Tiltan's Automated Geo-Mapping System Handheld Group Metadata for INSPIRE Autodesk

Magazine for Survey ing, Mapping & GIS Profess iona lsMarch 2 0 1 1

Volume 14

2

Imagery and theEngineering WorldAt the time of writing, my mailbox is overowing with announcements of upcominggeospatial events. I think this is a good sign that the new year in geospatial hasreally started. In line with this thought, readers of this magazine can see the rstnew releases for this year from the major software vendors, and more will follow inthe coming months. When looking at some of the latest features of the new soft-ware, I was struck by the announcement of handling point cloud data, and 'data inthe cloud' as well. I wonder just how long it will take before this becomes 'businessas usual', and is broadly accepted. Apparently, there is a market demand for it butI have yet to see any major customers. We'll just have to wait and see how all thiswill evolve.

What I have noticed though is that my previous editorial caused some stir amongreaders, notably the part about Autodesk. The Autodesk article presented in thisissue will hopefully clear things up a bit. It's interesting to read Geoff Zeiss' state-ment on imagery, that imagery solves a problem not only for the GIS analysts, butalso the engineering world. I think this is a topic worth investigating in further issuesof this magazine.

What is also worth mentioning is a series of interviews in the surveying business:Joc Triglav performed three interviews that complement each other quite well. Firstof all, there's an interview about the Intergeo event that is well worth reading. Tostay ahead of market developments, the event needs to evolve and keep in goodcontact with what's happening in the market. Olaf Freier, Managing Director ofHINTE GmbH and Intergeo organizer, explains how successfully the new formatsare being carried out and how cooperation between different parties helps to diver-sify the scope of the event as a whole. The other two interviews with respectively,Precise Positioning Management (PPM) and The Handheld Group, offer usefulinsights into what's happening in the surveying market these days and whats to beexpected in the near future.

Enjoy your reading,

Eric van Reesevanrees@geoinformatics.com

GeoInformatics is the leading publication for GeospatialProfessionals worldwide. Published in both hardcopy anddigital, GeoInformatics provides coverage, analysis andcommentary with respect to the international surveying, mapping and GIS industry.GeoInformatics is published 8 times a year.

Editor-in-chiefEric van Rees evanrees@geoinformatics.com

Copy EditorFrank Arts fartes@geoinformatics.com

EditorsFlorian Fischerfscher@geoinformatics.comHuibert-Jan Lekkerkerkhlekkerkerk@geoinformatics.comRemco Takkenrtakken@geoinformatics.comJoc Triglavjtriglav@geoinformatics.com

Contributing Writers:Remco Takken, Peter McIntosch, Gertrud Riegler, Joc Triglav, Gordon Petrie, Amber Chambers, Jlic Belpoliti, Fulvia Gambalonga, Wolfgang Moser, Ivo Planoetscher, Susanne Rizzolli, Martin Zambaldi,Alberto Perli, Flavio Pompermaier, Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk

Financial DirectorYvonne Groenhofnance@cmedia.nl

AdvertisingRuud Groothuisrgroothuis@geoinformatics.com

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3Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com March 2011

At the cover:TerraSAR-X & TanDEM-X satellite twins in formation flight (source: EADS Astrium GmbH).See article at page 14.

C o n t e n t

A r t i c l e sLimitless Potential of Geospatial Imagery 10

Its all about Elevation 14

Tiltans Automated Geo-Mapping (AGM) System 22

ERDAS 2011 Software 32

WG-Edit: a new gvSIG Extension 40

Standards in Practice 46

FME 2011 48

I n t e r v i ew sWill there still be GIS in AutoCAD? 6

The Handheld Group 18

Organizing the Intergeo Event 28

Precise Positioning Management (PPM) 36

C a l e n d a r / A d v e r t i s e r s I n d e x 50

We received the following statement from Autodesk as a result of the editorial of the previousmagazine. We hope that the article on page 6 claries statements made in the press: The comment that Autodesk has disbanded its geospatial and infrastructure solutions (GIS) division must not be taken out of context. In fact, the company has integrated its GIS capabilitieswithin its architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) division and remains fully committedto delivering high-quality geospatial solutions that address the needs of its customers across theGIS sector.

22

6Geospatial experts have always pointed out the importance of maintenanceand design within a spatial

environment.

18

In cooperation with DiamondAirborne Sensing, the Tiltancompany has developed ahighly integrated airborne

image data acquisition andphotogrammetric processing

system.

The Handheld Group is aworldwide supplier of ruggedPDAs and mobile computers.Jerker Hellstrm, CEO andfounder of Handheld Groupexplains how the company

serves its clients in the best way possible, by offering products

for tough working environments.

36Precise PositioningManagement (PPM) is aGerman companythat started out as atrading partner ofAshtech.Nowadays PPMserves a wide rangeof clients who use GPS.

10Today, geospatial imagery is a va-luable source of information about

the world around us. Its widespreadavailability provides us with timelyand accurate data about virtuallyanything occurring on the Earthssurface, from natural phenomenaand disasters to events caused byhuman activity, such as military

operations.

32In this modern age of con-venience and instant gratifi-cation, its not enough tojust provide information; itmust be easily accessible

and available almost instan-taneously.

46

The 3rd of December 2010was the deadline for memberstates of the EU to publish theirAnnex I & II metadata to theirnational geoportal. With thisdeadline behind us, now is agood time to investigate whatis available and how we can

use it.

28For many people, intergeo isthe major geospatial event ofthe year in Western Europe,and one that is not to be mis-sed. The event, which takesplace in a different city in

Germany every year in au-tumn, captures every aspect ofthe value creation chain and

the geospatial industry.

Autodesks GIS pros are now part of theAEC Solutions division. They will nowcommunicate directly with architectswho will have to learn to design in close con-nection with the outside world, rather thanthe frontiers of a CAD drawing. GIS and loca-tion information will not vanish fromAutodesks roster. While Autodesk seems tohave reassessed its leading position in designand visualisation, geospatial merely losesits own little island. Geoff Zeiss geospatialexpert at Autodesk says about the shift: DaveSonnen, who prepares IDC's annual spatialinformation management report, has foryears predicted that location aware IT (infor-mation technology) was going to become amuch larger market than traditional GIS. Hetargeted 2005/2006 as the point when loca-

tion aware IT would overtake traditionalGIS.

Autodesk began integrating geospatial anddesign in 1996, when AutoCAD Map wasreleased. Coincidentally 1996 was the yearthat Oracle released the Spatial Data Option(SDO) with Oracle 7.3. Together these repre-sented major steps toward enabling locationawareness in IT as opposed to the morerestricted focus of traditional GIS.

In 2005 Google Earth was released and thisrepresented a major inection point, whengeospatial-enabling overtook traditional GISand became a major part of mainstream IT.Also in 2005 Autodesk launched AutoCADCivil3D, the next step in the evolution of inte-

grated geospatial and design engineering. The integration of Autodesks geospatial busi-ness unit into the AEC division reects what ishappening to make the IT business as a wholemore location aware, states Zeiss. It will alsoaccelerate breaking down the silos of GIS,engineering design, and advanced 3D visual-ization technologies to enable a more holisticway of modeling a more complex world.Zeiss: At Autodesk what excites me is that itwill mean more geospatial development, notless. You will see more vertically-focused prod-ucts that integrate geospatial with other tech-nologies to address specic business needs.In utilities for instance, this will mean productsfocused on planning, design, build, and oper-ations and maintenance including recordsmanagement.

AutoCAD Civil 3D and GISThe AutoCAD Map software is currentlywoven into AutoCAD Civil 3D as a freeaddition. This means that GIS functionality isstill present within the Autodesk platform.Zeiss explains how this added value ofAutoCAD Civil 3D will be marketed in thefuture: AutoCAD Civil3D adds verticalmodel-based design and 3D visualizationtools, generally referred to as BIM, for design-ing highways, roads and other civil structures,to AutoCAD Map 3D, which is geospatially-enabled AutoCAD. As we break down thesilos around traditional mono-technologytools, we are increasingly focusing on deliv-ering applications that integrate technologiesto solve specic business problems for verti-cal industries.

Autodesk folds Geospatial Division into AEC

Will there still be GIS At the end of 2010, Autodesk announced that its GIS division was to be folded into its AEC (architec-ture, engineering and construction) division. Although the company is most known for its AutoCAD-based design and engineering tools, GIS has been an integral part of their products. Geospatial expertshave always pointed out the importance of maintenance and design within a spatial environment.

