| EarthWatch Rebrands Itself as DigitalGlobe(tm)
EarthWatch Inc. has begun a new era, henceforth doing business as DigitalGlobe(tm). The company is scheduled to launch the QuickBird Earth imaging satellite -- manufactured by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. -- on October 18 from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., aboard a Delta II launch vehicle. The QuickBird satellite has the ability to provide basic imagery at 61cm panchromatic and 2.44m multispectral resolutions. Standard imagery and orthoproduct resolution will be offered at 70cm panchromatic and 2.8m multispectral.
DigitalGlobe provides high-resolution satellite imagery products with the largest commercially available imaging footprint. The company offers geographic information products through its online imagery store, an Internet-based, global archive of geographic information available to commercial businesses.
For further information, please contact Chuck Herring at DigitalGlobe, Longmont, Colo. Tel: (303) 682-3820. E-mail: [email protected].
LBS Killer Apps Get Big Boost From DMTI Spatial's "Enhanced Points of Interest"
DMTI Spatial has launched Canada's first nationwide business and recreational points-of-interest (POI) data product. This product focuses on accurate positional coordinates and rich attribute information for next-generation, wireless location-based services (LBS) and geographic business applications.
Led by Japan and Europe, the North American telecommunications and telematics OEM industries are rapidly developing the next generation of wireless location-based technology for location-hungry users. DMTI Spatial's Enhanced Point Of Interest database empowers developers to provide more content-rich, point-of-interest data to better serve the consumer and business marketplaces within Canada.
This spatially enhanced data product provides a comprehensive database of over one million business and recreational POIs. Engineered through the use of DMTI Spatial's flagship CanMap(r) Streetfiles, all POIs have been accurately geocoded to a specific street address for precision-based location and analysis. This data set is fully integrated across the CanMap(r) suite of mapping data products.
DMTI Spatial is a spatial solutions data provider and the publisher of CanMap(r), a suite of precision-built street map and routing data, GeoPinpoint(tm), innovative geocoding software, and a comprehensive portfolio of enhanced point-of-interest, census data and boundaries, postal geography, topographic maps, marketing databases, plus a wide range of GIS services.
For further information, please contact Don DeGenova at DMTI Spatial, Markham, Ontario, Canada. Tel: (905) 948-2000. E-mail: [email protected]
MTC and CCI Partner to Create One-Stop GIS Staffing Solution
Millennium Technical Contracting Inc. (MTC) and Computer Consultants International Inc. (CCI) have agreed to create a "one-stop shop" for any size company where geographic information system (GIS) staffing is required. Offerings include full-service recruiting, contracting, job resume posting, and international discovery and relocation services.
MTC and CCI assist companies in anticipating and fulfilling staffing needs for current and future projects. Additionally, they can establish the structure required to meet those needs and allied labor costs. This new partnership agreement expands a relationship that has existed since September 2000.
MTC is a full-service GIS recruiting company, specializing in staffing services for the GIS industry, serving as well the CADD (computer-aided design and drafting) and engineering fields. CCI has continued to focus on contract consulting in niche skill areas such as GIS, with expertise in visa law, immigration law, and payroll procedures that allow for the seamless movement of workers to most locations across the globe.
For further information, please contact Jeff Cegielski by telephone at (888) 517-4161, or via e-mail at [email protected]. The pertinent Web site is located at www.geotalent.com.
RADARSAT-1 Continues to Support Ship Navigation in Northern Waters
RADARSAT International (RSI) has been awarded two contracts to provide the Canadian Ice Service (CIS) and the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) with RADARSAT-1 imagery for ice monitoring and mapping. Both CIS and DMI continue to use RADARSAT-1 imagery extensively for the main purpose of creating ice charts that provide safe vessel navigation in the waters off Canada and Greenland.
