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Mapping Ancient Egyptian Sites
Wednesday, 04 Feb 2009 01:40 AM
Archaeologists are the most meticulous and versatile of explorers, but it is often backbreaking work. The measuring and recording of ancient sites, for example, is one of the most tedious jobs for any archaeologist. But GPS technology is changing that. A team of Eqyptologists recently used GPS, total stations and imagery to solve mysteries in the Western Desert.
More on Mapping Ancient SitesInside GEOSS
Tuesday, 03 Feb 2009 11:25 PM
At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, delegates highlighted the urgency of co-ordinated Earth observation. In 2005, the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) established the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) as a framework to develop new projects and co-ordinate strategies and investments. This article looks at what GEOSS has achieved since then.
More on GEOSSLaser Scanners (Part 2): Getting the Best Results
Tuesday, 23 Dec 2008 11:59 PM
Airborne laser scanning (also known as airborne lidar) is an efficient method of defining the shape of the ground beneath an aircraft. But it can be done well or badly, depending on the choices one makes. This article examines the variables that influence the quality of data captured, including pulse rate, point spacing, multi-pulse, and cost versus accuracy.
More on Airborne Laser ScanningLaser Scanners (Part 1): Understanding the Technology
Monday, 22 Dec 2008 04:16 AM
In recent years, a range of 2nd generation airborne laser scanners has entered the market. This article reviews improvements in laser scanning technology - including pulse rate, pulse length and full wave form detection, polygon mirror configuration - with the aim of helping potential users distinguish between the growing numbers of scanners now available.
More on Laser Scanning TechnologyDetecting Land Mines: New Technology
Wednesday, 17 Dec 2008 06:33 AM
The detection and accurate location of unexploded land mines, bombs or shells is a serious problem. A joint American-Australian team is working to develop a system based on multi-sensor integration. Highly accurate and highly reliable, this new geo-location system will significantly improve the state of the art.
More on detecting land minesWeapons of Mass Collaboration
Tuesday, 16 Dec 2008 01:14 AM
People power is changing mapping. This article takes a closer look at some of the most successful examples of spatially-driven mass collaboration, including OpenStreetMap. From skype and open-source software, to ‘wiki’ sites and creative commons, new technology is helping to unlock a free data revolution. And location, it would seem, is in the middle of it.
More on mass collaborationCombining 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 on Combining CAD and GISRebuilding 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 on Rebuilding after the Great Sichuan EarthquakeIndia 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 on India Goes to the MoonWater 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 on Water Resources ManagementGIS 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 on GIS Battles Exotic PestsVisualisation 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 on Visualisation for Asset ManagementThe 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 on The Future of Asset ManagementAsset 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 on Asset Management Solutions for Engineering GISUnderstanding 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 on Understanding Laser ScannersFeatured 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 on Featured Product: Magellan ProMark 500The 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 on The End of PhotogrammetryNational 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 on National Geomatics Centre of ChinaBeijing-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 on Beijing-1 ControlBuilding 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 on Building a Better Global DEMTeleAtlas 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 on TeleAtlas and the New World of DIYEarthquake 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 on Earthquake Prediction Post-SichuanTemporary 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 on Temporary CORS Networks for Tsunami Relief: AcehTackling 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 on Tackling the Skills Shortage in IndonesiaCan 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 on Can Thailand’s Rice Cartel Stop World Hunger?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.
More on Australian Maritime Boundaries Impact on IndonesiaInside Razaksat
Monday, 07 Apr 2008 06:54 AM
Sometime in the next few months, Malaysia will finally launch its Razaksat-1 satellite, its first attempt at an Earth observation vehicle join up. At least, it will if plans go according to schedule. It’s a big ‘if’. The original plan was to launch the satellite in 2005, but that was delayed due to problems with the launch vehicle and with the satellite itself.
More on Inside RazaksatIntegration of CAD and GIS
Monday, 07 Apr 2008 06:21 AM
The concept is familiar: take data from one environment to another without losing integrity, information or intelligence. However, the integration of CAD and GIS environments continues to be an issue, especially in local government and in other agencies where information from designers needs to be placed in its true geographic context.
