Improved SOCET SET
Version 5.1 of BAE Systems' SOCET SET features improvements to its already powerful terrain extraction tools which promise to greatly reduce terrain processing time. A new multi-processor function utilizes the power of multiple CPUs to improve the speed of extracting terrain by 50 percent or better, depending on the machine and the number of CPUs in use. In addition, the SEED DTM function has been enhanced to directly seed the elevation values over posts, or to interpolate the elevation values that fall within the area of the seed. This decreases the number of posts that the Automatic Terrain Extraction tool must calculate which also reduces processing time. SOCET SET 5.1 will be released in March 2004.

PCI Geomatics Releases Geomatica 9 Version 9.1
PCI Geomatics has completed and is now shipping the newest update of Geomatica to customers around the globe. Geomatica 9 Version 9.1, the company's newest edition of its landmark geospatial software solution, improves on a solid performance reputation for remote sensing, photogrammetry, GIS, and cartography established by its predecessor. Additions found in the latest Geomatica build upon the software's remote sensing processing, GIS capabilities, hyperspectral tools, and user productivity practices. Improvements to Geomatica 9 Version 9.1 include processing performance enhancements, stronger spatial overlay capabilities, additions to the online help, and for the Geomatica 9 Software Development Kit, several new applications, new interfaces, and added documentation. Rigorous photogrammetry model support is also included for the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) and the MEdium Resolution Imaging Specrometer (MERIS) sensors aboard Envisat.

Leica ALS50 LIDAR System Now Features 83 kHz Pulse Rate
Leica Geosystems GIS & Mapping has improved its ALS50 Airborne Laser Scanner to allow data capture at pulse rates up to 83 kHz. This is the highest pulse rate offered by any airborne LIDAR system currently available. With the ALS50, users can enjoy the tightest possible planimetric spacing between points acquired on the ground. The ALS50 is the only compact LIDAR-based system in the market that includes this functionality.

The latest release phase of the ALS50 features other notable improvements, including:

- Four range returns, including last, maximizing the probability of hitting terrain surfaces under forest cover while providing enhanced data from canopy layers

- Simplified operation, with full-time, four-return operation

- Improved pulse rates at all flying heights, maximizing detail in captured DEMs

The ALS50 is a compact, LIDAR-based system designed to acquire topographical and return signal intensity data from numerous airborne platforms. The system computes the data using laser range and return signal intensity measurements recorded in-flight, along with position and attitude data taken from airborne GPS and inertial subsystems.

Utah State University Receives Patent for 3-D Camera
A patent received by Utah State University for 3-D Multispectral Imaging could revolutionize the world of reconnaissance, movies, video games, geological surveying, disaster response, homeland security, and even the way we view our evening news. Pack, a research professor in the College of Engineering at Utah State and engineer at the Space Dynamics Laboratory came up with the idea eight years ago with help from his brother Brent Pack, a retired electrical engineer. According to Pack, he began to watch the evolution of LiDAR technology and started a separate company focusing on LiDAR. He and his brother came up with some ideas, and within a year they had thought up this new technology and started to research it.

Pack and his brother decided to move the technology to Utah State to help incubate, develop, patent and market it. Existing technology in this area requires a computer to spend hours transforming the raw data into a three-dimensional image. The new technology is able to produce a 3-D image immediately. It is based on ladar imaging, which is an accurate system similar to radar, but uses light in place of radio waves. One of the first areas identified to be in need of this technology was the Department of Defense (DoD). Presentations were made to the DoD, and a three-year contract to develop this camera for use in a cruise missile was procured over a year ago with the Naval Warfare System.

ASPRS Publishes Report on Remote Sensing
10-Year Industry Forecast
A complete report of Phases I through III of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) 10-year Industry Forecast of Remote Sensing has been published in the January 2004 issue of Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing (PE&RS), the official journal for imaging and geospatial information science and technology. The study documentation was prepared by Charles Mondello, Pictometry International Corp., Forecast Coordinator; Dr. George F. Hepner, University of Utah; and, Dr. Ray A. Williamson, The George Washington University.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided important financial support for the conduct and documentation of the Forecast. In addition, numerous remote-sensing organizations provided information and volunteer effort throughout the project, making this study a report on the industry, by the industry, for both the industry and its outside interest groups.

The study was begun in 1999 under a Space Act Agreement between NASA and ASPRS, with a goal to develop a continuing forecast for the remote sensing industry. Phase I of the forecast, completed in 2000, characterized the industry and developed a financial and activity baseline and an initial forecast of economic activity. Phase II, completed in 2002, centered on the identification and assessment of the end users of remote sensing and geospatial information products. Phase III focused on validating the results of Phases I and II and delivering an updated technology and market assessment, especially given the potential impacts on the industry following the terrible events of September 11, 2001. In 2002, NOAA joined the group to support the documentation and analysis of the Forecast in order to provide further information to the private sector and government agencies. Post-Phase III (Phases IV and on) activities are expected to center on developing a revised market forecast and standardizing methods for continuing the rolling forecast.

Among the important findings of the report, Phase III assessed the effect of 9-11 and related national economic circumstances on industry growth. Consistent with the contraction of the U. S. economy since 2001, study respondents reduced their growth projections in Phase II to 9% over the next few years; downward from the 14% projected in Phase I. The relative small size of most companies providing industry services with limited resources for Research and Development was cited as the primary factor for this reprojection. Phase III further developed the real and potential effects of the attacks of 9-11 on governmental policy indicating that increased restrictions on the pubic availability of geospatial information have had a negative effect on organizations producing geospatial data and information, especially in data export, airspace restrictions and data purveyance to the public.

