Cartography as a Tool for Geospatial Decision Support

GIM International Interviews Ferjan Ormeling

From 25 to 30 August 2013, the 26th International Cartographic Conference was being held in Dresden, Germany, bringing together cartographers and geographic information science specialists from across the globe. In recognition of the importance of the study and practice of mapmaking, GIM International had devoted its August 2013 issue to this event, so it was particularly fitting to feature an interview with Ferjan Ormeling, the prominent Dutch cartographer. Covering cartographic challenges, the power of maps, and lessons that can be learned from the past, Ormeling's views are that of an inspired and inspirational proclaimer of his specialist field. In May 2013... (read more)

2013-08-05 11:17:17

Towards Cadastre 2034: Part II

International Experts Speak Out

Bennett and co-authors from the University of Melbourne, Australia, have described six design elements relating to the role and nature of future cadastres, presented at the FIG 2010 congress in Sydney and published in GIM International (July 2010); an inspiring starting point for further dialogue. To encourage discussion we invited leading experts and practitioners to send us their own views and future vision. We received no fewer than ten replies, half of which were printed in the September issue. Here are the remaining five. Cadastre 2014 is an influential publication produced by a FIG Commission 7 working group... (read more)

2010-10-04 04:57:12

Galileo: Commercial Hopes Unrealistic

GIM Interviews Owen M. Goodman, Chief Operating Officer, Fugro N.V.

It is likely to be 2012 before the Galileo system itself is fully operational on a stand-alone basis, says this month’s interviewee Owen Goodman, and Galileo will never be a commercially viable service as long as GPS and Glonass are free. Given current plans, Galileo is heading inevitably towards a funding crisis. National security and defence agencies could make a substantial financial contribution, but this at the expense of Galileo’s status as a civilian system. The EU should leave the fulfilment of specialist civilian needs to commercial GNSS augmentation service providers and the makers of ‘RTK-type’ GNSS equipment, so that... (read more)

2006-02-23 12:00:00

GNSS Positioning

Status and Features

Nowadays, GNSS receivers have scores – and often hundreds – of channels, enabling them to track GPS, Glonass, Galileo and Compass signals simultaneously. The whole workflow from satellite tracking to calculating the coordinates of the position in a preferred reference system can be conducted automatically in real time. The price of GNSS receivers has dropped steadily since the first GPS receivers came onto the commercial market in 1982. In conjunction with the latest product survey results for GNSS receivers (available at www.geo‑matching.com), the author puts today’s GNSS status and features in perspective. (By Mathias Lemmens, senior editor, GIM International, The... (read more)

2012-12-18 01:53:20

Galileo: Commercial Hopes Unrealistic

GIM Interviews Owen M. Goodman, Chief Operating Officer, Fugro N.V.

It is likely to be 2012 before the Galileo system itself is fully operational on a stand-alone basis, says this month’s interviewee Owen Goodman, and Galileo will never be a commercially viable service as long as GPS and Glonass are free. Given current plans, Galileo is heading inevitably towards a funding crisis. National security and defence agencies could make a substantial financial contribution, but this at the expense of Galileo’s status as a civilian system. The EU should leave the fulfilment of specialist civilian needs to commercial GNSS augmentation service providers and the makers of ‘RTK-type’ GNSS equipment, so that... (read more)

2006-02-23 12:00:00

Infrastructure Group Benefits from Drone Technology in Smart Motorways Project

The international infrastructure group Balfour Beatty is reaping the rewards of using drones on major construction projects, including work on a multi-million-pound 'Smart Motorway' upgrade in the Midlands region of the UK with support from UAV specialist Heliguy. The group is utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or 'drones'), including the recently released DJI Phantom 4 RTK, to enhance safety, increase efficiency, gather data faster, improve asset productivity and gain high-accuracy results. The UAVs are being used for quicker stockpile measurements, informative aerial progress reports and accessing hard-to-reach areas. Balfour Beatty has turned to drone expert Heliguy as its preferred supplier,... (read more)

2019-04-09 10:39:43

Blockchain in Geospatial Applications

What is a blockchain and how is it relevant for geospatial applications?

A blockchain is an immutable trustless registry of entries, hosted on an open distributed network of computers (called nodes). It is potentially safer and cheaper than traditional centralised databases, is resilient to attacks, enhances transparency and accountability and puts people in control of their own data. Blockchain technology is already being used in some geospatial applications, as explained here. (By Jonas Ellehauge, awesome map tools, Norway) As an immutable registry for transactions of digital tokens, blockchain is suitable for geospatial applications involving data that is sensitive or a public good, autonomous devices and smart contracts. Use Cases Here are some geospatial... (read more)

2016-10-06 09:13:54

Small Company, Big Ambitions

GIM Interviews Paul Bosman, CEO, CycloMedia Technology BV

CycloMedia Technology BV is a privately owned company based in Waardenburg, The Netherlands. The company exploits an in-house developed camera system for capturing urbanised areas from the road. In January 2006 Paul Bosman became CEO. He talked to us about his many ambitious plans. What are the main products and services offered by CycloMedia? Since the early nineties CycloMedia has built up experience in systematic mapping of urbanised areas on the basis of 360-degree images (so-called cycloramas). These images are captured from the road and at street level using a car as carrier of the camera system, including positioning and... (read more)

2007-02-23 12:00:00

National Mapping Agency of Belgium

With a history stretching back to 1831, the National Mapping Agency (NMA) of Belgium has always respected the scientific approach. In 2006 it underwent a complete restructuring of work processes to become what it is today, an ultramodern organisation headed for the past five years by Ingrid Vanden Berghe.<P> In Brussels, home of the European Commission, a summit predictably delays road traffic, so that it is with some sense of reward that we arrive at the historical setting of Abbey ter Kameren, where the National Geographic Institute (NGI) is sited, along with the Belgian National Mapping Agency (NMA). From 1831... (read more)

2008-04-21 12:00:00

Difference between Theory and Practice

GIM Interviews Dr Vladimir Gershenzon, General Director, ScanEx

The third international conference on "Earth from Space" took place from 4th to 6th December in Moscow, Russia, with the theme "Most Effective Solutions". This meeting, accompanied by a small exhibition, aims to provide a forum for the exchange of experience in the practical use of satellite imagery for a broad spectrum of applications. ScanEx, headed by Dr Vladimir Gershenzon, is the main inspiration behind the conference. We interviewed him there.<P> When, why and how was ScanEx established, and what are your main products and services? After my graduation in 1980 I worked for several years at different institutes... (read more)

2008-02-19 12:00:00