Bluestone Investment Partners Announces Investment in Continental Mapping Consultants, LLC

MCLEAN, Va., March 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluestone Investment Partners, LLC ("Bluestone"), a McLean, Virginia-based private equity firm, is pleased to announce the completion of an investment in Continental Mapping Consultants, LLC ("Continental Mapping" or the "Company"). Based in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Continental Mapping is a rapidly growing geospatial data analytics and mapping solutions provider to Defense, intelligence, federal and state government agencies, and commercial customers. The Company combines remote sensing technologies, proprietary technology, automation tools, commercial cloud services, and artificial intelligence capabilities to deliver products and solutions to its clients.

John Allen, co-founder and Managing Partner of Bluestone said, "We are excited about our partnership with Continental Mapping. The Company has a 20-year track record of successful delivery of complicated solutions, a great leadership team, a talented and technically differentiated workforce, and attractive clients. We look forward to helping the Company accelerate its growth and expand its capabilities."

"Our management team and 170 employees are energized about the next phase of growth for Continental Mapping. We look forward to leveraging the experience of Bluestone's principals to build our business through organic expansion and acquisitions," said Dave Hart, Chief Executive Officer of Continental Mapping.

Founded in 1999 by Chris Gross, President, and Dave Hart, Chief Executive Officer, Continental Mapping initially provided photogrammetric solutions to local clients in Wisconsin. Through investment in people, technologies, and capabilities, the Company grew to support operations for multiple government and commercial clients around the world. Today, the company maintains over 125 active production improvement tools, utilizes advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, and employs a highly credentialed employee base in Sun Prairie, St. Louis, MO, San Antonio, TX, and Northern Virginia.

Holland and Knight LLP acted as Bluestone's legal adviser in the transaction. Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP provided quality of earnings services for Bluestone. Morrison and Foerster LLP served as legal adviser to Continental Mapping. KippsDeSanto & Co. served as the investment banking adviser to Continental Mapping. Senior financing for the transaction was provided by EagleBank.

About Bluestone Investment Partners
Bluestone is a private equity firm investing exclusively in lower middle-market companies primarily in the defense and government services arena. Bluestone's principals have a long and successful track record owning, operating, investing in, and advising companies in the defense and government services sector.  Additionally, many of Bluestone's investors are industry luminaries who have successfully built, grown, and sold businesses to leading strategic buyers and private equity investors in the sector. Bluestone aims to leverage the industry expertise of its partners and investors to support both organic and acquisition-oriented growth strategies. Few private equity firms offer the combination of industry-focused intellectual and investment capital that Bluestone has assembled.
www.bluestoneinv.com.

About Continental Mapping Consultants, LLC
Established in 1999, Continental Mapping provides geospatial analytics to intelligence community, defense, federal government, state agencies, and commercial clients. The Company has provided products and solutions involving over 180 countries and on all seven continents. The Company was recently recognized for the second year in a row by Inc. magazine as one of the nation's fastest growing companies. The Company is headquartered in Sun Prairie (Madison area), Wisconsin. www.continentalmapping.com

SOURCE Bluestone Investment Partners

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Sentons Launches SDS ButtonBar to Take Virtual Buttons Mainstream

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sentons, the pioneer in Software-Defined Surfaces (SDS), has expanded its product portfolio beyond an initial core offering of gesture sensing products and has announced the launch of SDS ButtonBar™, a standardized button replacement solution. The ButtonBar provides core virtual button functionality at price parity with physical buttons to finally give phone manufacturers an effective way to bring new devices to market with advanced virtualized power and volume controls.

Built for maximum industrial design flexibility and designed with haptics for tangible button operations that consumers are used to, ButtonBar can be placed in a variety of locations, including inset from the edge of the phone.

"As phone designs evolve with thinner industrial designs, advanced 5G antennae, and reducing aperture count, manufacturers are struggling with where to place chunky old-fashioned buttons. ButtonBar directly addresses these needs, while still giving you the tactile feel of a physical button," said Jess Lee, Sentons President and CEO. "ButtonBar's sleek profile and flexibility of placement is a game-changer, and we're very excited to bring this solution to market at scale with our partner Foxconn."

SDS ButtonBar drives industrial design innovation, allowing a clean modern interface  with the reliability of physical buttons. It is comprised of over 20 submicron-sized ultrasonically modulated discrete sensors distributed within a short 1.9 inch bar, with the following benefits:

• Can be placed almost anywhere, including the interior of the phone due to the high sensitivity multi-sensor solution. (i.e. can be inside the battery compartment)
• Compatible with thin, foldable and curved waterfall displays
• Unlocks new user experiences with virtualized buttons that are redefinable in software
• Highly engineered to identify intended touch and press patterns and reject false touches that plague other solutions
• Supports full IP68 enclosure rating, since there are no longer apertures for out-of-date buttons

In order to manufacture the SDS ButtonBar at the highest quality, at scale and at a price point competitive with mechanical buttons, Sentons has partnered with Foxconn, the world's largest electronics manufacturer.

