Industry Report: The Geospatial Industry is Alive and Kicking

How Digitalization and the Immense Need for 3D Data Drive the Business Forward

The advancement of new technology in the geospatial industry is opening up new horizons for surveyors. The profession has rapidly become high-tech, which has brought many benefits and also an ever-greater need to invest in advanced data acquisition, processing, analysis and visualization solutions. According to the findings from the annual GIM International survey among geospatial professionals, the demand for such solutions is set to reach new heights in 2020 and beyond. It is a case of ‘full steam ahead’ for the surveying and mapping business – which is great news in particular for hardware and software companies. The mood among... (read more)

2020-02-14 11:04:00

Geo Connect Asia Cancelled due to Coronavirus Concerns; New Dates Announced

Geo Connect Asia 2020, Southeast Asia’s inaugural geospatial event, has been cancelled in light of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Themed ‘Mapping the data-driven future economy’, the event was set to feature the very latest trends and insights in the mapping and surveying industry. The organizers have announced that the event now is scheduled to be held on 24 and 25 March 2021 in Singapore. Following the cancellation of Geo Connect Asia 2020, in view of health and travel safety concerns connected to the still-evolving Covid-19 situation, organizers Montgomery Asia have announced that Southeast Asia’s inaugural geospatial event will be taking place in... (read more)

2020-02-14 08:41:35

Revealing Chernobyl Radiation Hotspots with Lidar Technology

It’s been over three decades since reactor Number 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine melted down, leading to the world’s worst civilian nuclear disaster in history. Now, a team of multidisciplinary researchers have used Routescene’s UAV Lidar technology to map radioactive hotspots in greater detail than ever before. Professor Tom Scott, from the School of Physics at the University of Bristol, UK, led a group of researchers from the UK's National Centre for Nuclear Robotics (NCNR) to conduct surveys on multiple sites of interest within the Exclusion Zone which surrounds the damaged reactor. The surveyed sites... (read more)

2020-02-13 09:56:16

Testing Areas for Drones Needed to Prevent ‘Bottleneck to Growth’

One of the UK’s leading drone experts has urged British property owners and business leaders to leverage the opportunity of their under-used land for drone testing. This is important to help accelerate the rate of growth of the UK drone industry, in the face of what he described as an emerging ‘bottleneck to growth’. Robert Garbett, founder of the UK Drone Delivery Group, which is the first industry initiative to provide guidance on the steps required to enable accelerated commercialisation of the UK drone industry, stated “There is a current unnecessary ‘bottleneck’ in the evolution of the drone industry and... (read more)

2020-02-10 10:34:35

Satellite Imagery and AI to Improve Paddy Field Management in Indonesia

As part of their collaborative partnership to develop a national satellite data platform system for Indonesia, science education company PASCO and Indonesia’s National Space Agency (LAPAN) are researching the use of satellite data to improve paddy field management. The solution also incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) technology from PASCO for extra efficiency. LAPAN is developing the regional data node (ReDaNo) system to provide Indonesian and other South East Asian governments with satellite data concerning natural hazards, sea-level rise and illegal maritime activity in near real time. Indonesia is particularly keen to use this system to improve the efficiency and accuracy of... (read more)

2020-01-27 10:50:59

First Keynote Announced for International Lidar Mapping Forum 2020

The International Lidar Mapping Forum (ILMF) has announced that Tara O’Shea, director of forest programmes at Planet, will give a keynote presentation titled ‘Combining Remote Sensing & Analytics Technologies: Emerging Environmental Applications’ at the 2020 event. This highly anticipated keynote, the first of several available to both ILMF and the co-located ASPRS Annual Conference attendees, will kick off three days of conference programming at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, USA, on 23 March 2020. During her presentation, O'Shea will examine the explosion in the availability of remotely sensed data over the past decade and its impact... (read more)

2020-01-20 11:34:06

3D BIM Models for Heritage Asset Management

Moving beyond the Field of Data Capture for Digital Preservation

Research undertaken under a collaborative doctoral partnership between Historic England and the University of Reading, UK, is moving beyond the field of 3D data capture for digital preservation. It considers how critical information for the conservation, repair and maintenance of historic buildings can be visualized in 3D BIM models and how BIM processes can be used for the management of structured datasets that inform conservation and repair programmes. A pilot study has been conducted using the work of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust and historic British research base ‘E’ on Stonington Island, Antarctica, to consider this potential. Building information modelling... (read more)

2020-01-16 09:49:50

Velodyne Lidar Introduces Low-cost Small Lidar Sensor

Velodyne Lidar has introduced Velabit, the company’s smallest sensor that brings new levels of versatility and affordability to 3D Lidar perception. The Velabit leverages Velodyne’s innovative Lidar technology and manufacturing partnerships for cost optimization and high-volume production. The sensor contributes to Velodyne’s mission to make high-quality 3D Lidar sensors readily accessible to everyone. The Velabit perfectly complements Velodyne’s sensor portfolio. The sensor delivers the same technology and performance found on Velodyne’s full suite of sensors and is set to be the catalyst for creating endless possibilities for new applications in a variety of industries. The compact Velabit can be embedded... (read more)

2020-01-16 09:18:33

New Satellite Services Company Provides Smart Data for the Planet

Advances in technology for observing the Earth from space have resulted in the formation of a new company that will bring a range of innovative satellite intelligence and data services to market. 4 Earth Intelligence (4EI) has pioneered the use of satellite data for smart monitoring and analysis creating city, region and countrywide data solutions for applications such as air quality, asset management, ecology and urban heat monitoring. With offices in Bristol, UK and in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 4 Earth Intelligence has been established to focus on new sectors and technical innovations using machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide... (read more)

2020-01-15 10:01:56

Bosch Unveils Lidar Sensor for Autonomous Driving

Bosch has become the first company to develop a production-ready long-range Lidar sensor for automotive use. The Lidar system has been demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taking place in Las Vegas, USA, this week. It complements the company’s existing radar and camera systems to provide the extra level of safety needed to make autonomous driving a reality. According to Bosch, the laser-based distance measurement technology known as Lidar is indispensable for driving functions at SAE Levels 3 to 5. The new Bosch sensor covers both long and close ranges, making it suitable for use both on motorways and... (read more)

2020-01-09 10:34:03