6

I n t e r v i ew

By Eric van Rees and Remco Takken

Geoff Zeiss: AutoCAD Civil3D adds vertical model-based design and 3Dvisualization tools, generally referred to as BIM, for designing highways,roads and other civil structures to AutoCAD Map 3D, which is geospatial-ly-enabled AutoCAD.

March 2011

Democratizing the WorkforceInterestingly, when a surveyor collects his spa-tial data in the eld, he is not working withina GIS, but in a CAD environment. Traditionally,design software by Autodesk and others hasproved to be a most practical solution for datacollection. Plus, there are other benets. Toteach outdoors CAD basics to surveying spe-cialists, instead of making them into geo-ICTeld workers, is also an economic decision.Registered CAD licenses are less expensive,and while chances are good that someone isalready familiar with the world of CAD, re-edu-cation is relatively easy. Not to mention the factthat a CAD-trained professional is of wider usewithin an organisation, working on a smallerpaycheck than a GIS specialist.On the downside: traditionally CAD workers,and especially those in the eld, face organi-sational difculties when its time to uploadtheir data into the enterprises database. Theyget in direct competition with the (geo) ICT staffat their desk tops. A few years back, Geoff Zeiss coined thephrase democratizing the work force in orderto open up the vast potential of eld workers.Zeiss: One of the areas that has made thegeospatial industry an exemplary model for

other areas of IT is interoperability. Standardsbodies like the Open Geospatial Foundation,private companies like Safe Software, opensource initiatives like GDAL, OGR and FDO,and IT advances like geospatial web servicesand cloud computing have all made geospa-tial interoperability a reality. Interoperability isnow being developed in other sectors toenable, for example, the sharing of BIM, city,electric distribution network, and highway androad model.

Technology is no longer the excuse, statesZeiss: GIS and CAD integration is no longerthe technical challenge it once was. However,organizational challenges still remain. Forexample, in many utility organizations CAD ispart of the engineering group and GIS is partof the records group, and more often than noteach reports to a different VP. Zeiss: Severalyears ago I worked with a public power utilitythat had solved the problem of integrating GISand eld engineering. The reason they wereable to do this was partly technical, but moreimportantly the GIS and Operations groupsreported to the same person, and he recog-nized that it was in his interest to solve thisproblem.

Surveying and Civil 3DFor surveyors, AutoCAD Civil 3D introduceda revolutionary new approach, which madeit possible to store and sell their geodata in atotally different way. Whereas a traditionalsurveyor has to visit the work site every timehe needs to deliver new data, within AutoCADCivil 3D its much more efcient to measurethe whole environment at once. When asked,a surveyor is able to deliver additional datafrom his desk. Only after large revisions ormassive changes in (land) volume does a visitto the site become necessary. Surveyors main-tain their geodata as if they were geo-ICT peo-ple. Whether this relatively new workingmethodology will be actively promoted byAutodesk, remains unclear.

Mapping and 3D City ModellingMost of the existing digital base maps are stillCAD oriented and made with line systems inmind. Through specic conversions, many(often widely used) maps are currently beingrevised in order to accommodate object-typeanalysis. CAD is evolving towards GIS.Maybe CAD even becomes GIS. When asked

in AutoCAD?I n t e r v i ew

7Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com

Autodesk Topobase is built on and includes AutoCAD Map 3D, allowing users to get the best of CAD and GIS while working with a centraldatabase. Users of AutoCAD and Map will find the transition natural, due to the similar interface, capabilities and CAD drafting tools whilst

creating features directly in a spatial database.

For the challenges we are

facing this century such as climate

change, increasing energy demand,

increasing water stress, resulting

from the pressures of increasing

population, we need tools that

integrate technologies to enable us to

analyze and simulate our increasingly

complex built environment.

Geoff Zeiss

March 2011

if this practice, where traditional map makersare working with CAD design tools, is a poten-tially dangerous situation, Zeiss notes thatthere has been a close link between CAD andGIS from the beginning: Most of the worldsgeospatial vector data has been and is cap-tured using CAD tools. All of the conversionvendors I know who convert paper maps anddrawings to digital data for telecommunica-tions and utility companies use CAD tools.

But what is happening in the geospatial worldthat is having such a signicant impact on theengineering, utility and architectural designer,notes Zeiss, is that high resolution geoimagerysolves a problem for these people. Zeiss: Isee this happening for several reasons. Firstof all, the resolution of some aerial imageryhas reached the level of engineering preci-sion. Secondly, technologies such as laserscanning and oblique imagery are adding thethird dimension. Thirdly, the availability andcoverage of imagery has increased dramati-cally. Finally, the cost of imagery is plummet-ing.

An example claries this last statement: Moreand more utility workers are retiring thesedays, and as a result skilled utility workers arein short supply. Sending a skilled electricalworker out in the eld to geolocate a facilitysuch as a transformer, as a rule of thumb, willcost the utility about $100 and will tie up avaluable resource for a signicant period oftime. If the worker can do the same work inthe ofce using high resolution imagery, thecost is much less, some estimates suggest atenth of the cost of sending the worker out tothe eld. The bottom line is that a valuableresource is much more productive.

Architects and GISIn terms of sustainable design, architects needgeo-information in varying degrees andquantities. Municipalities may want to incor-porate plans and design into a broader 3Denvironment, or extra data may be needed

when applying local materials within a build-ing or construction. Zeiss notices that the con-vergence of architectural and engineeringdesign, GIS, and 3D technologies is break-ing down traditional silos of technology andis enabling a more holistic view of the builtworld: The new fusion of information tech-nology is providing critical tools for planning,designing, building and managing smartcities in the 21st Century.

A key part of the worldwide infrastructuretransformation is creating and maintainingprecise and reliable digital models that willenable us to operate and manage sustainableinfrastructure efciently.According to Zeiss,integrating precision survey data, engineer-ing design models, point clouds from laserscanning, high resolution photogrammetricimagery, and other geospatial data makes itpossible to develop a precise synthetic envi-ronment that can be used to simulate theinside (utilities, HVAC systems, furniture, ele-vators, walls, doors, windows, and structuraldetails), outside (aerial utilities, full city blocksof 3D detail, road access), and the areabeneath (underground water, wastewater,gas, power, and telecommunications systems)an urban environment and create an intelli-gent model that can be used for visualization,analysis, and simulation.

Zeiss: For example, sustainable analysistools can be used to assess alternativedesigns with respect to energy, water, andemissions, to estimate the load impact of anew building on a utility network, and howmuch daylight will be available in interiorspaces at different times of the day and of theyear.

The coincidence of technical advances andmassive investment in infrastructure renewalcreates a unique opportunity to developeintelligent, precision digital infrastructure forplanning, designing, building and operatingsustainable buildings and energy, water,

transportation, and communications infras-tructure networks, as the foundation for a newenergy, water efcient and low emissionsworld economy.

Local Resellers and DistributorsOver the years, Autodesk has been workingwith a huge network of resellers and distribu-tors. Many of them are responsible forlocalised versions of the software, which areprimarily for building applications and toolsfor specic tasks. In Europe, the majority ofmunicipalities are using CAD-GIS tools, anda fair number are using AutoCAD-based solu-tions. With the recent reorganisation of geospatialsoftware within Autodesk, the position ofresellers, who also market their own solutionsbuilt on Autodesk products, is unclear. Whenasked if customers will continue to recogniseAutodesk resellers as geospatial solutionproviders, Zeiss expects to see more productsthat address specic problems in verticalindustries: For example, in the utilities sector,products like Autodesk Utility Design orTopobase, or in transportation, Civil3D, inte-grate geospatial with other technologies toaddress specic business needs. In the future,geospatial will be an increasingly importanttechnology at Autodesk, but from a productpersepctive geospatial will be one of severaltechnologies that will be integrated with prod-ucts that Autodesk resellers will be offering totheir customers in different vertical industriesto solve specic business problems.

Project Galileo is another example. It is a con-ceptual design tool for infrastructure projectsthat is currently a technology preview onAutodesk Labs. With Project Galileo, you canbuild 3D infrastructure models from geospa-tial, BIM, CAD, point clouds, imagery, andother data sources. Proposed conceptualdesign alternatives can be visualized andanlayzed in context of their environment forviews into the potential impact of infrastruc-ture projects very early in the process. Zeiss:For the challenges we are facing this centurysuch as climate change, increasing energydemand, increasing water stress, resultingfrom the pressures of an increasing popula-tion, we need tools that integrate technologiesto enable us to analyze and simulate ourincreasingly complex built environment.