"The replacement of mechanical buttons has long been one of the most sought after goals in mobile manufacturing," said HS Chou, BU Head at GIS (a member of Foxconn Group). "Sentons technology is significant and Foxconn GIS is excited to partner with them to deliver at this scale."
SDS ButtonBar is the latest addition to Sentons' portfolio. It comes on the heels of the launch of Sentons' processor and gesture engine -- an ultrasonic, high-fidelity touch platform that allows phone makers to create software-defined interactions beyond the glass touchscreen. ButtonBar resides on the same core platform and leverages advanced processing within a lighter-weight processor that feeds off the high performance Merkel cell style sense fibers on the bar to recognize and distinguish, true button presses.

For more information on Sentons and its technology please visit www.sentons.com. 

About Sentons:
Sentons is Software-Defined Surfaces: Bringing high-resolution touch and force sensing to various surfaces on any device, and unlocking a new level of interactivity to the mobile device market. The company's patented acoustic electro-mechanics technology is in-market on a number of mobile devices, and is expanding its ability to bring richer user experiences to a dozen more phone models through gesture captured and virtual buttons. Sentons was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in San Jose, California, led by a team of technologists from Apple, Telegent Systems, and LSI Corporation.

SOURCE Sentons

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GIS College Course Catalogue 2014 Released

GIS College has just released a new Course Catalogue for 2014, showcasing information on all of the GIS courses it delivers in one place.

You can find the GIS College brochure here.

The instructor-led courses, delivered across Australia, are offered in desktop GIS, web mapping, spatial databases and remote sensing, each one focusing on a single piece of software. ArcGIS, MapInfo, Google Earth, FME and other major types of software are covered, and different levels of expertise are catered for – from complete GIS beginners to experienced professionals.

And in addition to the standard courses listed, GIS College also delivers customised training courses to meet the specific needs of any organisation.

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Boundless Is The New Name For OpenGeo

OpenGeo, the long time leader in open source geospatial software, has changed its name to Boundless, creating a new corporate brand to better reflect the growing range of platforms, applications, and services the company develops and sells.

The new name marks a push by Boundless into new technologies, including geospatial web services monitoring with Mapmeter, desktop software with QGIS, growing capabilities in cloud and mobile platforms, and expanded work in data editing workflows. Boundless is the first sustainable, open source alternative to proprietary systems that currently dominate the geospatial market.

"We are the same company our customers have known for many years, with the same commitment to open source they and the open source community expect from us," said Eddie Pickle, Boundless CEO. "However, we've known for some time that there was a conflict with other companies using the OpenGeo name, so this is the perfect time to change our corporate brand, especially with the momentum behind the company and the evolution from traditional GIS to Spatial IT. "

Similar to the impact of Linux in the operating system market, the innovation, quality, and power of software created in an open manner is revolutionizing the geospatial field with applications of greater scale and speed at lower costs. Under the new corporate umbrella, Boundless will work to improve upon the business models pioneered by companies like Red Hat by expanding their core offerings to address the specific needs of customers who require enterprise-class features and services.

Boundless was spun out of its longtime incubator, OpenPlans, in April 2013 and has sold much of its company stock to its employees. The company is backed by a Series A investment from Vanedge Capital of Vancouver, BC. Most recently, it entered into a strategic investment and technology development agreement with In-Q-Tel, the independent strategic investment firm that identifies innovative technology solutions to support the missions of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Along with the corporate rebranding, Boundless announced a public beta release of OpenGeo Suite 4.0 and the official release of Mapmeter, a management and analytics tool for monitoring the health of production geospatial deployments.

OpenGeo Suite powers web, mobile, and desktop applications across the enterprise. Built on leading open source software – including PostGIS, GeoServer, GeoWebCache, OpenLayers – OpenGeo Suite optimizes standards-based technology for organizations large and small. OpenGeo Suite 4.0 brings many new features and improvements, including the adoption of GeoServer 2.3. PostGIS 2.2, QGIS support, and seamless integration with Mapmeter. These improvements greatly expand the capabilities of OpenGeo Suite, enabling enterprises to replace legacy software with a modern web-based open source stack and gain insight into their production environments.

OpenGeo Suite 4.0 lowers the cost of open source software for enterprises by improving flexibility, eliminating vendor lock-in, and avoiding costly in-house maintenance. With the option of commercially supported open source software, enterprises are now able to substitute expensive proprietary closed source options, or inter-operate with them, without vendor lock-in or software license fees. Boundless offers maintenance agreements to OpenGeo Suite customers, which include support, training and other professional services.

