| Leica Geosystems, ERDAS and LH Systems Form New GIS Powerhouse
Leica Geosystems has announced the signing of two acquisition agreements. The company will acquire 100 percent of the shares of ERDAS Inc., a market leader in remote sensing software. At the same time, Leica Geosystems will acquire the remaining 50 percent of the outstanding shares of LH Systems, one of the industry leaders in aerial photography, remote sensing, and photogrammetry, from its joint-venture partner BAE Systems. ERDAS and LH Systems, both headquartered in the United States, will form the core of the new GIS and Mapping Division of Leica Geosystems, and furthermore will provide a platform for growth in the geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) market segments.
As a result of the rapid implementation of their growth strategy, this traditional Swiss surveying technology company has, within a few months, become one of the most comprehensive suppliers of solutions in the acquisition, visualization and modeling of spatial data for numerous applications. With the successful integration of Laser Alignment Inc. and Cyra Technologies Inc. earlier this year, new potential growth opportunities employing the most modern technologies in terrestrial surveying have been developed. ERDAS and LH Systems represent further opportunities in the remote sensing and photogrammetry markets through the collection of data via aerial means.
In order to fully realize the synergies between these two entities, the company plans to integrate ERDAS and LH Systems as part of the Leica Geosystems family -- beneath the umbrella of their new GIS and Mapping Division -- while retaining and leveraging their individual identities and market presence. Leica Geosystems had already strengthened its position in the GIS, remote sensing and related markets through several strategic partnerships, including a relationship with ESRI and recent investments in AED Graphics (covering the Central European market) and NovaLIS (covering the North American market) that provided an entrance into the field of cadastral and land-information solutions.
For further information, please contact Bruce Rado, vice president of ERDAS Inc., Atlanta, Ga. Tel: (404) 248-9000. E-mail: [email protected]. An alternative contact is Fritz Staudacher at Leica Geosystems AG, Heerbrugg, Switzerland. Tel: (41) 71-727-3043. E-mail: [email protected].
Intergraph's GeoSpatial World 2001 Attracts Broad International Audience
With the start of GeoSpatial World 2001 just weeks away, Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions is putting the final touches on conference preparations for their June 18-20 event in Atlanta, Ga. GeoSpatial World is expected to attract a broad international audience of mapping and GIS professionals. Prospective attendees from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Jordan, Spain, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, India, Hong Kong, Croatia, Norway, Republic of South Africa, Republic of China, Germany, and New Zealand are among those already registered.
GeoSpatial World is targeted at decision makers, managers, staff, and users who create or use geospatial information technology to solve problems in the public or private sector, or in academia. The conference is open to all Intergraph customers, plus professionals and students who have an interest in the mapping and GIS fields. Registration details and the complete GeoSpatial World conference program and are available on the Internet at www.intergraph.com/geospatialworld.
Here are some of the highlights of this year's GeoSpatial World conference:
* Industry products -- showcased solutions targeted at public works, transportation, land information, and environmental issues
* Location-based services (LBS) symposium -- discussions of the hottest emerging "new industry" that combines the technological innovations of GIS and wireless communications
* Best-practice GIS implementations - more than 80 user presentations ranging from development of a GIS-based highway network to creation of a nationwide avalanche-monitoring system Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions delivers comprehensive geospatial solutions to government, commercial, and international markets.
For further information, please contact Shelley Miller at Intergraph, Huntsville, Ala. Tel: (800) 791-3357 or (256) 730-7191. E-mail: [email protected].
Integrating Remote Sensing on a Global Scale at the ISPRS Symposium
ASPRS, the Imaging & Geospatial Information Society, has announced the 2002 meeting of the 15th William T. Pecora Memorial Remote Sensing Symposium/Land Satellite Information IV Conference and Exhibition, to be held jointly with the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) Commission I (Platforms & Sensors) Symposium. These meetings will be held November 8-15, 2002, at the Adams Mark Hotel in Denver, Colo. The conference theme will be "Integrating Remote Sensing at the Global, Regional and Local Scale."