Critical to the renewal of these contracts is the commercial operational capability of the RADARSAT-1 program, whereby data can be delivered within hours of acquisition to the CIS and DMI. In particular, three RADARSAT ground receiving stations -- Troms¿ (Norway), Gatineau (Canada) and West Freugh (United Kingdom) -- are instrumental in the reception and near-real-time processing of satellite data before electronically sending it over the Internet to the CIS and DMI for further analysis.
The RADARSAT-1 program meets these organizations' strict requirements to turn around image data processing in under four hours, plus their need for routine wide-area coverage. Up to 10 images are received daily -- covering an area measuring 500km x 500km -- from which are extracted such details as ice concentration, ice thickness, and the age of ice floes. Ice mapping continues to be one of the fundamental applications for RADARSAT-1 satellite imagery.
The Canadian Ice Service monitors sea ice conditions in Canadian waters through aircraft reconnaissance and remote satellite technology. Information on ice conditions posing immediate threats to ships, ports and other facilities are made available to the shipping and marine communities.
The Danish Meteorological Institute provides meteorological and related services for Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, including surrounding waters and airspace. Their activities include forecasting and warning services, as well as the continuous monitoring of weather, climate and related environmental conditions in the atmosphere, over land, and at sea.
RADARSAT International, a wholly owned subsidiary of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates, is a worldwide provider of products and information solutions derived from Earth-observation (EO) satellite data. For further information, please contact Cory Rossignol at RSI, Richmond, B.C., Canada. Tel: (604) 231-5000. E-mail: [email protected].
Applanix Taps Trimble Receivers to Augment New GPS Product Line
Applanix(tm) announces that a number of its POS (Position and Orientation System) products will now be equipped with Trimble GPS receivers. The Trimble BD750(tm) receiver will be used in dual-frequency and RTK applications, and the BD112(tm) will be used in single receiver situations. The POS family of products has established themselves in airborne, land and marine markets by combining GPS with inertial sensors for robust positioning and orientation.
Applanix Corporation develops and manufactures precision products that accurately measure the position and orientation of vehicles in dynamic environments. Applications include road profiling, aerial surveying and mapping, railroad track maintenance, and seafloor mapping.
For further information, please contact Mike Stanko at Applanix Corp., Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Tel: (905) 709-4600. E-mail: [email protected].
LizardTech Announces Native MrSID(r) Viewing Support in MapXtreme(r)
The MrSID(r) file format from LizardTech Inc. will be natively supported for viewing in the MapInfo(r) MapXtreme(r) 3.0 product. With MapXtreme providing native support for reading geo-referenced MrSID format files, users can dramatically reduce the costs and time associated with working with high-quality, high-resolution imagery for GIS analysis over the Internet. MapInfo Professional(r) also supports the MrSID file format.
MrSID reduces high-resolution images to less than five percent of their original file size while maintaining original image quality. MapXtreme, MapInfo's mapping server, enables companies to share maps and critical business information via either the Internet or a corporate intranet. With this integration, MrSID will allow MapXtreme users to more effectively pinpoint critical assets while reducing the typical IT load associated with using high-resolution aerial imagery over the Internet. LizardTech Inc. (Seattle, Wash.) creates software solutions and tools that make high-quality digital content easier to capture, store, share and use.
Additional information about the company may be found at www.lizardtech.com.
PCI Geomatics Joins the Innovation Acceleration Centre at the CCRS
PCI Geomatics has been accepted to join the Innovation Acceleration Centre (IAC) at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS). The IAC provides a framework for cooperation between government and industry in research and development, and allows CCRS to provide scientific assistance to accelerate the development of geomatics and remote sensing products and services. Under the IAC, CCRS will support PCI Geomatics in understanding the CCRS Imaging Spectrometer Data Analysis System (ISDAS), ensure proper implementation in the PCI Geomatics software environment, and better understand the application possibilities of the overall technology.
The ISDAS system is being integrated within Geomatica as part of three projects recently awarded by the Canadian Space Agency under the Earth Observation Applications Development Program (EOADP).