With the addition of Mapmeter, OpenGeo Suite enables administrators and developers to gain previously unattainable levels of insight into the health of production deployments. Mapmeter enables geospatial applications to be optimized during development, and diagnose critical issues from a single console. "Managing geospatial services is no easy task," said Juan Marin, Boundless CTO. "Many systems administrators are unable to easily obtain critical information about the health of their deployments. With Mapmeter and OpenGeo Suite, spatial monitoring and reporting become one piece in a complete IT workflow."

Mapmeter provides access to real time performance metrics allowing stakeholders to make better, more informed decisions on service deployments, resulting in reduced infrastructure and maintenance costs and proactive resolution of issues. Mapmeter is optimized to work with OpenGeo Suite 4.0. To sign up for Mapmeter, including a two week trial visit https://app.mapmeter.com/signup

About Boundless
From database to server to client, Boundless is the company organizations turn to for a lower cost, more flexible and modern alternative to the industry's prevailing proprietary and closed source model. Our community-led, spatial IT based approach to building and maintaining software helps organizations manage geospatial data. Our software and maintenance agreements, which include support and professional services, provide a lower cost, more flexible and modern alternative.

We've built a team of experts from the open source geospatial community — as well those within the greater field who recognize the power and momentum the open source business model has on the future of their industry. Our roots are in the open source community and our team members are actively involved core contributors and steering committee members across many open source geospatial projects. The foundation of our company is based on the knowledge that openness leads to better collaboration, better software and greater innovation. For more information, please visit boundlessgeo.com.

SOURCE Boundless

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Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) To Develop New GPS Technology With Locata Technology

The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) and Locata Corporation are pleased to announce they have signed a Co-operative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) to build and demonstrate new Locata multipath mitigation technology for use in GPS receivers. This cooperation is expected to leverage many years of proprietary Locata ground-based technology development to bring completely new capabilities to satellite-based GPS receivers.

The CRADA is specifically directed to evaluate Locata’s patented correlator and switching antenna technologies for use in positioning receivers running at GPS frequencies. Locata’s engineers will transfer knowledge and experience they have gained with existing Locata commercial systems to help AFIT design and build an initial multi-element GPS-based switching antenna prototype which is based on Locata’s patents. This will ensure AFIT researchers and engineers can familiarize themselves with the new antenna’s characteristics, and provide AFIT with an essential platform to develop GPS-specific versions of Locata’s correlator and switching algorithms. When built, AFIT intends to use their GPS receiver and the prototype switching antenna to physically demonstrate the feasibility of using Locata technology to improve GPS receiver performance.

After initial prototypes are built, AFIT plans to design and test several other GPS-based versions of Locata’s switching antenna array to assess how Locata’s commercial antennas can be adapted to use cases which are of particular interest to the military. Designs already discussed with Locata include stand-alone antennas, arrays conformal to a vehicle’s frame (e.g. Humvee’s roof, aircraft fuselage), and a version built into helmets.

As a first step in implementing this CRADA collaboration, AFIT personnel visited Locata’s head office for the week of April 29th 2013 for a detailed, wide-ranging introduction to the design fundamentals for this new type of antenna. Locata hosted AFIT’s Dr. John Raquet, Dr. Peter Collins and Mr. Jason Barhorst (see picture) in multiple engineering meetings where Locata’s current production version antenna was revealed for the first time, and then closely analyzed. AFIT and Locata engineers then workshopped the modification and design choices required to integrate Locata design into a GPS form-factor.

Dr. John Raquet (Director, Advanced Navigation Technology Center, AFIT) stated: “If this CRADA is successful, Locata’s technology could enable a significantly improved technical performance and reduction in the cost of multiple-element GPS antennas. This will enable much wider adoption of the technology, resulting in more reliable GPS positioning for more users. We are excited to investigate this technology advance for the benefits it will potentially bring to American warfighters.”

Nunzio Gambale (CEO and Co-Founder, Locata Corporation) said: “We are incredibly proud to once again be involved in a CRADA with the Air Force Institute of Technology, developing on the cutting-edge of navigation technology. Our previous LocataNet partnership with Dr. Raquet and his world-class AFIT researchers quickly taught us why this team is renown throughout the industry. The AFIT engineers bring an exceptional skill base to this important integration of Locata technology into GPS receivers. I’m certain that our collaboration, along with access to the USAF’s unmatched prototyping and testing capabilities, will deliver ground-breaking functionality for future GPS devices”.

