ASM
Combining CAD and GIS
Thursday, 13 Nov 2008 04:11 AM
Models of buildings, transport infrastructure and engineering projects are created in CAD packages. Often however, they are restricted by the native CAD environment, and largely have no connection to the real world or to other design objects.
More...Rebuilding after the Great Sichuan Earthquake
Thursday, 06 Nov 2008 02:41 AM
Recently, the Hebei Bureau of Surveying and Mapping undertook a project to re-survey six villages in PingWu County, near the epicentre of the quake.
More...India Goes to the Moon
Monday, 27 Oct 2008 06:33 AM
Chandrayaan-1 was launched towards the moon yesterday by a PSLV. This is the launcher’s 14th flight without incident. The spacecraft is carrying a comprehensive set of 11 instruments that will be able to remotely sense the lunar surface at all wavelengths between visible and X-ray frequencies.
More...Water Resources Management
Friday, 17 Oct 2008 06:06 AM
Can space technology, specifically remote sensing, help developing countries to manage water resources? The United Nations/Indonesia Regional Workshop on Integrated Space Technology Applications for Water Resource Management, Environmental Protection and Disaster Vulnerability Mitigation was intented to help answer that question. It was held in Jakarta, 7-11 July.
More...GIS Battles Exotic Pests
Monday, 22 Sep 2008 01:11 AM
New Zealand agricultural authorities wage a constant battle against introduced pests to keep the country's reputation and the livelihood of its farmers intact. Eagle Technology Group in Auckland has created a computerised system to assist in surveillance monitoring and emergency response. The solution uses ESRI’s ArcGIS Server software for spatial viewing and modelling of biohazard outbreaks.
More...Visualisation for Asset Management
Tuesday, 02 Sep 2008 06:36 AM
Visualisation is not just about better presentation; it’s about adding business value. It is now becoming the norm to develop systems that combine data-centric business software with powerful GIS processing. This article examines what visualisation adds to the process of asset and maintenance management.
More...The Future of Asset Management
Monday, 01 Sep 2008 03:28 AM
In a recent speech, Geoff Zeiss, Autodesk's director of technology, said the world will spend something like $4 trillion on infrastructure over the next five years. However, the workforce of designers and engineers required to build this infrastructure is aging and its productivity falling. The only solution to these problems is massive investment in IT.
More...Asset Management Solutions for Engineering GIS
Tuesday, 26 Aug 2008 09:25 AM
The market offers numerous asset management solutions that are both streamlined and elegant. The problem is choice - there is far too much. This article describes a solution that is flexible, relatively easy to use, and returns a system that can easily plug into a client’s existing infrastructure.
More...Understanding Laser Scanners
Monday, 18 Aug 2008 01:26 AM
This article provides simplified information about the characteristics of airborne laser scanners, particularly for users who are interested in detailed mapping of terrain, vegetation and infrastructure. It is aimed at helping potential users to better understand the technology and distinguish between the growing numbers of scanners now available.
More...Featured Product: Magellan ProMark 500
Friday, 15 Aug 2008 06:22 AM
Magellan’s new ProMark 500 is a survey-class receiver that can track GPS, Glonass and Space-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS). By adding Glonass to the GPS signal, ProMark500 can increase its performance in difficult environments.
More...The End of Photogrammetry
Wednesday, 16 Jul 2008 02:22 AM
Photogrammetry may well be nearing the end of the road as a profitable field of academic study. Wolfgang Forner, from Universitat Bonn in Germany, said that most photogrammetrists face extreme challenges from computer and machine vision specialists. Many such people have discovered geography as a profitable field for their applications.
More...National Geomatics Centre of China
Wednesday, 16 Jul 2008 02:17 AM
Lots of metrics confirm that China is expanding at an impressive rate. Here are some more: when the National Geomatics Centre of China's 1:1 million coverage was updated in 2003, cartographers discovered they had to change 8 per cent of the political boundaries, 14 per cent of the railways, 23 per cent of the residential areas and 37 per cent of the roads.
More...Beijing-1 Control
Tuesday, 08 Jul 2008 01:57 AM
Beijing Landview Mapping Information Technology, celebrated ISPRS by allowing the general public into the control centre for the Beijing-1 satellite, situated in suburban Beijing. While the acquisition of the satellite was paid for by the central government, the operation of the downstation and the satellite over the next five years is expected to be self-funding.
More...Building a Better Global DEM
Monday, 07 Jul 2008 12:48 AM
Digital Elevation Models of the Earth's surface have a long history. Nevertheless, the first truly global DEM was create only ten years ago, and even the best of the modern varieties seem to have errors measured in tens or hundreds of metres. But there is hope that a global DEM with sub-metre errors is not far off.
More...TeleAtlas and the New World of DIY
Thursday, 19 Jun 2008 05:14 AM
The problem with in-car mapping systems is no longer the coverage of the data. If a mapping van hasn't driven down your steet, it will soon, no matter where you live. Today, the big issue is currency. You need to know this in order to understand one of the most remarkable events in the industry in the last few years – the sale of Tele Atlas to the personal navigation device manufacturer, TomTom, for $4.5 billion.
More...Earthquake Prediction Post-Sichuan
Tuesday, 17 Jun 2008 12:43 AM
Australian scientists may have found a practical way of predicting earthquakes using space-based radar interferometry to map ground movement. However, they are not the only ones offering hope after the Sichuan earthquake. Scientists in Britain, Taiwan and the US are proposing an earthquake warning system based on electrical disturbances that precede quakes on the ground below.
More...Temporary CORS Networks for Tsunami Relief: Aceh
Tuesday, 13 May 2008 07:14 AM
Researchers have recently established a temporary reference station network to test the potential of using high-precision GPS surveying techniques to re-establish land boundaries when survey monuments and other marks have been destroyed. They reported on their experience in the wake of the December 2004 tsunami in Aceh at last year's conference of the International GNSS Society.
More...Tackling the Skills Shortage in Indonesia
Monday, 12 May 2008 07:12 AM
A shortage of skilled surveyors is biting across the region. In Indonesia, where the need is especially severe, the many competing forms of land tenure are an open invitation to corrupution and abuse. Training more graduates in land information may be one way to tackle the issue.
More...Can Thailand’s Rice Cartel Stop World Hunger?
Friday, 09 May 2008 07:31 AM
It seems that the crisis in rice production will start to influence land use patterns across Asia as the Thai government plans a new series of regulation measures to protect its rice-growing regions. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a speech on 5 April that a rice cartel proposed by Thailand would ensure global food security, rather than increase hunger and poverty as critics say.
More...Australian Maritime Boundaries Impact on Indonesia
Friday, 02 May 2008 06:08 AM
The UN has approved the extension of Australia’s maritime boundaries, adding about 2.5 million km² of continental shelf. While the announcement has caused some satisfaction in Australia, it also prompted governments in adjacent countries to consider their options. Other coastal states such as Indonesia are also entitled to an extended continental shelf.
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