PCI Geomatics will be able to provide users of hyperspectral data with a software package that will not only enable them to analyze and visualize their hyperspectral data, but also to integrate it with other geospatial data. This is expected to offer valuable information in applications such as agriculture, exploration and mineral geology, and forestry. 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]
Keyhole EarthViewer Wins Award at SIGGRAPH 2001
Keyhole Inc. received a Golden Lasso award for its EarthViewer 3D technology in the Web3D RoundUP, a competition of the latest 3D technologies and applications. The competition was held August 15 in Los Angeles as part of SIGGRAPH 2001 -- the international conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques -- and is regularly one of the most popular events at this show.
The sixth annual Web3D RoundUP showcased the best 3D Web technology to an audience of industry experts and graphics enthusiasts. Thirty of the leading 3D tool and content developers were selected to demonstrate their technology to the event's more than 2000 attendees. Keyhole's win of the Golden Lasso Award for Best Educational Application showcased the broad potential of their global 3D model as it was streamed over the Internet.
Keyhole had only one minute to showcase its EarthViewer 3D application. Reaching out and grabbing the Earth's image with his mouse, Keyhole's David Lorenzini zoomed down from space to a depiction of the Los Angeles Convention Center, then over to Westlake Village, giving the audience a whole new perspective on their surroundings. The crowd was amazed by the product's ability to pan and zoom, in real-time, through photo-realistic images of the world, over a standard broadband connection by using EarthViewer 3D. Web3D RoundUP is an annual, high-speed shootout where the world's leading Web3D content developers and toolmakers demonstrate the latest Web3D technology and applications in a fast-paced, exciting format.
Keyhole Inc. provides 3D mapping infrastructure for location-based services and applications. Keyhole's turnkey ASP solution provides instant access to terabytes of geospatial data fused into a single, coherent dataset, and its client architecture enables access from PCs, PDAs and cell phones.
For further information, please contact Kirsten Andersen at Keyhole Inc., Mountain View, Calif. Tel: (650) 625-9400. E-mail: [email protected].
Leica Introduces Laser Rangefinder Products for GIS Applications
At the 2001 ESRI Users Conference, Leica Geosystems showcased its family of laser range-finding products for the GIS market. These products included the Laser Locator for long-range applications, and the handheld DISTO pro4 for shorter-range measurements. Both items are designed to interface directly with Leica's GS50 GPS/GIS data acquisition system via an RS232 serial data connection.
The Laser Locator is an instrument designed to take long-range distance measurements from 10 to 4000 meters. The high-precision 7x42 binoculars, with built-in laser rangefinder, digital compass and inclinometer, permit the remote collection of such data as distances, heights and elevation angles.
The DISTO pro4 is a lightweight handheld laser meter that measures distances, areas and volumes, as well as remote Pythagorean calculations. The unit includes a built-in alphanumeric keyboard, menu-driven multi-line LCD display, calculator functions, memory for up to 800 values, and a multifunction end-cover with adapter plate and alignment aid. The basic DISTO pro4 provides plus-or-minus accuracy of three millimeters at ranges up to 100 meters. The enhanced DISTO pro4a model provides plus-or-minus accuracy of 1.5mm.
Leica Geosystems develops and manufactures systems for surveying, mapping and positional determination. The company is structured in six divisions: GIS and Mapping, Surveying and Engineering, Industrial Measurement, Special Products, Consumer Products, and New Business.
For further information, please contact Susan Bradley at Leica Geosystems Inc., 23868 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90505. Tel: (310) 791-5359. E-mail:
[email protected].
ESRI Press Offers Illustrated GIS Guide
In cooperation with John Wiley & Sons Ltd., the folks at ESRI Press have recently published Geographic Information Systems and Science, a richly illustrated guide for both students and practitioners of GIS. This book explores many of the real-world applications of this rapidly evolving field.