AFIT expects at least one Masters Degree to be awarded for the research tasks involved in the CRADA. Work against the approved CRADA project plan will commence immediately, and involve several other participants providing admin and lab support to AFIT and Locata. The Final Report produced by this CRADA will include results and measured performance of the Locata-enhanced GPS receiver and other design considerations gleaned from AFIT’s experience with the new Locata antenna and correlators.

About Locata
Locata Corporation has invented completely new terrestrial positioning networks which function as local ground-based replicas of GPS. There is no other technology that can do this. As of May 2013, Locata has 114 granted patents protecting their innovations, with over 100 more in process. The company’s LocataNets work with or without satellite-based GPS systems to improve reliability and expand coverage for modern industrial, commercial, government and consumer applications wherever GPS is erratic, jammed or unavailable. Locata’s technology breakthrough will power the next wave of GPS development – the world’s first seamless satellite+terrestrial positioning systems – which are already being sold commercially by several companies. Partnering with the best in the industry – companies like Hexagon, Leica Geosystems, the USAF, AFIT, the IIHS, and more – Locata is pioneering a new “GPS everywhere” experience. Next generation Locata-powered apps now promise to deliver centimeter-level accurate positioning anywhere – indoors or out. Visit www.locatacorp.com.

SOURCE AFIT

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GIS Datasets Are Public Records Says Court

This is an interesting read.

The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that digital mapping files known as geographic information systems must be released under the state's public records law.

The decision could make it easier for media organizations, advocacy groups and others to obtain government GIS databases, rich collections of data that can be used to display and analyze multiple layers of geographical information.

The case stems from a 2007 letter the Sierra Club wrote to the Orange County assessor requesting copies of its OC Landbase, a GIS database of information on more than 640,000 land parcels. The group planned to use the database, which includes parcel boundaries, numbers and addresses, for environmental mapping projects, such as identifying land suitable for conservation.

The county argued that GIS files were "computer software" and exempt from disclosure under the state Public Records Act. County officials told the Sierra Club they would provide the data in GIS format if the organization paid a licensing fee and agreed to restrictions on its disclosure and distribution.

The county initially asked for $375,000 for the database, the Sierra Club told The Times, so the group filed suit.

Orange County won in trial and on appeal. A variety of open-government groups and media organizations, including the Los Angeles Times, filed a "friend of the court" brief before the state Supreme Court in support of the Sierra Club.

The high court ruled that such databases are public records and must be provided at the actual cost of duplication.

Forty-seven of California's 58 counties already provide GIS parcel maps as public records for a nominal fee, said Dean Wallraff, an attorney for the Sierra Club. Los Angeles County charged the group less than $10 for a disk containing the files, he said. Monday's court ruling should compel Orange County to do the same.

"We're moving into an era where most public records are being kept electronically, and the law needs to keep up," Wallraff said.

Orange County spokesman Howard Sutter said the county is reviewing the decision.

Terry Francke, general counsel for the open-government group Californians Aware, said the court's decision has major significance for the increasing number of people requesting detailed government planning and mapping databases.

SOURCE

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China: Geographic Information Industry Growing Fast

Xu Deming, the director-general of the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geo-information, released a statement on Thursday, saying that the output value of China's geographic information industry is expected to reach 200 billion yuan (31.8 billion U.S. dollars) by the end of this year.

According to a statement issued by the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation on Thursday, the output may exceed 400 billion yuan by the end of 2015.

Moreover, domestic geographic information software take up 70 percent of the country's relevant market share, and the market share of indigenous digital photogrammetry software in China has reached 90 percent, the statement said.

An advanced system of geographic information-related technologies and equipment is taking shape in China, combining space, air and on-the-ground technologies and equipment, including the Ziyuan III satellite, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and a national emergency geoinformation monitoring system, the statement said.

Via China.org.cn

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Intergraph Expands Edmonton’s Geospatial Capabilities

Intergraph Expands Edmonton’s Geospatial Capabilities

City Pursues Open Data, Wider Use of Geospatial Solutions

The City of Edmonton, Canada, has selected Intergraph to provide on-going access to the latest geospatial software and services through a multi-year agreement. Intergraph’s North American Site License gives Edmonton a cost-effective means of expanding the city’s enterprise geographic information system (GIS).

Through Intergraph’s GeoMedia Smart Client, Geospatial SDI and other software, Edmonton can grow its use of enterprise data management, data visualization, 3D analyses, cloud computing and mobile technologies.

"In choosing a site license, the City of Edmonton gains access to Intergraph’s complete GIS solution,” said Rob Patten, Vice President, Intergraph SG&I Canada. “This will help Edmonton further integrate geospatial data into municipal operations, enabling the city to make smarter decisions for planning, assessment, transportation and more.”