Geoff Zeiss, geospatial expert at Autodesk.For more information, have a look at www.autodesk.com

8

AutoCAD Map3D point cloud from Denver

I n t e r v i ew

March 2011

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Far Reaching Use

Limitless Potential ofGeospatial Imagery

Professionals across disciplines haveover the past several years begun touse geospatial imagery more, as itbecomes more readily accessible and costeffective. Its widespread availability, cou-pled with modern software packages whichmake it easier to uncover information downto the pixel level, has made imagery an inte-gral element to a GIS, providing not just avisual backdrop to a map or visual contextto GIS layers, but pertinent, current informa-tion about a geographic area of interest.

Traditional Uses of Imagery inGISToday, remotely sensed data such as satelliteand airborne imagery is rapidly becoming asource of valuable input layers to a GIS. Theincreased use of imagery in GIS can beattributed to many factors: the increase of dataacquisition by new and existing satellite andairborne sensors; the global coverage offeredby many satellite sensors, which enables GISprofessionals to use imagery to ll gaps ingeospatial layers; the ability for modern sen-sors to gather critical data that is found out-side the visible spectra such as RADARimagery and elevation data; and, image anal-ysis software advances which allow users touncover the hidden information in animage.Using imagery as a source of additionalinformation beyond what can be seen by thehuman eye was once considered a distinctscience, reserved for those with extensiveknowledge of remote sensing and imageanalysis methods. In the past, GIS users didnot have access to software that allowedthem to easily extract pertinent data from animage and effectively integrate results into aGIS without expending valuable time andeffort, learning advanced image analysistechniques from various unrelated softwarepackages. Recent software advances have removed thecomplexity and inconvenience from imageanalysis and the subsequent integration withan existing GIS. Today, software like ENVI

from ITT provides ArcGIS users with wizard-like workows allowing them to easily pro-cess and analyze geospatial imagery, pro-viding information about an image and useresults as an effective input layer and ulti-mately enhancing the GIS with rich dataabout a particular geographic area of inter-est. The results of image analysis processesin ENVI are uniquely easy to obtain since thesoftware is designed to walk the user througheach step of the process using pre-set param-eters and prompts. Results maintain the sci-entic accuracy of previous, more complexprocesses, but can be derived in much lesstime and by professionals with far less train-ing in the use of image analysis software.Implementing time and effort saving work-ows was the rst key measure in allowingGIS professionals to add important informa-tion from imagery to a GIS. Now, technolo-gy found in the most current versions of ENVIsoftware completes the marriage of the two,once distinct processes of image analysis

and GIS, providing revolutionary functionali-ty that makes image analysis tools a seam-less, inherent step in the GIS workow.

Image Analysis as a Core Inputto GISThe integration of image analysis with GIS isa direct result of the development partnershipbetween ITT Visual Information Solutions andEsri. The multi-year development effort deliv-ers users of both products with a valuable timeand effort saving solution: the availability ofadvanced ENVI image analysis tools in boththe ArcGIS desktop and server environments.The innovative approach makes ENVI imageanalysis tools available directly from the famil-iar ArcToolbox, allowing users to perform avariety of advanced image analysis tasks,such as nding features of interest, classifyingland cover, or detecting change between twoimages over time - without ever leaving theArcGIS environment and the users familiarworkow. Additionally, ENVI provides the

10 March 2011

A r t i c l e

By Peter McIntosh

Defense and security is another discipline using the integration of geospatial imagery and GIS to aid in many types of missions.

capability for ArcGIS users to easily build cus-tom image analysis tools and models to meetunique needs.Not only pertinent to just the desktop user, andin order to meet the growing need acrossindustries to increase overall productivity andreturn derived data to a central, shared loca-tion, ENVI for ArcGIS Server, a new ENVIproduct, makes it easy to leverage server classresources, allowing ArcGIS Server users to dis-tribute ENVIs advanced image analysis toolsor custom tools and models to an entire work-group or organization. ENVI for ArcGISServer allows users to add image analysiscapabilities to their existing tools and models,combine multiple tools that include imageanalysis functionality, and create new customimage analysis tools for their organization.Once tools and models are built, they can bepublished to the ArcGIS Server allowing usersto access them from desktop, mobile and Webapplications.

Imagery Aids in DisasterManagementToday, advanced image analysis tools can beeasily and accurately applied within a GIS toprovide timely, critical information to decisionmakers in manmade and natural disaster man-agement situations. The integration of imageanalysis and GIS has become a major com-ponent in post-disaster relief efforts and hasbeen effectively applied in recent situationssuch as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the erup-tion of the Eyjafjallajkull volcano in Iceland,the Four Mile Canyon Fire in Colorado, andHurricane Katrina. Fighting wildres is a par-ticular type of disaster where the applicationand benets of using geospatial imagerytogether with a GIS can be clearly dened. GIS technology is used by top reghtingagencies around the world to provide con-crete data to responders who are bothattempting to mitigate further damage and tomeasure its results. Successful operations use

ENVI and ArcGIS to create dynamic visualrepresentations to aid in their efforts, such asmaps showing the locations and status ofactive res and incident brieng maps, whichprovide reghters with tactical assignmentsand objectives. Satellite and airborne imageryanalyzed with ENVI and included as part ofa GIS provides a unique source of valuabledata and helps to ensure accurate, informedand reliable decision making. The unpredictable nature and subsequentdestruction caused by wildres is a problemfaced by both those trying to help during ablaze, and those rebuilding in its aftermath.Every wildre has its own unique circum-stances that make mitigating damage difcult.Fuel loads, topography, wind, humidity andtemperature are just some of the factors thataffect the direction, severity and duration of awildre. The integration of advanced imageanalysis tools with a GIS can help addressthese challenges and allows reghters toemploy the operational power of remote sens-ing data without requiring image analysisexpertise.Recent advances in image analysis softwareare changing the ways geospatial imagery isbeing used for reghting. Sophisticatedimage analysis tools like those found in ENVIthat have been integrated into a GIS providereghters with critical information about resincreasing situational awareness andenabling reghting agencies to more effec-tively utilize valuable resources. This allowsdisaster response personnel to make moreinformed and relevant decisions, preventingproperty loss, reducing injuries and potential-ly saving lives. And, ENVI is used by reghters to providecritical information about an area of interestpotentially not attainable otherwise. ENVI canquickly zoom in and analyze an area ofinterest on a pixel by pixel basis, sharplyincreasing the number and accuracy of fea-tures identied. Other advanced tools withinthe software are employed to determine thelocations of assets, lines of control, threatenedproperty and other structures through smoke

A r t i c l e

11Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com March 2011

Today, geospatial imagery is a valuable source of information about the world around us. Itswidespread availability provides us with timely and accurate data about virtually anything occurringon the Earths surface, from natural phenomena and disasters to events caused by human activity,such as military operations. The use of imagery is far reaching, in both private industry and govern-ment applications - its value now being additionally enhanced as it becomes an effective source ofinput to GIS, allowing like never before the ability to verify the validity or quantity of field work, justify investment expenses and aid in decision making.

Fighting wildfires is a particular type of disaster where the application and benefits of using geospatial imagery together with a GIS can be clearly defined.

and other visual interferences.ENVI also works with a varietyof airborne sensors to measureinformation found in wave-lengths beyond the opticalregion of the spectrum such asinfrared, thermal and micro -wave wavelengths. Infraredmeasurements are particularlyvaluable in re ghting becausethey can be used to determinehot spots and re perimeters. Knowledge gained from imageanalysis and other data con-tained in a GIS are also usedby reghters and others to tar-get clean-up operations effortsafter res have been largelycontained. The tools withinENVI are used to measure andassess vegetation mass, classifyland cover and determine theeffects of re on the geography.