The guide also illuminates some of the growing commonalities between the concerns of business, government, and science. These include the intersection of issues of management, ethics, risk, and technology, and also how GIS provides a gateway to problem solving. Designed for readers who are already familiar with GIS, this full-color book is aimed at intermediate-level undergraduate students, postgraduate students, and busy professionals who need clear and succinct information about this fast-developing technology.
The authors include Paul A. Longley (University College, London), Michael F. Goodchild (University of California, Santa Barbara), David J. Maguire (ESRI, Redlands), and David W. Rhind (City University, London). The glossy, soft-cover edition (ISBN 0-471-89275-0) has a list price of $49.95 and is available from better bookstores, or by contacting ESRI directly.
For further information, please contact Jesse Theodore at ESRI, Redlands, Calif. Tel.: (909) 793-2853. E-mail: [email protected].
Intergraph Selected to Modernize Administration of Barcelona's City Services
Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions announced that ACEFHAT in Barcelona, Spain, has chosen Intergraph's GeoMedia(r) technology for its new E-GIOS System, a Web-based public works management system. Created in 1990, ACEFHAT coordinates and manages public works projects on public thoroughfares throughout the city of Barcelona. The company manages more than 20,000 projects from several utility companies such as Aguas de Barcelona (water), Gas Natural (gas), Telefonica (telecommunications), and Fecsa-Enher (electric).
ACEFHAT has contracted with Intergraph Spain for the development of a comprehensive GIS solution to support this system. The solution includes GeoMedia WebMap for Web-based, real-time communication and decision-making, and GeoMedia Professional for managing various GIS data provided by Barcelona's service utility companies.
Service companies will gain access to a portal site to submit their planning documents, along with data and work plans and a request-for-permits form. Simultaneously, appropriate departments in Barcelona's city hall will manage decision-making by using a company intranet, either approving or rejecting permits that have been requested through this portal, as well as establishing the technical conditions for their execution. The E-GIOS system is scheduled to be operational in January 2002.
Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions delivers geospatial solutions to government, commercial, and international markets. The company provides core and industry-specific software products, solutions for map production and enterprise-wide mapping and GIS, and services ranging from project implementation to production.
For further information, please contact Intergraph by telephone at 1-800-791-3357 (within the U.S.), (256) 730-7191 (outside the U.S.), or by visiting the company's Web site at www.intergraph.com/imgs.
Tele Atlas North America Licenses Traffic Database to MSN Carpoint.com
Tele Atlas North America has licensed the industry's most comprehensive national database of real-time road traffic information to MSN Carpoint.com, reported to be the most visited car-buying and ownership site on the Web. As the first step to be taken in integrating traveler information across the Microsoft network, Microsoft will provide data from Tele Atlas North America via Carpoint.com for Internet users who wish to check traffic conditions before leaving their homes or offices.
This traffic service will offer visitors to Carpoint.com real-time traffic information through detailed incident reports that include a description and expected duration of the problem, and the expected degree of impact on traffic. In addition, reports also provide details on the direction of traffic and travel speeds, where available. With offerings in 68 metropolitan areas and coverage of more than 90 percent of the urban U.S. population, this traffic database supplies the industry's most detailed real-time traffic information covering major streets, highways and interstates. The service is channeled through Westwood One, the world's largest supplier of broadcast radio and TV traffic reports.
Tele Atlas North America is a unit of Tele Atlas NV and a provider of digital map databases and real-time traffic information for the United States. The company delivers high-quality spatial data and focuses on three key areas within the geo-referencing market: Location Based Services (LBS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and navigation.
For further information, please visit the company's Web site at www.teleatlas.com.
RSI and Definiens Agree to Co-Develop eCognition Application
RADARSAT International (RSI) has joined with Definiens Imaging GmbH (DIG) of Munich, Germany, to develop RADARSAT-1 knowledge bases to be made available with future releases of the latter company's eCognition software suite. In 2002, DIG will market a version of eCognition that will contain advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) functionalities, allowing worldwide users to quickly extract information from RADARSAT-1 for a broad range of applications.
eCognition software provides object-oriented, multi-scale satellite image analysis capabilities, and classifies an image based upon attributes of the image objects rather than on the attributes of individual pixels. This process allows users to collect a large range of statistical parameters and detailed information from any Earth-observation data tailored specifically to their information needs.