In addition to providing the city with Intergraph’s geospatial software, the site license also gives Edmonton access to a local Intergraph professional services team to aid in planning and implementation. The site license provides a fixed expenditure over the life of the program, leading to cost savings and better financial management.
A leader in enterprise GIS, the city has long promoted open data architectures and the use of geospatial information across departments. The city has been using Intergraph software for more than 10 years to geospatially locate, identify, analyze, track and manage assets.

Edmonton recently implemented a pilot program using combined products from Intergraph and Leica Geosystems, both Hexagon companies. The effort enables city workers in the field to report back on the condition of assets within the city’s expansive public park system.

About Intergraph
Intergraph is the leading global provider of engineering and geospatial software that enables customers to visualize complex data. Businesses and governments in more than 60 countries rely on Intergraph’s industry-specific software to organize vast amounts of data to make processes and infrastructure better, safer and smarter. The company’s software and services empower customers to build and operate more efficient plants and ships, create intelligent maps, and protect critical infrastructure and millions of people around the world.

Intergraph operates through two divisions: Process, Power & Marine (PP&M) and Security, Government & Infrastructure (SG&I). Intergraph PP&M provides enterprise engineering software for the design, construction, operation and data management of plants, ships and offshore facilities. Intergraph SG&I provides geospatially powered solutions including ERDAS technologies to the public safety and security, defense and intelligence, government, transportation, photogrammetry, and utilities and communications industries. Intergraph Government Solutions (IGS) is an independent subsidiary for SG&I’s U.S. federal business.

Intergraph is part of Hexagon (Nordic exchange: HEXA B; www.hexagon.com), a leading global provider of design, measurement and visualization technologies that enable customers to design, measure and position objects, and process and present data. For more information, visit www.intergraph.com.

©2012 Intergraph Corporation. All rights reserved. Intergraph is part of Hexagon. Intergraph and the Intergraph logo are registered trademarks of Intergraph Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. Other products and brand names are trademarks of their respective owners.

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GIS in Transportation Safety - Free Conference

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public conference on the use of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in transportation safety on December 4 and 5, 2012.

GIS is a rapidly expanding group of technologies and analytical techniques that uses geographically referenced data to support complex data integration, advanced statistical analysis, precise investigation, and effective visualization of data. The meeting will bring researchers and practitioners in transportation safety and GIS together to discuss how GIS data, technologies, and techniques are applied to improve transportation safety. They will identify emerging themes, current challenges, and potential solutions in using GIS in transportation safety. The meeting will include eight panels, with experts from government agencies, research institutes, non-profit organizations, and industry covering all modes of transportation.

Dates: December 4 (Tuesday) - December 5 (Wednesday), 2012
Times: 9:00am-5:00pm
Venue: The NTSB's Board Room and Conference Center

Address: 429 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20594 (in the lower level near the Postal Service)
Tel: 202-314-6305
Directions: http://www.ntsb.gov/about/conference_center.html

This conference is open to the public. Due to the capacity of the venue, registration is required. Please CLICK HERE TO REGISTER with the NTSB's Training Center.

In the event that you need to cancel your registration, please email studentservices@ntsb.gov.

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Comparing ASTER, SRTM, Digital Topography DEM, and Topographic Map To Define Watershed Borderline

Here is a free PDF of the paper "Redefining the Border line of the Neka River's Watershed with Comparing ASTER, SRTM, Digital Topography DEM, and Topographic Map by GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques" by Ahmadi et al., (2012).

Abstract: The accurate and precise calculation of the area for land features has a key role in the estimating the change detection of land uses and the classification of geomorphologic units as well as in the evaluating of land use. In particular, the delineation of borders between watersheds is a base in hydrologic analysis. Recent advances in spatial tools of GIS environment and the availability of various remotely-sensed data make the reliable determining of topographical boundaries possible. So an integrated approach of data analysis and modeling can accomplish the task of delineation. The main aim in this research is to evaluate the delineation method of watershed boundary by using four different digital elevation models (DEM) including ASTER, SRTM, Digital Topography, and Topographic maps. In order to determine a true reference of boundary of watershed, sample data were also obtained by field survey and using GPS. The comparison reference points and the results of these data showed the average distance difference between reference boundary and the result of ASTER data was 43 meters. However the average distance between GPS reference and the other data was high; the difference between the reference data and SRTM was 307m, and for Digital Topographic map, it was 269m. The average distance between Topographic map and the GPS points differed 304 meters as well. For the statistical analysis of comparison, the coordinates of 230 points were determined; the paired comparisons were also performed to measure the coefficient of determination, R2, as well as the analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS. As a result, the R2 values for the ASTER data with the Digital Topography and Topographic map were 0.0157 and 0.171, respectively. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences in distances among the four means of the selected models. Therefore, considering other three methods, the ASTER DEM is the most suitable applicable data to delineate the borders of watersheds, especially in rugged terrains. In addition, the calculated flow directions of stream based on ASTER are close to natural tributaries as well as real positions of streams.

