and TrainingCzech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic

Internet: www.earsel.org/SIG/ET/3rd-workshop/index.php

30 May-02 June 31st EARSeL Symposium “Remote Sensingand Geoinformation not only for Scientific Cooperation”Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic

Internet: www.earsel.org/symposia/2011-symposium-Prague

31 May-02 June AfricaGEO 2011Capetown International Convention Center, Capetown, South

Africa

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: http://africageo.org

June

01-03 June 4th EARSeL Workshop on Remote Sensing forLand Use & Land CoverCzech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic

Internet: www.earsel.org/SIG/LULC/index.php

01-03 June 5th EARSeL Workshop on Remote Sensing of theCoastal ZoneCzech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic

Internet: www.earsel.org/SIG/CZ/5th-workshop/index.php

02-03 June 1st EARSeL SIG Forestry workshop: Operationalremote sensing in forest managementCzech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic

Internet: www.earsel.org/SIG/Forestry/call.php

19-25 June 11th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geo-Conference and Expo - SGEM 2011Albena sea-side and SPA resort, Bulgaria

Internet: www.sgem.org

July

03-08 July ICC 2011 - 25th International CartographicConferencePalais des Congrès, Paris, France

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.icc2011.fr

09-12 July Survey SummitInternet: www.esri.com

11-15 July Esri UCSan Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.

Internet: www.esri.com/events/user-conference/index.html

Please feel free to e-mail your calendar notices to:[email protected]

50December 2010

Page 51: geoinformatics 2010 vol08
Page 52: geoinformatics 2010 vol08

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