Image analysis forDefense and SecurityDefense and security is anotherdiscipline using the integration of geospatialimagery and GIS to aid in many types of mis-sions. Defense and security personnel face avariety of challenges from monitoring infras-tructure and assets to vulnerability analysis,which can be overcome with the help of infor-mation extracted from geospatial imagery.Data extracted from imagery can save timeand manpower and increase the likelihood ofachieving tactical and operational goals. Imagery and other geospatial data are fre-quently combined in a GIS with other intelli-gence for a variety of security and defensepurposes. Military and security personnel usea GIS to view, understand and visualize ageographic area, and now, thanks to the inte-gration of the ENVI and ArcGIS packages,they can now also perform image analysisusing a streamlined workow deliveringimage analysis tools directly within a familiarworking environment, eliminating the need toswitch between multiple software packages.The integration of advanced image analysistools in ENVI within the ArcGIS environmentprovides a unique capability that saves criti-cal time and effort and gives warghters andmission planners a tactical advantage.As with other disciplines, ENVI is used indefense and security to accurately extract crit-ical information from geospatial imagery andturn it into actionable intelligence. For tacticalintelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance(ISR) operations, military analysts rely onENVI for applications ranging from assessingthe combat environment, to nding hidden tar-

gets and detecting changes in an area of inter-est taking place over time. ENVI can also beuniquely customized to solve challenges, mak-ing it a exible solution for defense and secu-rity applications. A common challenge faced in the industry isdetecting and identifying targets. Targets suchas vehicles, disturbed terrain or camouagedobjects that are not always visible can bedetected with ENVI using spectral information.The target detection tool in ENVI combinesadvanced algorithms with a guided workowto allow analysts to quickly nd targets,regardless of their image analysis experience. ISR operations may also use imagery toextract features of interest from an overallimage scene. The automated feature extrac-tion tool in ENVI walks users through the pro-cess of nding similar objects throughout animage, and then extracting them as a vectorlayer for use in a GIS. Utilizing modern,object-based technology that integrates infor-mation about spatial, textural and spectralattributes of features in an image, the ENVItool can be used to quickly extract buildings,vehicles, roads, coastlines, landing strips andother tactical land marks.Defense and security personnel can also useimagery to detect and monitor changes occur-ring in a geographic area over time. Fromvehicle movement to new structure develop-ment, change detection tools in ENVI areappropriate for detecting change that is criti-cal to mission success. ENVI not only mapsthe detected changes, but also creates reports

showing the area and per-centage of changes, provid-ing a selection of sophisti-cated tools for dynamicallyviewing the same location intwo or more images simulta-neously.The ability to easily visualizetopography is crucial formany defense and securityoperations. ENVI offers com-prehensive topographictools for tactical ISR opera-tions so military analysts canvisualize their data andunderstand the terrainahead before making deci-sions about troop move-ment. With ENVI, analystscan produce dynamic three-dimensional models withimagery or vector dataincorporated. They can theneasily navigate through themodels to visualize terrainfrom varying view angles, aswell as create automated y-

through movies.In addition to military applications, geospa-tial imagery can also provide relevant infor-mation which is suitable to other security oper-ations such as border control, maritimesecurity and piracy and illegal crop detection.The European Union has used imagery foryears for these purposes in the GlobalMonitoring for Environment and Security(GMES) program, a progressive initiative tofurther the science of Earth observation.

Imagerys Limitless PotentialUses of geospatial imagery continue togrow as the technology used with it isdeveloped to meet specific, valid chal-lenges for its application in each industrywhere it is employed. Its unique capabilityto provide information about a geograph-ic area which is not always visuallyobservable makes it a crucial tool, not onlyin disaster management and defense andsecurity, but in applications like agricul-ture, natural resource management,forestry and urban planning. As softwareadvances continue to develop in responseto the individual needs in each industryand workflows are streamlined to savetime and effort, new applications will con-tinue to arise and call attention to the valueof imagery to the world around us.

By Peter McIntosh, Industry Solutions Engineer, ITT VIS.

A r t i c l e

12 March 2011

The innovative approach makes ENVI image analysis tools available directly from the familiar ArcToolbox, allowing users toperform a variety of advanced image analysis tasks.

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Radar Satellites Cover our Earth in 3D

Its all about ElevationWith the successful launch of the German radarsatellite TanDEM-X on June 21st, 2010, a newera of global digital elevation information provision has commenced. Together withTerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X forms a high-precisionradar interferometer acquiring the data basisfor a global homogeneous Digital ElevationModel of unprecedented quality, accuracy, andcoverage. This unique dataset will be availablefor the entire land surface of the Earth from2014 onwards.

Accuracy of a new DimensionThe German high-resolution radar satelliteTerraSAR-X was launched in 2007, enablingthe provision of new-quality radar data prod-ucts for a wide range of sophisticated applica-tions. This unique radar satellite features a res-olution of up to 1m, an excellent radiometricaccuracy and a geometric accuracy unrivalledby any other commercial spaceborne sensor. TerraSAR-X was joined by its twin TanDEM-X(TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital ElevationMeasurement) on June 21st, 2010 and togeth-er they form a unique satellite formation. Thetwo satellites acquire data absolutely reliablyas they operate independent of cloud cover-age and lighting conditions. Over the nextthree years they will record the data basis fora global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) ofunprecedented quality, accuracy, and cover-age.This DEM will feature a relative vertical accu-racy of 2m and an absolute accuracy of 10mwithin a 12mx12m horizontal raster. The accu-racy will surpass that of any satellite-based ele-vation model available today and the qualitylevel will be closer to that of airborne acquisi-

tion rather than that achieved with a space-borne sensor. Consequently, the TanDEM-XMission will open up a new era of globally-available high quality DEMs and replace theShuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)DEM with a leap forward in accuracy andquality of data. The worldwide homogeneous acquisition guar-antees a global elevation model with no break-lines at regional or national borders and noheterogeneities in data quality caused by dif-fering measurement procedures or measuringcampaigns staggered in time. Compared toestablished procedures, the number of mea-surement gaps will be reduced considerably. Customers from industry and public authoritiesas well as the scientic community will be pro-vided with a high-quality homogeneous refer-ence data source for elevation information.Both the TerraSAR-X mission and the TanDEM-X mission are being implemented by a Public-Private-Partnership between the GermanAerospace Centre (DLR) and Europes leadingspace company, Astrium. Within this partner-ship DLR is responsible for the planning andexecution of the mission, controlling the two

satellites and the generation of the uneditedglobal DEM as well as the scientic use of theTanDEM-X data. Astrium built the satellites andcontributed to the cost of their developmentand deployment. Infoterra GmbH, a whollyowned subsidiary of Astrium and part ofAstrium GEO-Information Services Division, isexclusively responsible for the adaptation ofthe elevation model to the needs of commer-cial users and for its worldwide marketing.

Technical Challenges One of the most exciting challenges of the mis-sion is the close formation ight of the twosatellites which is unparalleled. Shortly afterthe launch of TanDEM-X the satellites were y-ing at a distance of 2,000km and in variousstaged manoeuvring steps they convergedcloser reaching their nal formation in midOctober 2010. Now the two satellites y witha minimum distance of only 200m from oneanother - at a speed of 28,000km per hour. To avoid collision the satellites circle aroundeach other in a helix-shape, constantly keep-ing an equal distance. TanDEM-X movesaround its twin once every 95 minutes (the

14 March 2011

A r t i c l e

By Gertrud Riegler

Figure 1 TerraSAR-X & TanDEM-X satellitetwins in formation flight (source: EADSAstrium GmbH)

duration of their orbit around the Earth). Atthe North Pole, TerraSAR-X overtakes TanDEM-X, as the latter, because of its eccentric orbit,is slightly higher and thus orbits more slowly.At the South Pole the situation is reversed:TanDEM-X orbits lower and faster, and over-takes TerraSAR-X. This helix ight pattern is aworld-rst, never before have two satellitesown in such a close formation.This unique formation ight allows TerraSAR-Xand TanDEM-X to record images of the identi-cal terrain from slightly different perspectives.The two satellites operate in a so-called bi-stat-ic mode: while one satellite transmits the radarsignal both satellites record the signalsbackscattering simultaneously (in a classicmonostatic radar conguration, the sameantenna is used for transmission and recep-tion of the signal). Applying SAR-Inter -ferometry (InSAR) techniques, the phase dif-ference of the two SAR acquisitions isevaluated and the precise elevation informa-tion can be extracted. A vital requirement for this to work is that bothsatellites operate completely synchronously.TanDEM-X needs to know exactly whenTerraSAR-X is transmitting the signal and thuswhen to expect the signals backscattering in

order to open and close the reception aper-ture at the right time. This is achieved by high-ly specialized antenna arrays on-board thetwo satellites, which allows the analysis ofGPS time and the exchange of synchroniza-tion signals.A further challenge was the design of anacquisition schedule that enables TerraSAR-Xand TanDEM-X to acquire data covering theEarths entire land surface in a minimum time-frame. Experts at DLR supported, by theirAstrium colleagues, have devised a detailedmission plan that takes into account the plan-ning of image acquisitions, management ofsatellite resources such as available memoryspace, downlink capacity, battery status, andmany other parameters. The data acquisition schedule was developedwith convenience aspects in mind to makebest possible use of the satellites formation,while also allowing capacities for the contin-ued routine operation of TerraSAR-X andallowing capacities on both satellites for fur-ther novel (and potential un-scheduled) appli-cations. Therefore, there are no priority areasof the world, which will be covered rst, butthe entire global DEM dataset will be avail-able almost concurrently in 2014.