Download the PDF file here.

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Transactions in GIS Journal - Free Articles

The journal Transactions in GIS is now included in the ISI Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Its 2011 Impact Factor is 0.54 (ISI Journal Citation Reports).

Hear are article highlights you can have for free online.

Positional Accuracy of TIGER 2000 and 2009 Road Networks
P. A. Zandbergen, D. A. Ignizio, and K. E. Lenzer

A Contextual Mann-Kendall Approach for the Assessment of Trend Significance in Image Time Series
N. Neeti and J. R. Eastman

Integrated Hazards Mapping Tool
E. Tate, C. G. Burton, M. Berry, C. T. Emrich, and S. L. Cutter

Automatic Region Building for Spatial Analysis
D. Guo and H. Wang

Building Agent-Based Walking Models by Machine-Learning on Diverse Databases of Space-Time Trajectory Samples
P. Torrens, X. Li, and W. A. Griffin

On Place and Space: Calculating Social and Spatial Networks in the Budapest Ghetto
A. Giordano and T. Cole

Exploring the Historical Determinants of Urban Growth Patterns through Cellular Automata
K. Stanilov and M. Batty

How fast is a cow? Cross-Scale Analysis of Movement Data
P. Laube and R. S. Purves

Inferring the Location of Twitter Messages Based on User Relationships
C. A. Davis Jr, G. L. Pappa, D. R. R. de Oliveira, and F. de L Arcanjo

Georeferencing Incidents from Locality Descriptions and its Applications: A Case Study from Yosemite National Park Search and Rescue
P. Doherty, Q. Guo, Y. Liu, J. Wieczorek, and J. Drake

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AR Browser and Image Matching Unveiled

ARlab has unveiled two new innovative Augmented Reality solutions to help developers to create useful, easy and fast applications: AR Browser and Image Matching, as part of the company´s commitment to offer a portfolio of technological solutions according to developers’ needs.

Both ARlab tools were fully developed thinking on isolating the developer from the complexity of the main augmented reality, computer vision and 3d rendering functionalities so that the developer can just start working on the app idea. AR Browser and Image Matching has been created with simplicity of use in mind. For that reason, the company also introduces Linkar Developer Community (www.arlab.com/linkar) as a reach space to learn and share experiences and learning to the whole world.

“The way in which some daily events are carried out could change forever with the use of Augmented Reality. Actions like reading a newspaper or a magazine, or even shopping will not even be the same with the use of this fast grow technology, which is becoming more and more used by mobile applications developers" said Pablo García Morato, CTO of the company. “ARLab main focus is developers, and AR Browser and Image Matching are revolutionary solutions created thinking on them".

Reality Geolocation
With AR Browser add augmented reality geolocation view to Android or iOS applications is possible in less than 5 minutes, having a fully customizable look and feel. Also add and remove POIs from the pool without refreshing the view it becomes very easy.

The ARlab solution allows fully customized framework with really simple API. The framework takes care of all the complex functionalities of the augmented reality browser. The developers just need to focus on designing the application.

Real Time Image Recognition
The Image Matching technology developed by ARLab enables real time Image recognition with a high success rate. This application tries to show all the capabilities of the AR Image Matching that ARLab has carefully developed. The developer will be able to integrate Augmented Reality SDK in its mobile application in few time.Image Matching is a real time image recognition engine that can match thousands of pictures within your device without an Internet connection.

The ARlab image matcher uses a smartphone’s powerfull hardware to complete the image processing and give matched results in milliseconds. The engine is very easy to use. Developers just need to add the images and the engine will start doing the matching with no pre-processing required.

Linkar Developer Community
Linkar is the new community thought by and for developers, where they will be able to share, to know, and to ask to other developers which also belong to the community. The main goal of this community is that different developers contact each other to create a greater interaction amongst them, which will sometimes benefit both the users and the companies.

In Linkar developers will be able to buy licenses of the SDKs, publish their own applications and promote them. The idea is to create an AR ecosystem where developers can learn from others, share their ideas and win and make business with the apps and/or projects they may develop. ARlab will contribute not only supporting each single part of your development, even if is not AR related, but also the company will release full open source projects like: BoxOffice developed with the ImageMatching SDK and ARPicBrowser developer with the AR Browser SDK.

About ARLab
ARLab is an innovative company focused in the field of Augmented Reality and computer vision. The company offers an extended portfolio of technological solutions and technologies according to developers’ needs, capable to materialize their ideas in the shortest time possible. After years of research and development, ARlab wants to become a global reference in the industry and supports clients from two locations: Madrid (Spain) and Haifa (Israel).