The Pecora/Land Satellite conference tracks will cover areas that include natural resources, forestry, agriculture, environment, national security, transportation, disasters, hazards, and emergency response. The conference will host workshops, technical sessions, posters, exhibits, technical tours, and a classified session. In addition, the William T. Pecora Memorial Award will be presented at this conference.
The target audience for the ISPRS Commission I Symposium is the platform and sensor specialist. This conference is expected to bring together image specialists from around the world, as well as end-user professionals from diverse application backgrounds. The organizers are inviting presentation proposal for papers, workshops, or poster sessions for this conference. The deadline for abstract submissions is February 12, 2002.
Founded in 1934, ASPRS is an international professional organization of some 7000 geospatial data professionals, devoted to the advancment of knowledge and improved understanding of the mapping sciences.
For additional information and abstract submission instructions, please visit the conference's web site at www.asprs.org/pecora-ISPRS-2002.
ISTAR Adds Five U.S. Cities to High-resolution Imagery Catalog
ISTAR has acquired and processed one-meter-resolution imagery for five additional cities in the United States, bringing to eleven the number of municipalities offered in this format. These newest members are Phoenix, Albuquerque, Tucson, Charlotte (N.C.) and Raleigh (Va.), joining San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Washington, D.C.
Since October 2000, when ISTAR set up an operational center in Herndon, Va., the company has captured and processed 18,800 square miles of U.S. metropolitan areas. Meanwhile, ISTAR's acquisition program in other parts of the world continues to grow as well, with more than 100 cities available in one-meter-or-better resolution.
Unlike other technologies such as laser or traditional photogrammetry, this imagery offered by ISTAR has the ability to deliver, simultaneously, one-meter-resolution true ortho-images and 3D models. This imagery has applicability in such fields as urban planning, location-based services, telecommunications, civil engineering, oil & gas exploration, flight simulation, and 3D animation.
ISTAR is a cartography company that specializes in the production of digital geographic databases created specifically for the design, optimization and expansion of wireless telecommunication networks.
For further information, please contact Isabelle Wynn at ISTAR/France. Tel: (33) 497-23-23-73. The company's web site is located at www.istar.com.
Sanborn Acquires Analytical Surveys Inc. Office
The Sanborn Map Company Inc. has completed its acquisition of the Colorado Springs office of Analytical Surveys Inc. The office will be known from this point onward as Sanborn Colorado LLC, and will continue to operate under its existing management team.
Sanborn and ASI will work together to ensure that current clients of the Colorado Springs office remain unaffected by this change. Analytical Surveys Inc. is known for its GIS experience and expertise in advanced mapping technologies.
The Sanborn Map Company offers photogrammetric mapping, data conversion and comprehensive GIS services to engineering companies, government entities, utilities, and to the telecommunications industry.
For more information, please contact Amy Drescher at Sanborn. Tel: (800) 930-3298. E-mail: [email protected]. The company's web site is located at www.sanbornmap.com.
NOAA uses eCognition for Coral Reef Mapping Program
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service (Silver Springs, Md.), has purchased eCognition for use in its program to map coral reef habitats in remote areas of the United States. Their primary area of interest is the new Northwest Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. Other U.S. territories and affiliated states in the Pacific will be covered in subsequent survey efforts. NOAA has elected to use medium and high-resolution satellite data for these mapping efforts.
DEFiNiENS AG is the company that developed eCognition technology. eCognition is the first commercially available product for object-based and multi-scale image analysis. Going beyond the methodical limits of the pixel-based approach, eCognition leads to higher classification accuracy and to better semantic differentation. eCognition can be used to any kind of Earth-observation data, whether optical or radar, and provides the ability to segment and classify large-image volumes.
For further information please contact DEFiNiENS Imaging GmbH, Trappentreustrasse 1-3, (80339) Munich, Germany. Tel: (49) 89-231-1800. E-mail: [email protected].
Internet-based Map Service Now Available for Dubai
Spatial Data Integrators (SDI) recently launched an Internet-based location map service that shows the locations of registered companies, shops, events and other establishments in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. These interactive map sites may be found on the Web at www.dubailocator.com and www.uaelocator.com.