Another finding of the study is the need for development of a capable workforce for continued industry growth. Lack of retention of entry-level workers appears to hamper the long-term health of the industry. Further, the development of new analytic methods and new geospatial technologies will lead to future growth, but require a sufficiently trained workforce to sustain the growth.

Finally, it appears that remote sensing consumers need higher resolution data and improved positional accuracy, including higher accuracy support data such as digital elevation datasets. These findings vary by the user sector and the market segment, but appear to be consistent overall.

The City of Toronto Will Implement NovaLIS' Parcel Editor as Part of its Integrated Geospatial Environment
NovaLIS Technologies and business partner ESRI Canada will provide the City of Toronto with a parcel maintenance solution, as part of its integrated geospatial environment. The City's land information business unit will implement the solution, and ESRI Canada will provide training support.

NovaLIS and ESRI will provide the City with a software solution that will replace and enhance components of its existing geospatial environment architecture and tools, and allow the City to proceed with an Integrated Geospatial Environment. Toronto will migrate its existing parcel maintenance environment to the ESRI/NovaLIS Parcel Editor environment.

Land Information Toronto of Corporate Services' Information and Technology Division, which manages the enterprise geospatial environment, will port it to an ArcSDE, Oracle 9i, Oracle Spatial platform, and configure the Parcel Editor environment.

Structured, up-to-date, secure, and accurate geospatial information is critical to the efficient operation of the City of Toronto. The City's geospatial environment is a corporate resource and includes the One Address Repository, the Toronto Street Centreline, Administrative Areas, Parcels, Large Scale Mapping, and Orthoimagery. Geospatial information is used throughout the six operating departments: Community and Neighbourhood Services; Economic Development, Culture, and Tourism; Urban Development Services; Works and Emergency Services; Corporate Services; and Finance.

Successful Completion of the InSAR
Cartography Project in Venezuela
Orbisat da Amazônia has successfully completed phase III, the automated processing of InSAR data of the States of Bolivar and Delta Amacuro in Venezuela, in cooperation with Infoterra GmbH, an EADS/Astrium company in Germany, who is the prime contractor of this World Bank financed project and Mercator as the Venezuelan counterpart, responsible for the logistics of the processing facilities. The 263,000 sq km mapping project began in January 2003 and completed the aerial survey in April 2003 utilizing OrbiSAR-1, the company's own airborne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar system (InSAR). OrbiSAR-1's design for simultaneous acquisition of two RADAR bands (X- and P-band) allowed the rapid production of 518 high quality Ortho-SAR 1:50,000 scale maps together with digital elevation models, contour lines, water bodies, streams, roads and various land cover elements such as forest types, building density, land use, etc.

The data was processed with InSAR software developed by Orbisat da Amazônia S.A. at the Centro Profesional del Este in Caracas, which is maintained by the Venezuelan counterpart of the project, Grupo Mercator from Caracas. Local Venezuelan SAR and cartographic specialists, trained by Orbisat da Amazônia, processed the data 24 hours/day in three shifts. Experts from Infoterra GmbH, Germany execute quality assurance and -control of the processing and the products. The last map was delivered to the client of this project, the Geographical Institute of Venezuela Simon Bolívar (I.G.V.S.B.), on 16th of December 2003. The project closing ceremony was therefore held on the 19th of December 2003. The Institute is presently archiving the delivered maps into their Cartographic Information System, which presently consists of more than 500 000 sq. km of excellent Ortho-SAR maps.

After this successful nationwide mapping project in Venezuela, Orbisat is preparing the continuation of its "ready map" program, which will cover all of Latin America with its ready to use Ortho-SAR Maps, a unique standard of Orbisat's Remote Sensing Division. Due to the outstanding success and reputation of Dr. João Moreira and his team of InSAR specialists, Orbisat is now urged to extend its ready map program to other countries outside of Latin America.

DigitalGlobe Satellite Imagery Used to Aid Wildfire Risk Assessment
DigitalGlobe announced it has entered into an agreement with Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Native Communities Development Corporation (NCDC) to provide high-resolution satellite imagery for integration with NCDC's remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and mapping technologies in order to provide a suite of wildfire risk assessment services.

NCDC uses DigitalGlobe's 60-centimeter resolution QuickBird satellite imagery in combination with advanced remote sensing, feature extraction, and three-dimensional mapping techniques developed by NCDC's High Resolution Satellite Imagery and Mapping Division. These technologies enable NCDC to count, classify, map and measure individual trees; determine crown size, crown closure, open space and terrain context; and locate and map isolated structures situated within the Wildland Urban Interface. Using QuickBird's 2.4-meter resolution multispectral imagery, tree species can often be identified. This information is then used to identify high-density timber stands where hazardous fuels are likely to accumulate, thereby helping to identify areas where catastrophic crown fires could occur.

Because of the large geographic areas covered by the QuickBird satellite, NCDC is able to cost-effectively assess and map vast areas covering hundreds of square miles. In addition to mapping forested land, DigitalGlobe's imagery and NCDC's processing techniques are used to map access roads, water sources and power lines; identify potential escape routes, safety zones and staging areas; and locate remote unmapped structures. Combined with QuickBird's multispectral imagery, NCDC's analytical techniques can accurately identify roof composition, a critical factor in determining a structure's wildfire risk.

NCDC's and DigitalGlobe's Wildfire Assessment Services will provide critical data for developing wildfire risk assessment and mitigation plans, establishing defensive zones, and conducting strategic and tactical planning for emergency response and fire suppression.

NCDC serves North American native communities as well as federal, civil, and commercial forestry markets. The organization is presently working on a forest composition and wildfire assessment contract with the Colorado State Forest Service, and has recently completed a major forestry assessment project for the Navajo Nation.