For more information, visit www.arlab.com

Media Enquiries:

Fernando Ujaldón
Tel. +34 657 651 849
fujaldon@gmail.com

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DataONE Search Tool for Scientific Data

Has anyone of you ever tried searching environmental data from DataONE?

Data Observation Network for Earth (DataONE) is the foundation of new innovative environmental science through a distributed framework and sustainable cyberinfrastructure that meets the needs of science and society for open, persistent, robust, and secure access to well-described and easily discovered Earth observational data.

Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant #OCI-0830944) as one of the initial DataNets, DataONE will ensure the preservation, access, use and reuse of multi-scale, multi-discipline, and multi-national science data via three principle cyberinfrastucture elements and a broad education and outreach program.

DataONE comprises a distributed network of data centers, science networks or organizations. These organizations can expose their data within the DataONE network through the implementation of the DataONE Member Node service interface. In addition to scientific data, Member Nodes can provide computing resources, or services such as data replication, to the DataONE community.

DataONE developed the ONEMercury web-based search interface as a tool for searching environmental data. Try finding data you need here.

Here is a screenshot of the online tool:

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Free Lecture: Mapping Water Use from Space

The public is invited to a free lecture about how water use is being mapped from space to be presented at the Library of Congress.

Research scientist Martha Anderson will discuss "Mapping Water Use from Space" at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 14, in the Mary Pickford Theater on the third floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not needed.

Access to water is a daily issue of life or death in many parts of the world, and it is essential for healthy crops wherever they are grown. Water is central to the economies of U.S. western states, and legal battles over fresh water there have been common for many years. Now the means to objectively measure and map water use with observations from space-based satellites has been discovered, and as it moves from innovation to everyday operations, a revolution in practical water monitoring is underway.

"I'll be discussing mapping techniques and uses for satellite-derived evapotranspiration, providing examples in western U.S. water management, drought monitoring, and international applications in food and water security," Anderson said. Martha Anderson is a research physical scientist at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Md.

Research scientists have learned to measure the exchange of water vapor between the land surface and the atmosphere, or what's called evapotranspiration (ET), by using observations from space. ET is made up of the water that's evaporated directly from surfaces plus the water evaporated from leaves in a process called transpiration. Transpiration uses energy, so vegetation with access to sufficient water appears cooler than vegetation under water-limited conditions. Detecting this difference from space can help with monitoring drought, managing water, planning for irrigation, and predicting crop yield, all key areas for farming and natural resource management.

The illustrated lecture, the fourth in a series of programs in 2012, is presented through a collaboration between the Library's Science, Technology and Business Division and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. The collaboration is in its sixth year.

Martha Anderson is a research physical scientist for the USDA Agricultural Research Service in the Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. She received her Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis in 1993, with a dissertation on cosmic ray acceleration in galactic supernova remnants. Her interests in environmental issues then steered her toward postgraduate research in Earth observation using satellites, and led her to international collaborations in monitoring water resources around the world. Her research interests focus on mapping water, energy, and carbon using observations from space-based sensors. She served as a member of the Landsat Science Team from 2006 to 2011, and recently co-edited a book entitled, Remote Sensing of Drought: Innovative Monitoring Approaches.

The Library of Congress maintains one of the largest and most diverse collections of scientific and technical information in the world. The Science, Technology and Business Division provides reference and bibliographic services and develops the general collections of the Library in all areas of science, technology, business and economics.

The Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds nearly 151.8 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov.

For inquiries about this or upcoming talks at the Library of Congress, the public can contact the LOC Science, Technology and Business Division at 202-707-5664. ADA accommodations should be requested five business days in advance at 202-707-6382 (voice/tty).

For more information about Landsat satellites, visit: www.nasa.gov/landsat

SOURCE NASA

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Europe and Asia to Drive Market Growth in Unmanned Aerial Systems Market in the Next Ten Years

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones have repeatedly proved their worth in recent conflicts. Drones have certain inherent advantages over manned platforms, motivating the interest of military forces and driving the market for military drones. Despite projections for a substantial increase in spending on UAVs, reduced military expenditure by the United States is causing uncertainty among industry stakeholders.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.aerospace.frost.com/), Military Unmanned Aerial Systems Market Assessment, finds that total market revenue is likely to be $ 61.37 billion across the forecast period 2011-2020. It is estimated that the global military unmanned aerial systems (UAS) market generated $ 4.55 billion in revenues in 2010, a figure that is set to rise to $ 7.31 billion in 2020.

“The United States will reduce its spending on UAS as it is adequately equipped to meet its needs,” notes Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Mahendran Arjunraja. “Although the country has plans to increase its inventory by more than 35 per cent over the next ten years, market revenues are expected to decline at least till 2020; the U.S. military UAS space is undergoing a transition from procurements to sustainment with most future procurements likely to be limited to upgrades.”