Data Acquisition and ProcessingIn order to achieve the outstanding quality andaccuracy of the global DEM, TerraSAR-X andTanDEM-X will record data covering theEarths complete land surface in two extensiveacquisition campaigns, each requiringapproximately one year for completion. Therst coverage will deliver an intermediateDEM, which will be further rened to its nalspecications following the acquisition of thesecond complete coverage. In a subsequentextended acquisition campaign, additionaldata takes will be tasked for complex terrainconditions and for the correction of possiblevoids. The data acquired is stored on-boardTerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X until they comewithin the range of a ground station. Toachieve the optimal utilization of the two satel-lites a global network of three principalground stations (Inuvik in Canada, OHigginsin Antarctica and Kiruna in Sweden) is oper-ated for this mission. From the ground stationsthe raw data is transferred to DLR facilities,where an automated processing chain trans-forms them into SAR images and generatesthe unedited DEM data sets. Astrium GEO-Information Services based inFriedrichshafen, Germany, will rene the datadelivered by the satellite system in additionalprocessing steps according to customerrequirements (e.g. water surfaces are editedensuring a consistent water height and the cor-rect sloping of river beds). Quite frequently,users require a Digital Terrain Model (DTM),which - in contrast to the TanDEM-X elevationmodel - represents the bare Earths surfaceexcluding objects such as buildings, vegeta-tion etc. This DTM is prepared by Astriumsgeo-information experts in a further manualediting step. In case of additional customerrequirements, individual solutions aredesigned for the respective application.Delivery in any established format, as well asthorough ISO 9001-certied quality assur-ance, is warranted for all provided productsand services.

Digital Elevation Data forVersatile ApplicationsPrecise elevation data is the initial foundationof any accurate geospatial product, particular-ly when the integration of multi-source imageryand data is performed based upon it. In the future operators of civil and military Earthobservation satellites can be condent: Nomatter where their acquisition area is locatedon the planet, thanks to TanDEM-X a standard-ized elevation model will be available for theorthorectication process. Cartographicauthorities around the world will be able toimprove or update their standard cartographic

A r t i c l e

15Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com March 2011

Figure 2 TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model ofthe Volcano Tunupa and edges of the salt lakeSalar de Uyuni in Bolivia (source: DLR)

Figure 3: TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model of Mount Merapi in Indonesia used to support rescue efforts following the volcanos eruption in October 2010 (source: DLR)

maps thanks to this moreaccurate and up-to-datedata source. In addition tothe update of the heightinformation, the radar dataused for generating theDEM can also serve asinput data for changedetection analyses (devel-opment of urban areas,infrastructures, etc.) andtherefore, support theupdating of existing mapmaterial.The global availability ofthe dataset without seamlines and heterogeneitiesalong national or regionalborders will also supportinternational cooperationand cross-border missionplanning. Particularly whenthe rapid provision of accu-rate information is of theutmost importance (forinstance in the case of emergency situationslike natural or environmental disasters), theavailability of a standardized, highly accurateDEM will be a major advantage as it willenable the provision of reliable information torescue teams on the ground. Already, during the missions commissioningphase, TanDEM-X was used for crisis manage-ment in response to the eruption of theIndonesian volcano Mount Merapi inNovember 2010. Using TanDEM-X data DLRexperts were able to predict the movement oflava ow and thus facilitated the decision mak-ing process of the rescue teams regarding theevacuation of people living in the affectedareas.Furthermore, a multitude of applications relyon dependable and accurate data, such as the-matic mapping, change detection analysis, sur-face movement monitoring as well as a moretargeted preparation of defence and securityrelated missions.

Additional innovative application areas for thesatellite constellation and the TanDEM-X eleva-tion model are under investigation by the DLRand scientists around the world through thePPP-responsibility assigned to the DLR to coor-dinate scientic research projects. Innovativeconcepts for the optimization of establishedmeasurement techniques or the developmentof new methodologies are already underpreparation and show promising potential.Scientists at DLR are, for instance, working onthe development of the so-called GroundMoving Target Identication (GMTI), which isa technique to monitor the mode, the velocity

and the movement direction of objects (e.g.cars) on the ground. With TanDEM-X, a GMTIeven on rough terrain (i.e. off the roads) wouldbe possible - a solution that could prove par-ticularly valuable for border security (e.g. ille-gal immigration, smuggling) or for the moni-toring of forests (illegal logging).

Commercialisation of a UniqueConceptAs with TerraSAR-X, Infoterra GmbH, theGerman part of Astrium GEO-InformationServices Division, is responsible for the com-mercial marketing of TanDEM-X data to cus-tomers worldwide. For this the company willbe able to rely on the experiences gained fromthe commercialization of the TerraSAR-X dataand services portfolio, which has been suc-cessfully positioned in the international marketand represents a continuously growing busi-ness. Customers from private industry andpublic authorities are eagerly awaiting thisunique dataset, from which they will signi-cantly benet in their daily work. Innovativeproduct and distribution models will be avail-able to customers and tailored to their respec-tive needs.

Today, Astriums geo-information experts arealready offering a diverse portfolio of digitalelevation modeling services. The TerraSAR-XELEVATION Product Suite offers digital eleva-tion data for areas as small as 500km, andup to full regional or even national coverage,featuring 10m grid spacing and an absoluteheight accuracy of up to 5m. These productsare based on TerraSAR-X StripMap Stereo

Pairs acquired in bothascending and descend-ing orbit directions,which are then pro-cessed applying ra dar -grammetry techni ques.

The unique reliability ofthe weather-independentradar sensor makes thisa particularly ideal com-plement to other estab-lished elevation data setsoffered by Astrium GEO-Information Services suchas Reference3D, basedon SPOT HRS opticaldata.

Milestones of aSuccess StoryThe excellent coopera-tion and integrationbetween all involvedpartners within industry

and the scientic community has resulted inthe exceptionally smooth preparation andrealization of the TanDEM-X mission.Following the picture-perfect lift-off on June21st, 2010 from Baikonur Cosmodrome inKazakhstan, the rst images were recordedby TanDEM-X in record time: only three daysafter the launch. A mere month later (and afull week ahead of schedule) scientists at theDLR processed the rst examples of DEMs cre-ated from data collected by the TerraSAR-X /TanDEM-X satellite formation, even though thesatellites were not yet ying in their close for-mation. On October 19th, 2010, the worldsrst DEM data using a free-ying bi-static SARsatellite formation was recorded, and con-rmed all expectations with regard to accura-cy and quality of the data.

Finally, the extensive commissioning phase ofTanDEM-X was concluded fully on scheduleon December 12th, 2010 and the complexdata acquisition and processing phase com-menced. Now the only thing that remains tobe done is wait and see: the two satellitesand the ground segment are setup and ne-tuned and will be hard at work over the com-ing years until the global TanDEM-X DEMbecomes available from 2014 onwards.

Dr. Gertrud Riegler, Product Manager DEM, Astrium GEO-Information Services - Infoterra GmbH.

For more information visit www.infoterra.de/tandem-x-satellite andview TanDEM-X DEM examples on www.infoterra.de/image-gallery.

A r t i c l e

16 March 2011

Figure 4: TerraSAR-X ELEVATION DSM for a tropical forest landscape in Sabah, Malaysia (source: Infoterra GmbH)

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Products for Tough Working Environments

The Handheld GroupThe Handheld Group is a worldwide supplier of rugged PDAs andmobile computers. Jerker Hellstrm, CEO and founder of HandheldGroup explains how the company serves its clients in the best way possible, by offering products for tough working environments. Topicsdiscussed are the companys product portfolio, different specificationsfor temperature range, the various units abilities to operate at extremetemperatures, plus costumer support and the future of the company asa whole.

IntroductionThe Handheld Group is a worldwide supplier of rugged PDAs and mobilecomputers. The Swedish companys headquarters are in a small towncalled Lidkping. Furthermore, there are local ofces in Finland, Italy, TheNetherlands and the US. Jerker Hellstrm, CEO and founder of HandheldGroup, explains the companys strategy: Our business model is verypartner-centric and we sell our products through an extensive partner net-work consisting of more than 450 reselling partners worldwide. Ourvision is to be one of the leading companies in the world for ruggedizedmobile computing. In terms of the geoinformation and surveying businesswe have a long history of providing really ruggedized equipment to thissector and we have a large number of customers in this sector all overthe world.