DIG will supply eCognition software training and support to RSI. RSI will provide the data format of the upcoming RADARSAT-2 satellite, such that future versions of the eCognition software will be RADARSAT-2 compatible and will feature various advanced radar functions.
Definiens Imaging GmbH develops decentralized communication platforms as well as software for knowledge management and image analysis. RADARSAT International, a wholly owned subsidiary of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates, is a worldwide provider of products and information solutions derived from Earth-observation (EO) satellite data.
For further information, please contact Cory Rossignol at RADARSAT International, Richmond, B.C., Canada. Tel: (604) 231-5000. E-mail: [email protected].
M.J. Harden Announces Pipeline GIS Project
Enbridge Pipelines Inc. has selected M.J. Harden Associates Inc. (MJH) to convert their Eastern Region pipelines into the ISAT data model and produce new route sheets. The 14-pipeline system will be converted from hardcopy route sheets, associated databases, and spreadsheets into the ISAT data model to generate new route sheets. They have also purchased two other MJH products, PipeView(tm) and SheetGen(tm).
Together with their U.S. affiliate -- Lakehead Pipe Line Partners -- Enbridge Pipelines operates the world's longest and most sophisticated crude oil and petroleum products pipeline system. The company transports liquid hydrocarbons from their point of supply to refining markets in the midwestern United States and eastern Canada.
This project will consist of 985 pipeline miles -- covering roughly 658 right-of-way miles -- that start at the U.S.-Canadian border on the St. Clair River near Sarnia, Ontario, to Montreal, Quebec, and thence onward to the international border near Buffalo, N.Y. The deliverables for this project include the following elements:
* 850 new route sheets at a 1:5000 absolute scale
* Integrated Spatial Analysis Techniques (ISAT) pipeline database in Oracle
* Licensing of PipeView and SheetGen to maintain the ISAT data model and to generate new route sheets.
MJH is a geographic information technology firm that serves the pipeline industry and specializes in mapping, GIS, and IT services including Web-based geospatial information centers.
For further information, please contact Mark Termini at M.J. Harden Associates, 1019 Admiral Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64106. Tel: (816) 889-1111. E-mail: [email protected].
Intermap Announces Contract Addition for NASA Safety Project
Intermap Technologies and EarthWatch Inc. have been given the additional task of supplying highly accurate mapping data for aviation safety projects in Alaska as sponsored by NASA. Intermap was previously contracted to gather highly precise digital elevation mapping data on heavily traveled air routes through mountain passes in Alaska.
The goal of this project is to improve aviation safety through the use of sophisticated 3D digital images, integrated into the latest avionics systems. Since these sites have a history of being hazardous to flight and also heavily traveled, an additional benefit accrues to the public by having this data readily available when synthetic/enhanced vision display concepts become certified for use. NASA's Aviation Safety Program (AvSP) is conducting the Synthetic Vision Project.
Intermap's high-resolution digital elevation data will be collected as part of an EarthWatch contract under NASA's Science Data Purchase project. Intermap Technologies produces digital mapping data for use in a wide range of applications that include planning and engineering projects, navigation systems, and to enhance the accuracy and detail of satellite images.
For further information, please contact Garth Lawrence at Intermap, 9785 Maroon Circle, Englewood, CO 80112. Tel: (303) 708-0955. E-mail: [email protected].
NovaLIS and Valcura Announce Partnership
NovaLIS Technologies and Valcura International have formed a strategic partnership to deliver comprehensive land information systems solutions to appraisal agencies. Working together, the two firms will provide various GIS solutions to their joint client base that includes many municipal, county and provincial government districts across the United States and Canada. These products include Computer-Aided Mass Appraisal systems (CAMA) software, standard and custom valuation solutions, data conversion, systems integration services, project management, and a wide range of management consulting services.