Dubai is the first area in the Middle East to have a location map service that allows users to browse a live Internet map. The site provides map navigation tools to zoom-in, zoom-out, pan, search for locations, and obtain contact details for registered establishments. SDI has worked for the past two years to create this product, and they have employed the latest Internet Map Server (IMS) technology to produces maps for required areas in real time. The base map has been compiled from digital ortho-images produced from aerial photographs taken in November 1999, plus posted landmarks collected via field surveys.SDI expects to update the base map data on a regular basis.
SDI has engineered an Internet-based location system, known as GRL for Geo Reference Locator. GRL allows any location to be registered on the Internet map for assignment of a unique sub-domain name. Similar to an e-mail address, anyone can have a GRL for a company, shop, event, or home location, and it can be linked with other web sites as well.
The GRL concept now has been implemented for some 4000 establishments in Dubai.
For further information, and for registration of locations, please visit the company's web site at http://sdi.aeGRL.com.
Web-based Mapping Service Offers High-resolution Printing
Syncline Inc. has added high-resolution printing capabilities and other enhancements to MapCiti(tm), the company's fully automated, web-based mapping service for cities, towns and government agencies. MapCiti is the first hosted mapping service to offer high-resolution printing capabilities on the Web, enabling users to see all the detailed information contained within municipal maps.
This new release also allows cities and towns to link directly to their respective MapCiti maps, as well as providing them with graphic tools to build maps with more impact and clarity. Additions include hundreds of colors and an expanded array of shapes, lines and symbols.
MapCiti's new high-resolution printing capabilities (vector printing) allow people to more clearly see critical local information that includes property lines, street names, and local precinct boundaries. MapCiti also enables municipalities and government agencies to share Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data such as property ownership, school districts, and internal zoning districts.
Syncline Inc. provides web-based mapping solutions for commercial businesses and government organizations.
For further information, please visit the company's web site at www.syncline.com.
ImageAmerica Announces Ortho-imagery Contract
ImageAmerica Inc. has been awarded a contract to provide its TerraSource(r) product for Crawford County, Ohio, an aerial mapping project that will update information for the entire region. Utilizing its direct digital camera system, the company will collect new imagery to deliver highly accuracy, one-foot-resolution orthophotography.
ImageAmerica has developed and operates the world's only direct digital panoramic aerial camera system.
For further information, please contact Tom Maher at ImageAmerica. Tel: (800) 275-0133. E-mail: [email protected].
IDL Helps Teach Children With Hands-On Universe
Research Systems Inc. (RSI) has seen its IDL software used to help children learn math and science in conjunction with the Hands-On Universe(tm) program developed at the University of California at Berkeley. Hands-On Universe (HOU) is a student-centered research and K-12 curriculum development program at the university's Lawrence Hall of Science. The National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy all support this program. HOU helps K-12 students explore the universe by allowing them to request their own observations and conduct their own research on astronomical data as provided from professional observatories around the world.
Students in more than 1000 classrooms worldwide are able to download telescope images to their classroom computers, using the powerful HOU image processing software to visualize and analyze their data. Discoveries by students in the HOU program have included students from Oil City High School (Penn.) who discovered the first light of the supernova SN1994l when observing M51 (The Whirlpool Galaxy) in 1994, and high school students from Massachusetts who found a new Kuiper Belt Object orbiting the sun in 1998.
Research Systems' Professional Services Group helped to enhance HOU-IP with IDL by developing custom routines that provided powerful capabilities in an easy-to-use format. New routines provided the ability to modify and clean up instrument-noise data, measure brightness or alignment between images, apply filtering to highlight specific data, and look at celestial objects in 3D.
Research Systems Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kodak, supporting more than 200,000 users of its data analysis and visualization software products worldwide. Primary markets for the company's products include engineering, Earth sciences, aerospace, medical, agriculture, automotive, oil and gas, and remote sensing.
For further information, please contact Matthew Powell at Research Systems, Boulder, Colo. Tel: (303) 413-3906. E-mail: [email protected].
ENVI Improves Phytoplankton Research Results
ENVI software for remote sensing is being used in pioneering research aimed at preserving our ocean waters. This software, offered by Research Systems Inc., has been selected by microbiology researchers at Florida International University (Miami) who will use hyperspectral satellite imagery of coastal zones to identify the more than 100 different types of photosynthetic accessory pigments found in algae living in the ocean and in fresh waters.