SuccessIn this rough economic time, the company is providing rugged mobileequipment to various branches of mobile users. The company has experi-enced exceptional growth over the past six or seven years, both its cus-tomer base and reseller network have grown, together with an increaseof its product portfolio. These facts combined have resulted in numerousawards and acknowledgments, such as its third consecutive Gazelleaward. Jerker: To simplify the success formula, I think it is as simple aswe produce products that our customers demand, we supply these prod-ucts at attractive pricing and we are able to support and service our cus-

tomers in a good way in order to get repeat business over and overagain. Sounds simple but it requires a lot of hard work.

What the Client NeedsThe Handheld Groups products are designed for anyone who works ina less-than-gentle environment, with challenges from weather, extremetemperatures, and tough work situations. Jerker explains what his clientsneeds are for working in these types of conditions: We believe that any-one who works in a non-ofce environment should have a computingtool that is built for that purpose, especially in the eld of survey andgeoinformation where users of our equipment work outdoors regardlessof weather. These users generally need computing tools with a long bat-tery life, outdoor viewable screens and in a lot of cases powerful pro-cessing capability.

Finding the Right Tool for the JobFor the wise purchaser of a mobile computer in the geoinformation busi-ness, Hellstrm has four cardinal rules when it comes to advice on howto nd the right tool for the job. Hellstrm: First of all, its important tocarefully dene the requirements for the computing tool, starting with envi-ronmental requirements i.e. where and how will the device be used?Secondly, I would make sure that the computer has all the features thatare required for the job. Thirdly, I would look for any compatibility require-ments with regard to communicating with other machinery or softwareprograms. And lastly I would make sure to investigate the total cost ofownership before making any purchases to make sure you get the mostmileage of out of the investment.

Defining RuggednessRuggedness has various meanings and denitions for various profession-als. The surveying industry uses a number of test standards to deneruggedness; IP (Ingress Protection) is one term to dene protection againstwater and particles. MIL-STD 810F/G is a US military standard set oftests where there are a number of sub-tests for shock, vibration, altitude,temperature etc. The industry also uses the temperature range that theunit can operate within to dene ruggedness. Hellstrm: From a userperspective, I believe that ruggedness is dened as something that ensuresmy computing tool works properly in all the situations that I am exposedto. And the standards will help and guide the user to make the rightchoice in device.

18 March 2011

I n t e r v i ew

By Joc TriglavJerker Hellstrm, CEO and founder of Handheld Group

Algiz 7 (ultra-rugged tablet PC)

Specifications of Temperature RangeThe potential users of mobile computers evaluate product specications toget invaluable information to help them pick out the best equipment fortheir work environment. The temperature range shows the units ability tooperate in extreme temperatures. It means the unit has been tested underthese conditions and the components inside the unit fulll these tempera-ture requirements. Hellstrm: Easily put, if you are working outside, in forexample Sweden, youd better make sure you have a unit that is speciedfor extreme cold. The most common and useful specications of tempera-ture range, MIL-STD-810F/G and IP, are explained below in detail. The IP rating stands for Ingress Protection. IP ratings are displayed as a2-digit number. The rst digit reects the level of protection against dust.The second digit reects the level of protection against liquids (water). So,if a product has an IP65-rating, it means that it has the highest protectionagainst dust, and a very high protection against water. The IP rating there-fore helps the customer to understand the protection against small particles(dust) and water. Simply put the higher the IP rating the better protectionagainst dust and water. Hellstrm: Again, if you are working outside andwill be exposed to rain or moisture you will do best in choosing a devicewhich has at least an IP65-rating or higher.MIL-STD-810F/G is a standard issued by the U.S. Army Developmental

Test Command. The standard consists of a series of different environmentaltests to prove that equipment qualied to the standard will survive in theeld. The MIL-STD tests show the customer a level of ruggedness, and howwell it can accommodate being dropped and other tough handling etc.However, the MIL-STD tests are very open so the informed customer shouldask for specic tests and procedures performed.

Total Cost of OwnershipMobile computers are often dened as belonging to one of four cate-gories, as commercial, durable, semi-rugged and fully rugged. Hellstrmexplains the idea behind the total cost of ownership (TCO): Generallyspeaking the TCO studies that exit show that over a 3-5 period of use,the more rugged devices will carry a lower TOC, meaning that over thatperiod they are actually cheaper than the less rugged devices. That said,it will very much depend on the environment and usage of the devices.In the survey and geoinformation industry there is little doubt that almostall users have come to this realization already preferring an ultra-ruggeddevice for their computing tool of choice.

Product RangeThe Handheld Group is offering a wide range of rugged PDA, tabletsand notebooks for tough working environments, meant for various pur-poses. The companys ambition is to offer a full spectrum of rugged com-puters from PDAs and Tablets to Notebooks so that it can full any needof the mobile computing professional. The product range differs in termsof size/weight, operating systems, processing power, memory and ofcourse ruggedness. Hellstrm: For example, in the survey and geoinfor-mation vertical, the products that are most popular so far are the NautizX7 (ultra-rugged PDA) and the Algiz 7 (Ultra-rugged tablet PC).

Co-operationWhen asked about co-operation with the companies in the global sur-veying instruments production business, Hellstrm explains that the com-pany has a number of customers among the surveying instrumentproviders and manufacturers, but thinks that the days of producing pro-prietary equipment for one sole category will soon be history. Hellstrm:We see a clear trend towards a broader usage of standard ruggeddevices as supposed to proprietary developed equipment and I thinkyou will see even more partnerships between surveying instrument sup-pliers and companies like us in the future.

19 March 2011

We see a clear trend towards a broader

usage of standard rugged devices as

supposed to proprietary developed

equipment and I think you will see even

more partnerships between surveying

instrument suppliers and companies

like us in the future.

Nautiz X7 (ultra-rugged PDA)

I n t e r v i ew

Nautiz X3 IP65

Costumer Support: MaxCareRegardless of the level of a productsruggedness, service and support have tobe provided. The Handheld Group has built its after-market handling on two basic principles,service and support, and should be pro-vided as close to the end user as possible.To achieve this, the company works witha network of Authorized Service Centresaround the world that can provide full ser-vice including warranty and service con-tract work on all its units. The second prin-ciple is to make it easy for the end user toknow what to buy in terms of after pur-chase protection. The company has devel-oped the MaxCare concept, which is a complete set of protection plansfor its customers, giving them ease of mind.

Involvement in EducationGeospatial technology is identied as one of the fastest-growing work-force needs, with quality geospatial data collection a high priority. Whenasked about the mostly unused potential in the areas of geospatial edu-cation, particularly with young people, and how to get the best use ofmobile computers in the eld, Hellstrm talks about some local projects inSweden and in the USA. Hellstrm: For instance, at the Atlantic CapeCommunity College (New Jersey, USA) students created a detailed, cam-

pus-wide emergency response system forpossible crisis situations using our NautizX7 PDAs while learning real-world GIStechnology at the same time. We wouldbe very interested to assist in more initia-tives like this.

The FutureWhen asked about the future of HandheldGroup, Hellstrm thinks that in ve yearsit will be a much larger company withmore local ofces and an even broaderproduct portfolio focusing on customer-ori-ented product development. Hellstrm:We already see clear trends in constantconnectivity, and faster processing of

more information in all aspects of business. Moving forward I think youwill see this trend solidifying even more, technology and user interfaceswill improve. In general, I think more focus will be put on user experiencewhen it comes to mobile computing to make it easier and more efcientfor users to access and process data. I also believe that battery perfor-mance will take great leaps as well as screen technology making theoverall user experience greater.

IJerker Hellstrm, CEO and founder of Handheld GroupJoc Triglav, GeoInformatics Editor

For more information, have a look at www.handheld.com

20 March 2011

I n t e r v i ew

Algiz XRW Rugged Notebook

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A Highly Integrated Airborne Image Data Acquisition & Processing System

Tiltans Automated Geo-MapIn cooperation with Diamond Airborne Sensing, the Tiltan company has developed a highly integratedairborne image data acquisition and photogrammetric processing system. This utilizes digital frameimages that have been acquired employing the step framing principle in a convergent oblique mode toproduce its stereo-coverage of the terrain. The overlapping stereo-images can then be used to producetrue orthophotos and 3D urban models using highly automated photogrammetric image processingtechniques.

