Data Management for Laser Scanning / Lidar Surveying to 3D

The shift from 2D to 3D involves more than changing perspectives. It includes a cultural change within an organizatio where employees must learn to change their workflows to engage 3D more fully. It also involves an increase in the amount of data that involves improved data management and sometimes changes in hardware to enable handling of the 3D information.
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Asia Improves Global Forest Outlook

The aim of the International Year of Forests is to raise awareness about the benefit of forest conservation, and the ways of generating income without chopping down trees. Although worldwide there were 52,000 sq km lost per year between 2000 and 2010, that was a marked improvement on the 83,000 sq km annual figure seen during the previous decade.
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Book Review: Sustainability Unpacked

‘Sustainability Unpacked‘ unpacks the complexity – helping readers to understand the interconnections and relationships between economy, humans and the environment.
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Esri Opens R&D Office in China and Looks to Fill Positions

The Esri Software Research and Development Center will encompass software development for Web mapping, mobile mapping, ArcGIS desktop, and ArcGIS Online, while also providing a means for China data creation and localization of software solutions.
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SuperGeo and III Collaborate in Global GIS Market

III is to support the development of the information technology industry in Taiwan. Among III’s divisions, the International Division aims to bring international business opportunities in this industry for global vendors, especially to promote the services and products of Taiwanese manufacturers to international markets.
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Rolta’s CFO Discusses Role of Mapping for Decision Makers

Though mapping is done by many firms in India, it is done in a scattered manner. The map is used more as a base for GIS applications and needs to be integrated with the geographic database in order to make it intelligent to support queries and analysis of the information. 
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GIS Mapping Tags Wetlands Across UP

The Remote Sensing Applications Centre (RSAC) has done the Geographic Information System (GIS) Mapping of wetlands of UP, giving each such area an unique digital code which not only identifies the state, district and the tehsil, but also its position on the topographic sheet and the local flora and fauna. 
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Web Application – Mapping and Analysis for Australia Floods

The network allows people to report incidents via SMS, e-mail, or the web. The information is categorized and analyzed using geographic information systems (GIS) technology to provide hot spot visualization. By combining web GIS capabilities with Ushahidi data, anyone can view reports of flood incidents, damages, requests for help, and response requirements in a map context. 
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Space Images – Used to Find “Partner” Schooner

Satellite radar imagery data was used to find the “Partner” fishing schooner lost in the Sea of Japan. According to Russian EMERCOM the area search operations for the “Partner” schooner that sent a distress call on January 7 in Tatar Strait near Sakhalin were terminated.
Sat images used in search 

Chinese Military to Improve Navigation Systems

China is taking bold steps to build more accurate and efficient military surveying and mapping systems, all part of a plan to fully modernize the military. Yuan Shuyou, director of the People’s Liberation Army’s surveying and mapping department, addressed a forum in which he said the project is part of the latest Five-Year Plan.
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Half of India’s Road Budget Wasted

India’s home minister has admitted that half of the government’s budget to build much-needed new roads never reaches its intended target in what he described as the country’s “biggest swindle” said P. Chidambaram, attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
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Geospatial Tech Aids Financial Intelligence Unit

The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), the government’s financial intelligence unit, will pilot real-time analysis technology in April, that includes geospatial information and analysis. The pilot aims to provide greater intelligence to other agencies.
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RIEGL VMX-250

The new RIEGL VMX-250 is an extremely compact and user-friendly Mobile Laser Scanning (MLS) measurement unit. The roof-carrier mounted measuring head integrates two RIEGL VQ-250 scanners, inertial and satellite navigation hardware, and mounting points for digital cameras or video equipment.

PCI Geomatics – SAR Tools for ArcGIS & RADARSAT-2

PCI introduced GeoImaging Tools for ArcGIS in 2010, and is currently developing a Radar module, which will allow ArcGIS users to perform coherent change detection, time series analysis, image classification, and feature extraction using RADARSAT-2 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data as well as other commercially available SAR imagery.

Eternix – New Version of Blaze Stereo Extension

Blaze Stereo Extension now supports both the hardware-based NVIDIA 3D Vision, and the simple anaglyph stereo. The extension renders a stereoscopic view in real-time, using any geodata, regardless of size or complexity: Terrain elevations, 3D models, extruded shape files, and even user-created symbols and annotations.

GIS Application to be Made Available to People in April

Web-based GIS (Geographic Information System) application being developed for Gobichettipalayam Municipality in Erode district is likely to be made available to the public in April this year. The application will be utilised in urban planning and civic services, including monitoring of property tax assessment and collection, drinking water supply and traffic management.

Rolta Acquisitions Next Two Quarters

IT major Rolta India is eyeing IP-driven acquisitions and is working on a couple of deals in the geospatial information systems (GIS) space. They will be in the USD 2-10M range according to Rolta’s Director of Finance and CFO, Hiranya Ashar.

CAARS Purchases Three UltraCam Aerial Cameras

China Aviation Aero Remote Sensing Technology Co., Ltd. (CAARS), has contracted with Vexcel Imaging GmbH, a Microsoft® company, to purchase three UltraCamLp digital aerial camera systems. The transaction was brokered by Vexcel Imaging affiliates Imagemaps Pte. Ltd. and Beijing Siwei.