Online Articles

The BlueSky aerial mapping company has created a revolutionary 3D map-accurate model of the Teign Estuary in Devon to help communicate future management plans to the public and stakeholder organizations. Commissioned by the Teign Estuary Partnership, the model combines detailed aerial photography with sophisticated printing technology to produce a physical 3D model complete with a real-world view of the estuary and surrounding area including such detail as trees, hedges and buildings.

Probably everybody knows by now that Galileo has hit rough weather. There is still much discussion about financing, although by now it is clear that it will be financed using public money. Technically, however, progress is being made.

To help emphasize Bentley’s efforts in the area of CAD/GIS integration, geospatial ‘guru’ Styli Camateros proudly mentioned Bentley’s active participation in OWS-4, a workgroup of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) concerned with CAD/GIS/BIM integration — the latter of which refers to Building Information Modelling, originally an Autodesk term. Camateros also announced the imminent launch of Bentley Map.

In this issue of GeoInformatics we focus on printing with large format printers and 3D printing. We asked some manufacturers and resellers for information and specifications on their printers and put the information into tables so you can make the comparisons yourself.

For the first time, NASA scientists have analyzed data from direct, detailed satellite measurements to show that ice losses now far surpass ice gains in the shrinking Greenland ice sheet. Will this trend continue? Today, thanks to modern satellite technology, the quickest and easiest way for scientists to survey the polar regions on a daily basis is from the unique vantage point of space. We compiled texts and images from various sources – mostly NASA – to bring you a short overview of this ‘hot’ subject.

For eight millennia is mankind using buried infrastructure as prerequisites for development of a civilisation. From ancient clean water and safe disposal of sewage our society has added enormously to this infrastructure, particularly to cater for our modern desire for energy and telecommunications. Therefore the utility companies in the UK have decided to enhance and integrate existing legacy asset information with dynamically acquired accurately geo-referenced data and to get this unseen maze of pipes and cables beneath our feet accurately recorded and mapped.

Advances in laser scanning are opening up some interesting new applications in three-dimensional mapping. With recent developments in scanning technology and processing software, new systems are being developed to electronically map and monitor change with greater precision than previously possible. Here we will look at examples in the environmental, mining, construction and education sectors where the technology is addressing important safety, security, commercial and research requirements.

In the Vienna metropolis, 3D geo-information is required for noise protection and city planning tasks but also for managing the underground line systems; this geo-information should ideally be available as part of the communal GIS. For this reason, the City of Vienna decided in 2003 to expand the existing geo-data into a database managed 3D city model that will be regularly updated and made available to users under ArcGIS.

In 2007 1Spatial, formerly known as Laser-Scan, attracts important partners. Next in line to Oracle are not only Autodesk, Google, HP, the OGC, but also Tele Atlas and Intergraph who are interested in this British geo-think-tank. 1Spatial may continue to be a specialist company with a suite of very specific products that deal with spatial data quality (based on open standards and interoperability), but suddenly the world at large is taking notice.