NovaLIS Technologies, owned jointly by ESRI Canada, ESRI Inc. and Leica Geosystems, is a provider of land records software that merges CAMA, document imaging, GIS and workflow management technology into a complete business solution for the management of assessment data. Valcura International provides a blend of management consulting and systems integration services for the assessment and appraisal industry.
For further information, please contact Gina Stack at NovaLIS Technologies, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Tel: (902) 423-1800. E-mail: [email protected].
Sidwell Awarded GIS Web Hosting Contract
Clay County (Iowa) has selected The Sidwell Company to host the county's GIS data site. Using ArcIMS(tm) technology from ESRI, Sidwell will create a Web site to offer full-time, public access to Clay County's GIS data, including information that pertains to parcel data and digital aerial photography.
The Sidwell Company is a provider of GIS, aerial photography and mapping services.
For further information, please contact Karen Fouts at Sidwell, St. Charles, Ill. Tel: (630) 549-1000. E-mail: [email protected].
Sidwell and Surdex Partner on Mapping Project
Coles County (Ill.) has awarded a joint development project to The Sidwell Company and Surdex Corp. (St. Louis, Mo.) for the completion of a countywide digital mapping and orthophotography project. Sidwell will construct the digital database of more than 25,000 parcels taken from original source documents, building a fully feature-laden, topologically clean land base. The resulting data will be suitable for linking to the county's DAMA and tax cycle systems.
The Sidwell Company is a provider of GIS, aerial photography and mapping services.
For further information, please contact Karen Fouts at Sidwell, St. Charles, Ill. Tel: (630) 549-1000. E-mail: [email protected].
3D Nature Introduces Visual Nature Studio
3D Nature LLC -- makers of World Construction Set -- recently brought to market Visual Nature Studio (VNS), the newest technology in photo-realistic landscape visualization software. This product offers the following features:
* Imports, grids and renders terrain in a wide variety of formats
* Drapes geo-referenced, remote sensed imagery in various projections so as to color landscape or control land cover
* Processes large data sets in a matter of seconds.
Task-automation features such as those titled Templates, Thematic Maps, Search Queries and Dynamic Linking ease workflow by linking directly with shapes and attributes to control visualization, speed product setup, and re-use and adapt to externally changing data. Render improvements include bump mapping, automatic 3D alignment and randomization, and stereo camera options. Interaction improvements include the ability to see Terraffectors(tm) in all real-time views while working, plus many OpenGL speed and precision enhancements. Visual Nature Studio supports a wide variety of image formats including JPEG, GeoTIFF, ECW, PNG, AVI and Quicktime.
For further information, please contact 3D Nature, 5740 Olde Wadsworth, Unit C, Arvada, CO 80002. Tel: (303) 659-4028. Web address: www.3dnature.com.
Tierravision Selects GDT Street Info for Wireless Mapping Project
Geographic Data Technology Inc. (GDT) will provide U.S. and Canadian street information to Tierravision Ltd. for Micromap, their advanced wireless mapping product that supports real-time downloads of map data and content for wireless devices. With Micromap, users can locate addresses, zoom in and out of a specific geographic area, and download traffic data and weather reports to any handheld device that runs PocketPC, Palm, J2ME, or similar operating systems.
Tierravision develops wireless mapping technology for "smart" phones and wireless-connected PDAs. The company uses vector data compression technology and a micro-sized mapping engine to provide 5x downloads as compared to conventional bitmap implementations.
Geographic Data Technology Inc. creates map databases used in a variety of location-based consumer and industrial applications, including providing cartographic data to major GIS vendors for routing, Web-based mapping, risk analysis and facilities management.
For further information, please contact Tonya McMurray, GDT, 11 Lafayette Street, Lebanon, NH 03766. Tel: (800) 331-7881. E-mail: [email protected]. HOME |