Introduction & Background toTiltanTiltan Systems Engineering Ltd. is an Israelicompany that develops 2D and 3D image-based terrain visualization software and sys-tems and supplies these to an internationalcustomer base. It also develops and providesvisual solutions for military training and simu-lations and for command and control applica-tions. Within this latter context, the Tiltan com-pany is a preferred supplier of visualintelligence solutions to the Israeli Ministry ofDefense (IMOD). The Matrix company, whichis a leading IT services and solutions providerwithin Israel, and the aircraft manufacturer,Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), each own 35%of the Tiltan company. The remaining 30% isowned by the three original founders of thecompany, one of whom, Arie Shar, has actedas its Chief Executive Ofcer (CEO).With regard to 3D image generation for

visualization purposes, the Tiltan companyoffers (i) its TView Engine, which generatesphoto-realistic scenes of a virtually unlimitedsize for training and simulation purposes; (ii)its FlighTV product, which generates terrainimages that are used for ight training andsimulation; (iii) its SpoTView product bywhich the images from multiple airborne sen-sors are presented on video walls againstthe background of a computer-generated 3Dimage of the terrain; and (iv) its IRViewproduct that generates terrain images for infra-red (IR) sensor simulation and training. Besideswhich, Tiltan also offers a DatabaseGeneration System that employs automat-ic and rule-based modelling as the basis of itssolution. The company also supplies high-res-olution geographic databases of large areas.This has included the construction of a realis-tic 3D model of the whole of the West Bankarea for the Israeli Army. Regarding 2D

image generation, Tiltan has developedits ILX product, which is a 2D visualizationengine that is being used in various mapping,GIS and image interpretation applications.

TLiD Software PackageGiven this background, it will come as no sur-prise to readers to learn that Tiltan has alsodeveloped its TLiD software package that car-ries out the highly automated processing ofairborne laser scan data. This package wasoriginally developed in cooperation with theItalian National Institute of Oceanography &Applied Geophysics (OGS) based in Trieste.The TLiD software can transform the geo-refer-enced point cloud data that is acquired by anairborne laser scanner system into the appro-priate GIS layers and can generate a photo-realistic 3D presentation of the processeddata. The packages capabilities include theextraction of the buildings, trees and powerlines that have been measured and recordedby the airborne laser scanner [Fig. 1]. Withthe TLiD solution, users can process the air-borne lidar data either on-site or in-house.Among the customers and users is the wellknown Tuck Mapping Solutions aerialmapping company which is based in Virginia,U.S.A.

Besides the outright purchase of the software,the processing of airborne laser scan datausing the TLiD system can also be carried outas a service either by Tiltan or via a Tiltan part-ner. One of these partners is DiamondAirborne Sensing GmbH, which is awholly owned subsidiary of Diamond AircraftIndustries, the Austrian manufacturer of singleand twin-engined light aircraft, whose head-quarters and main manufacturing facilities arelocated in Wiener Neustadt, just south ofVienna. Diamond Airborne Sensing operatesa number of Diamond DA 42 twin-engined

22 March 2011

A r t i c l e

By Gordon Petrie

Fig. 1 A perspective view of an area of terrain, showing the features (buildings, trees, etc.) that have been extracted from airborne laser scan data and placed against an image background. (Source: Tiltan)

aircraft. This allows the company to demon-strate the capability of the MPP (Multi-PurposePlatform) version of the DA 42 aircraft usinga variety of different airborne imaging andlaser scanning devices. These include high-resolution video cameras such as the Cineexrange from Axsys Technologies, the L3WESCAM range; and FLIRs EO/IR systems;the Vexcel UltraCam digital metric frame cam-eras; and RIEGLs laser scanners [Fig. 2].

In order to implement the last of these systems,Diamond Airborne Sensing formed a partner-ship with RIEGL Laser MeasurementSystems. This resulted in the development ofa special belly pod with twin windows thatcould be tted to the underside of a DA 42MPP aircraft and could accommodate eitherone or two RIEGL LMS-Q560 laser scannersin combination with a medium-format digitalframe camera from IGI. The resulting systemhas been used by Diamond Airborne Sensingboth as a demonstrator and to provide an air-borne laser scanning and imaging service. Inboth cases, the required processing of the air-

borne laser scan data has then carried outusing the Tiltan TLiD software that had beeninstalled at the Diamond Systems computercentre located near Frankfurt, Germany.

Automated Geo-Mapping (AGM)SystemThe belly pod that was developed byDiamond and has been certied by theEuropean airworthiness authorities for usewith the RIEGL laser scanners on the DiamondDA 42 MPP aircraft is now being used as theplatform for a new camera system [Fig. 3] that

has been developed by Tiltan in a furthercooperative partnership that has been estab-lished between Diamond Airborne Sensingand Tiltan Systems Engineering. From thepoint of view of Diamond Aircraft, this extendsthe range of electro-optical imaging systemsthat can be operated from the DA 42 MPP air-craft. While, from the point of view of Tiltan,this marks its entry into the area of supplyingairborne image acquisition systems in combi-nation with its recently developed and highlyautomated photogrammetric processing soft-ware. The overall mapping system has beendesigned with a particular emphasis on theacquisition of the airborne image data that isrequired for 3D urban modelling. Tiltan labelsthis combined image acquisition and pho-togrammetric processing system as itsAutomated Geo-Mapping (AGM) sys-tem. Within which, the camera sub-system iscalled the Airborne Mapping Unit(AMU); while the photogrammetric sub-sys-tem is referred to as the GroundProcessing Unit (GPU).

A r t i c l e

23 March 2011

ping (AGM)SystemFig. 2 This illustration shows three different Diamond DA 42 MPP(Multi Purpose Platform) aircraft. At the top is a DA 42 MPP aircraftthat has been fitted with a belly pod, (designed by Diamond) whichcontains a RIEGL laser scanner and an IGI DigiCAM camera. The middle aircraft is fitted with a nose cone (again designed byDiamond) that carries a Cineflex gyro-stabilized turret containing ahigh-resolution video camera for surveillance purposes. At the foot isyet another DA 42 MPP aircraft fitted with a different nose cone containing a Vexcel UltraCam large-format digital metric camera.(Source: Diamond Airborne Sensing)

Fig. 3 The Diamond DA MPP aircraft fitted with its belly pod thathas been used as the platform for the Tiltan Airborne Mapping Unit

(AMU). (Source: Diamond Airborne Sensing)

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Airborne Mapping Unit (AMU)The Airborne Mapping Unit (AMU) is atwin digital frame camera unit that implementsthe stepping frame principle by which eachof the two cameras simultaneously acquires astrip or fan of four frame images in rapid suc-cession in a single sweep in the cross-trackdirection relative to the aircrafts ight line.Besides which, each of the two cameras iscongured to point at angles of 160 to the ver-tical in both the forward and backward direc-tions along the ight line respectively [Fig. 4].This ensures that the same piece of terrain willbe covered by a pair of overlapping conver-gent oblique frame images having an inter-section angle of 320 in the ight direction. Thisconguration provides an excellentbase:height ratio of 0.57 for the photogram-metric determination of the ground elevationsof each terrain strip that has been imaged.The two cameras can also be set at the muchhigher angles of 450 to the vertical in both theforward and backward directions relative tothe ight line. This alternative congurationwill be used if the main objective is to acquirehighly oblique images of urban areas that willprovide details of building facades for inclu-sion in the 3D urban modelling of such areas

[Fig. 5]. It is also possible to set the pointingangles at any intermediate angular valuebetween 00 and 450, if this is required.

Each of the two cameras utilizes a small-for-mat Kodak CCD frame imaging array havinga format size of 4,008 x 2,672 pixels = 11Megapixels, with each pixel being 9 x 9 min size. The focal length (f) of the wide aper-ture (f/4) lens that is used in each camera is300 mm. From a ying height of 1 km, thisresults in a ground pixel size or GSD of 3.3cm. When used in conjunction with the rect-angular CCD imaging array, the lens providesan angular coverage of 6.90 along-track by4.10 cross-track for each individual image.With each camera imaging a strip of fourimages during a single cross-track sweep orscan, the total cross-track angular coveragefor each of the two cameras is 4 x 4.10 =16.40. Each cross-track strip or fan of fourimages will therefore contain circa 40Megapixels of data in total, while the stereo-pair formed by the two overlapping strips offrame images will comprise 80 Megapixels intotal. For operation at the comparatively lowaltitudes that are own to provide very highresolution images, the exposure times need tobe extremely short in order to implement thecross-scan sweep or scan and to ensure thatimage blur is insignicant. With this in mind,the exposure time can be set over the range1/1,666th to 1/5,000th of a second. Thetwo cameras are calibrated by Tiltan in its ownlaboratory using a specially constructed tar-get.