Detection of these pigments is critical to gaining a better understanding of aquatic ecosystems, especially in identifying areas that are being impacted by pollution. Using the high resolution that is provided by hyperspectral sensors, observers are able to detect and analyze "ocean color," the term used to indicate the optical signal in ocean waters caused by phytoplankton pigments. Detecting the presence of these pigments will provide scientists and managers with much more information about water quality, marine ecology, and the biogeochemistry of natural waters.
Research Systems Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kodak, supporting more than 200,000 users of its data analysis and visualization software products worldwide. Primary markets for the company's products include engineering, Earth sciences, aerospace, medical, agriculture, automotive, oil and gas, and remote sensing.
For further information, please contact Matthew Powell at Research Systems, Boulder, Colo. Tel: (303) 413-3906. E-mail: [email protected].
Intermap Announces South American Mapping Project
Intermap Technologies Inc. and EarthWatch Inc. have been jointly granted the opportunity by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) to operate a high-accuracy terrain-elevation mapping project in South America. The data to be collected will allow NIMA to create cartography of some areas that have never before been mapped. For those areas where maps previously existed, these data will be used to update information and increase the accuracy of mapped features.
Intermap will use its STAR-3i IFSAR imagery to create topographic and thematic mapping products, supplying precise terrain elevation data as well as highly accurate image data to create thematic line maps and increase the accuracy of high-resolution satellite images. Intermap Technologies Inc. is involved in building a global database of digital elevation models (DEMs), whose digital maps are used in a wide range of applications including planning and engineering projects, in navigation systems, and to enrich satellite images.
For further information, please contact Garth Lawrence at Intermap, 9785 S. Maroon Circle, Englewood, CO 80112. Tel: (303) 708-0955. E-mail: [email protected].
PCI Geomatics Hosts Trans-Atlantic Double-Launch of Geomatica™ Products
During the week of April 23, 2001, PCI Geomatics debuted their newest geospatial solutions products, Geomatica Fundamentals and Geomatica Prime, in simultaneous demonstrations taking place at ASPRS in St. Louis, Mo., and at Geo Evenement 2001 in Paris, France.
Geomatica Fundamentals is a low-cost solution with tools for image geo-correction, data visualization and analysis, plus cartographic map production. It includes a fully geo-referenced, file-based viewer, full vector topological support, and image-processing functionality.
Geomatica Prime contains a complete ensemble of integrated tools that includes the functionality from Geomatica Fundamentals, plus access to PCI's 250-plus processing algorithms, as well as scripting functionality using EASI, Visual Basic, and JAVA. These programs run on Windows 95/98/2000/NT, Linux, Solaris, IRIX, AIX, HP/UX, and Dec Alpha platforms.
PCI Geomatics is a developer of geomatics software and solutions based on its remote sensing, digital photogrammetry, spatial analysis, and cartographic editing programs.
For further information, please contact Anthony Melihen at PCI Geomatics, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Tel: (905) 764-0614. E-mail: [email protected].
ArcGIS 8.1 is Now Shipping
ESRI is now shipping ArcGIS 8.1, the first complete, scaleable system for geographic data creation, management, integration, and analysis. ArcGIS is a scalable family of software products comprising a complete GIS built on industry standards. This 8.1 release contains updated versions of the ArcView and ArcInfo desktop software products, plus the ArcSDE spatial database server. Additionally, ArcGIS 8.1 introduces new software products that include ArcEditor, ArcGIS 3D Analyst, ArcGIS Geostatistical Analyst, ArcGIS StreetMap USA, ArcPress for ArcGIS, and MrSID Encoder for ArcGIS.
ArcView 8.1, ArcEditor 8.1, and ArcInfo 8.1 share a common user interface. This shared interface, along with shared architecture, makes ArcGIS and geographic information accessible to a host of new users with various GIS needs. The common architecture also allows users to share scripts, custom tools, applications, and extensions.
One of the key features of this 8.1 release is its ability to integrate data from Internet map services with local data sets. ArcGIS users can utilize Geography Network, an open environment for searching, viewing, and accessing public and commercial map services.