More on Integration of CAD and GISFighting Global Warming, Securing Sovereignty
Tuesday, 01 Apr 2008 05:59 AM
Rising sea levels have grave implications for the future of small islands, maritime boundaries and ultimately, national sovereignty. Indonesia, for instance, is predicted to lose 92 small islands of great strategic value. This will alter the status and extent of Indonesia's maritime area.
More on Fighting Global Warming, Securing SovereigntySingapore Plants Trees in GIS
Thursday, 20 Mar 2008 11:46 PM
In 1963, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew launched a tree planting campaign. But it is only with the use of GIS that it has been possible to fully realise his vision.
More on Singapore Plants Trees in GISAsian Infrastructure Growth in a Greener World
Wednesday, 27 Feb 2008 06:35 AM
Asian infrastructure growth will continue to drive the market for spatial information over the next decade. This would seem to be the take home message from an address to World Press Day in Sydney from Patrick Williams, head of Autodesk operations in the Asia Pacific. The event is an opportunity for executives in the company to inform the public about its long-term plans.
More on Asian Infrastructure Growth in a Greener WorldIran's Space Ambitions Ride on Safir
Friday, 22 Feb 2008 01:41 AM
On 4 February, the Islamic Republic of Iran successfully launched a sub-orbital rocket called Safir (Envoy) from its newly opened domestic launch site in the northeast of the country.The communications payload on Safir sent real-time data back to earth from about 250 km.
More on Iran's Space Ambitions Ride on SafirVertical Definition
Friday, 22 Feb 2008 01:36 AM
Staff at Anzlic, the Australian national mapping council, have been working towards a National Digital Elevation Model to improve the definition of heights across the continent since 2006. A meeting next month will move the process along.
More on Vertical DefinitionRe-Visioning Spatial Data and Knowledge for Sustainable Development
Thursday, 14 Feb 2008 03:59 AM
Sustainable development principles are now an accepted part of the planning process. The use of spatial data technologies to enable those processes is commonplace. This means changing the output of a spatial information system from maps to digital forms.
More on Re-Visioning Spatial Data and Knowledge for Sustainable DevelopmentBuilding Geo-games
Thursday, 07 Feb 2008 01:45 AM
Location-based gaming is growing. These are the games in which play centres around players’ geographical movements. However, the technical challenges facing the developers of these location-based games is inhibiting their commercial success
More on Building Geo-gamesCheap Data Helps Build the Industry
Thursday, 07 Feb 2008 01:06 AM
Spatial data is an indispensible tool for anyone trying to develop an economy. But attempts to recover the price of creating the data are often counter-productive.
Bob Ryerson has just finished consulting to the Thai government on data policy.
More on Cheap Data Helps Build the IndustryInternet Map of Sea Level Increase
Tuesday, 05 Feb 2008 11:07 PM
Want to see how your local coastline will change if sea levels rise? See which streets will be submerged and which ones will have waterfront views. A new website shows the impact of sea water rises from one to 14 metres in one metre intervals.
More on Internet Map of Sea Level IncreaseERP for Freight Transport
Saturday, 12 Jan 2008 10:44 PM
An ERP system is not just another computer application. It changes the way that enterprises work. The GIS Research Centre at Feng Chia University has developed a prototype system that uses ERP principals.
More on ERP for Freight TransportResearchers Use GIS to Study Landslide Causes
Thursday, 10 Jan 2008 03:04 AM
Torrential rainfall in the summer of 2004 caused a series of natural disasters in the Niigata region of Honshu, the largest island in Japan. The heaviest downfall occurred on 13 July, flooding Japan’s longest river, the Shinano-gawa. A little over three months later, on 23 October, intensive earthquakes shook another hilly area.
More on Researchers Use GIS to Study Landslide CausesThe Aftermath
Wednesday, 09 Jan 2008 07:55 AM
On 26 December 2004, a devastating tsunami was triggered by the Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake hit Banda Aceh. The wave killed more than 186,000 people, but the UN puts the overall casualty count at 229,866. Whatever the final toll, it was this district, at the northern end of Indonesia, that bore the brunt of the wave and its aftermath.
More on The Aftermath