The two cameras are mounted on alightweight but very stiff frame that allowsthem to be inserted into the belly pod that wasoriginally developed to accommodate theRIEGL laser scanners [Fig. 6]. In order toimplement the required imaging conguration,both cameras are controlled by the systems

Scanning, Pointing & Stabilization(SPS) unit. As the name suggests, the mainfunction of the SPS unit is to stabilize the cam-eras around their pitch and roll axes and tocontrol the angular pointing of the mirrors thatare placed in front of the camera lenses, soimplementing the required imaging congura-tion and the specic ground coverage of eachindividual frame image. The whole AMU sys-tem is controlled by a PC that provides therequired commands to all of the individualcomponents and sub-systems of the overall sys-tem and manages the resulting outputs. Theimages are recorded on a RAID system ofremovable hard drives, with two drives beingallocated to each camera. Finally a NovAtelGNSS dual-frequency receiver and antennaare provided for geo-referencing purposesusing differential GPS techniques.

A flight planning module is also provid-ed to carry out the pre-ight planning of thetracks and ying heights that will need to beown in order to achieve the overall groundcoverage of the dened area at a speciedground resolution, as required for a particularmapping project. The computed data includesthe start and end points for the operation ofthe AMU for each specic track [Fig. 7(a)].This module is associated with a further mod-ule that provides both the pilot and the systemoperator with a real-time display of theactual course that is being own with particu-lar respect to the planned ight lines. In thecase of the systems operator, the monitorscreen will also display simultaneously theoperational status of all the individual compo-nents and sub-systems of the entire AMU sys-tem [Fig. 7 (b)].

Ground Processing Unit (GPU)This sub-system carries out the fairly conven-tional all-digital photogrammetric work owthat is required to produce a DSM & DTM

A r t i c l e

24 March 2011

Fig.. 4 A diagram showing the configuration and the coverage ofthe backward and forward pointing digital frame cameras of the

AMU, each of which steps to expose four images in rapid successionduring a single sweep or scan in the cross-track direction (Source:

Tiltan)

Fig. 5 (a) Showing a representative image acquired with the AMU camera unitwhen it is set in the 16 degree convergent mode that will be used for the

acquisition of the images intended for photogrammetric processing. (b) Showing a sample image acquired with the cameras set in the 45 degree

tilted configuration in order to obtain detailed information about the building facades. (Source: Tiltan)

[a]

[b]

using automated image correlation techniqueswhich will lead to the production of trueorthophotos and a 3D urban model. The ini-tial processing involves the downloading ofthe images and metadata that have beenacquired in-ight by the AMU system and theirconversion to the standard format that isrequired for their further processing. Thisincludes their incorporation into a structureddatabase. A further preliminary processingstep is applied to the GNSS or GPS data thathas been recorded during the ight, both bythe airborne receiver and the base station.This processing is carried out using the wellknown GrafNav software from NovAtelsWaypoint Product Group. This converts theraw GPS data into the precise position andheight (X, Y, Z) data in the required coordi-nate system that can be used in the subsequentphotogrammetric processing.

After which, the image data and theGNSS/GPS coordinate data are fed into theproprietary aerial triangulation module.

This rst carries out the selection and identi-cation of the tie-points at suitable locations oneach image. It then transfers the selectedpoints to the overlapping images using auto-matic image correlation techniques to form thenal block that will be triangulated. When thishas been achieved, the bundle orientation,

projection centre determination and blockadjustment are then carried out using all avail-able ground control points (GCPs), either forthe complete block or for any selected part ofit. The block adjustment can handle tens ofthousands of images if required. Once theaerial triangulation has been completed, adigital surface model (DSM) is thenformed from the overlapping pairs of images,again using automated image correlationtechniques that have been developed in-houseby Tiltan. A very high density of points persquare metre can be achieved using thesetechniques. Furthermore Tiltan has also devel-

A r t i c l e

25Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com March 2011

Fig. 6 (a) The twin-camera system of the AMU system is mounted ona lightweight frame, which is then inserted into the belly pod with itstwo windows that was developed originally to accommodate twin RIEGLlaser scanners. (b) A close-up view of the twin-camera AMU attached tothe underside of the Diamond DA 42 MPP aircraft. The cover of the bellypod is then placed over the twin-camera unit. (Source: Tiltan)

Fig. 7 (a) Showing the planned flight routes superimposed over abackground image that has been extracted from Google Earth. (b) A typical display as seen on the system operators monitorscreen during a mission flight. (Source: Tiltan)

[a]

[b]

[b]

[a]

oped routines to identify, classify and extractcertain specic types of feature from the 3Dimage data, including buildings, trees andpower lines. In this context, methods have alsobeen developed to identify and handle numer-ous different types of roof surfaces. Needlessto say, the results of all of this data process-ing also lead to the formation of a digitalterrain model (DTM) should this berequired. Finally a true orthophoto imageor a 3D urban model (or both) can thenbe generated as the nal mapping product[Fig. 8]. Already Diamond Airborne Sensinghas carried out several missions with the pod-mounted AMU system in Austria with the nalGPU processing being carried out by Tiltan.[Fig. 9]

ConclusionThe twin digital camera arrangement of theAMU imaging sub-system implements (i) thestep framing principle of acquiring multipleimages in the cross-track direction, in combi-

nation with (ii) a convergent oblique imagingconguration which certainly is a uniqueand quite novel method of acquiring overlap-

ping airborne image data. The subsequentdata processing is carried out by the GPUsub-system. This implements advanced pho-togrammetric methodology, especially in termsof its extensive use of automated image match-ing and feature extraction techniques. In thisrespect, it is extremely interesting to note that,notwithstanding its previous and currentinvolvement in the processing of airborne laserscan data to form digital terrain models, Tiltanhas chosen also to implement the alternativemethod of forming these 3D models from over-lapping stereo-imagery using photogrammet-ric techniques. It will be most interesting to seehow this highly integrated AGM airborneimaging and photogrammetric processing sys-tem will be received by the aerial mappingindustry.

Gordon Petrie is Emeritus Professor of Topographic Science in theSchool of Geographical & Earth Sciences of the University of Glasgow,

Scotland, U.K. E-mail - Gordon.Petrie@ges.gla.ac.uk; Web Site - http://web2.ges.gla.ac.uk/~gpetrie

26 March 2011

A r t i c l e

Fig. 8 (a) A true orthophoto that has been processed using theGPU system. (b) A perspective view of the buildings and trees forming part of the 3D model of an urban area that has been produced by the GPU photogrammetric processing. (Source: Tiltan)

Fig. 9 A perspective view of the Diamond Aircraft facilities at the Wiener Neustadt Ost airfield that has been produced from images acquired by theAMU camera system, with the subsequent point cloud generation and 3D modelling being carried out by the GPU processing system. (Source: Tiltan)

[a]

[b]

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China +86 10 5802 5174USA, NA +1 408 572 1103

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2010 Ashtech LLC. All rights reserved. The Ashtech logo and MobileMapper are trademarks of Ashtech, LLC. All other products and brand names are trademarks of their respective holders.

2010 Ashtech LLC. All rights reserved. The Ashtech logo and MobileMapper are trademarks of Ashtech, LLC. All other products and brand names are trademarks of their respective holders.

2010 Ashtech LLC. All rights reserved. The Ashtech logo and MobileMapper are trademarks of Ashtech, LLC.

A Central Global Trade Fair

Organizing the INTERGEOFor many people, INTERGEO is the major geospatial event of the year in Western Europe, and one that isnot to be missed. The event, which takes place in a different city in Germany every year in autumn,captures every aspect of the value creation chain and the geospatial industry. It is an event for showcasing new products, as well as monitoring the market. Olaf Freier, Managing Director of HINTEGmbH and INTERGEO organiser, explains the events development from its early days up to the present,and how the organizers keep close contact with the various exhibitors, to see whether new opportunities exist for INTERGEO. In addition, a new format and closer collaboration with specialist networks and partners show that the event continues to evolve.

Early Development and INTERGEO TodayThe rst INTERGEO was staged in 1995 in Dortmund, Germany, as aresponse to the growing demand for exhibiting opportunities at theannual conference of the DVW e.V., the German Society forGeodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management. Olaf Freier: As the events organiser, our company has been respon-sible for all trade fair matters from the very beginning. Three main

factors have driven the development of INTERGEO. Firstly, right fromthe start in 1995, the key requirements of exhibiting companies havebeen met thanks to the ideal infrastructure of the exhibition centres.Secondly, changing the location of the fair each year ensures excel-lent market coverage and penetration. And thirdly, the most impor-tant factor for the development of INTERGEO has been the inclusion ofgeoinformation as part of the concept.In terms of content, the focal points at INTERGEO geodesy, geoinfor-mation and land management now cover the entire value creationchain from geodata capture to visualisation.

State of the Industry The statistics from INTERGEO provide a clear picture of its develop-ment. The demand curves for companies and visitors show that inter-est, in INTERGEO as a product, has grown continuously since 19