The new release features on-the-fly projection, improved feature construction and editing tools, metadata creation and reporting, and an intuitive Windows user interface.
ESRI is a developer of GIS software, and also provides a wide range of consulting, implementation, and technical support services.
For further information please contact ESRI at (800) 447-9778, or visit the company's web site at www.esri.com.
Aerial Photography to Aid in Oak Tree Study
Positive Systems® has been awarded a contract extension by the University of California (Berkeley) to provide its multispectral digital aerial photography and mosaic services to assist researchers in their continued study of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) Syndrome. SOD is a recently discovered, dramatic dying off of tan oak, coast live oak, and black oak trees that is taking place along a 190-mile stretch of California coastline.
In 2000, Positive Systems used its ADAR System 5500 to acquire more than 172 digital images of the affected areas. These images were then processed into a single, high-quality multispectral image that was mosaicked, georeferenced and color-balanced for easier study. The university is hopeful that the continuation of its research will help reduce the negative effects of this die-off on the surrounding ecosystem.
For further information, please contact Julie Raine at Positive Systems Inc., 223 Baker Ave., Whitefish, MT 59937. Tel: (406) 862-7745. E-mail: [email protected].
NavCom Technology Becomes JPL Partner
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has decided to collaborate with NavCom Technology Inc. to combine JPL's global differential GPS system with the NavCom StarFire Network(tm). The union of these two systems will create a fully integrated positioning product to provide users with highly accurate, real-time measurements on a global basis.
The StarFire Network is touted as the first worldwide dual-frequency positioning system, and is expected to accelerate NASA's ability to develop and test the precision of the Global Positioning System. Under the terms of this agreement, NavCom will process data from NASA's worldwide network of reference sites in conjunction with data from the company's network. This work will be performed through the fully redundant processing hubs located at Redondo Beach, Calif., and Moline, Ill.
NavCom Technology Inc., a member of the John Deere Special Technologies Group, specializes in the development and manufacture of satellite navigation, communication, and GPS survey equipment.
For further information, please contat Sandra Zeitzew at NavCom, 123 West Torrance Blvd, Suite 101, Redondo Beach, CA 90277. Tel: (310) 937-7460. E-mail: [email protected].
Vexcel's 3D Urban Models Appear on The District
Three-dimensional terrain and building data of Washington, D.C., have recently appeared on the prime-time CBS crime drama, The District. Set in the nation's capital, the television show used Vexcel's one-meter-resolution data of The Mall area of the city to show building shapes and heights, bald-earth terrain models, and orthorectified DEMs. The concept of the program was to illustrate the value of these data in crime-fighting efforts.
While the story line of The District is obviously fictional, using advanced mapping technologies to fight crime is not. For example, the show's use of ESRI's ArcView GIS mapper to superimpose layers of data onto a spatial map closely parallels real-life law enforcement personnel employing similar technology to track the movement of an individual criminal, such as associating specific pay-phone sites with alleged drug transactions.
Vexcel's urban models provide accurate, up-to-date views of a city, and information on individual buildings can assist police in developing strategies to deal with hostages, car chases, or any other situation that requires the analysis of spatial information.
Vexcel Corp. provides, hardware, software and engineering services in the areas of aerial and close-range photogrammetry, remote sensing ground systems, and radar (SAR) technology.
For further information, please contact Megan Murdock at Vexcel, 4909 Nautilus Court, Boulder, CO 80301. Tel: (303) 444-0094. E-mail: [email protected].
Combination of Two ConAgra Divisions Spurs Growth in Imagery Marketability
ConAgra Foods Inc. has created a single division by combining one of its previous holdings with last year's acquisition of Emerge from Litton Industries. Hereafter known as mPower3/Emerge, the division will focus on developing and promoting comprehensive information technology services.
mPower3 provides production agriculture and food processor clients with crop traceability information and other pertinent services via the Internet. Emerge data technology has always been the engine behind mPower3's features, and the combination will continue to provide in-depth analysis of how land is used, and the imagery necessary to allow its customers a clearer understanding of exactly what is happening to their crop land.
For additional information, please visit the Emerge web site at www.emergeweb.com, or the mPower3 web site at www.mpower3.com. HOME |