At the same time, Europe is facing intense competition in the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV segment, as more domestic companies are collaborating to develop indigenous equipment. Existing high altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAVs are too expensive for many nations, even while MALE equipment has limited capability. Hence, an opportunity exists for equipment with capabilities between MALE and HALE.

As the operations in Afghanistan are expected to reach an end soon, governments are unlikely to show keen interest in renewing lease agreements. This will have an immediate impact on UAV leasing companies. However, this restraint is set to become a driver in the long-term, as cash-strapped countries would be able to allocate resources for equipment procurement.

“Reduction in spending by the United States is expected to slow down the UAS market,” cautions Arjunraja. “Fortuitously for market participants, this slowdown will be partly off-set by the growth in the European and Asian markets.”

The military UAV market in Europe and Asia will witness significant growth in the next ten years. This is the opportune time for UAV manufacturers and suppliers, therefore, to explore opportunities in these emerging markets.

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an e-mail with your contact details to Joanna Lewandowska, Corporate Communications, at joanna.lewandowska@frost.com.

Military Unmanned Aerial Systems Market Assessment is part of the Defence Growth Partnership Services programme, which also includes research in the following markets: United Kingdom Civil Security Market - Revenue Opportunities & Stakeholder Mapping, and Revenue Opportunities and Stakeholder Mapping in the French Land Defence Market. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.
SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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Descartes Systems Group Acquires GeoMicro

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in logistics technology, acquired GeoMicro, Inc., a leading California-based provider of advanced geographic information systems (GIS) and commercial turn-by-turn navigation.

GeoMicro's cutting-edge GIS platform enables advanced routing, navigation, field service, and spatial data business intelligence solutions. It supports a full range of advanced GIS services, including high performance map display, geo-location, commercial vehicle route calculation, spatial data querying, and turn-by-turn navigation suitable for commercial and hazardous material route use. GeoMicro's solutions help customers to precisely locate assets and resources in motion, reduce the cost and time of deliveries, and increase driver safety & compliance.

"Geographic location is fundamental to logistics and a key element of many business decisions," said Edward Ryan, Chief Commercial Officer at Descartes. "By adding GeoMicro's technology and services to our Logistics Technology Platform, our customers can access the advanced geographical information processing that is critical to efficient logistics operations."

Historically, GIS solutions have been used with mobile resource management applications, such as Descartes' Routing, Mobile, and Telematics suite, to identify commercial road restrictions and hazardous material approved routes, and to provide commercial turn-by-turn navigation. By combining GeoMicro's technology with Descartes' Logistics Technology Platform, Descartes customers can leverage GIS technologies in new ways on Descartes' cloud-based Global Logistics Network, such as to verify addresses or track shipments, inventory, conveyance units and resources.

"Logistics-intensive businesses face complicated challenges that require GIS functions to be deeply embedded within the location-based services their preferred technology partners provide," said Arthur Mesher, Descartes' Chairman and CEO. "Working closely with customers, we recognized the need to extend our cloud-based Logistics Technology Platform's GIS capabilities to provide solutions that not only meet today's geographic information needs, but also scale to address future technology opportunities such as crowd-sourced location traffic and road network services."

For more information about GeoMicro, Inc, view www.geomicro.com.

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Underwater Mapping Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Sri Lanka's marine researchers are planning to use aerial and underwater unmanned vehicles with remote sensing technology to study the oceans around the country, officials said.

Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Research Agency (NARA) wants to team up with the island's air force to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for marine search.

"They have experience from the war, which matches with the research needs," NARA chairman Hiran Jayewardene said.

Sri Lanka's military used UAVs extensively in a war with Tamil Tiger separatists which ended in May 2009.

Jayewardene, a marine researcher with international experience was invited back to head NARA, which was set up 30 years ago with his participation by the island's current fisheries minister Rajitha Senaratne.

Jayewardene helped develop methods now used to demarcate ocean bed allocations by the United Nations at the time he was a doctoral student at Cambridge University, Senaratne said.

NARA researchers are also in talks with the French oceanographic and geophysical research unit to collaborate on the use of underwater gliders for marine research.

"These gliders can be pre-programmed to go on a path, collect data and return," Kanapathipilli Arulanandan, who heads NARA's oceanography unit, said.

The gliders have sensors which can collect data on underwater conditions, including temperature and light levels at various depths, officials said.

"This is a wonderful tool for a small country like ours. We are hoping that the French will collaborate," Jayewardene said.

"It runs at approximately a one kilometer an hour, very slowly. And it uses very little energy and it can go deep down into the ocean; it can be programmed to gather data. It can go up and down it can go in a zigzag pattern, it can go in a vertical pattern.

"It periodically comes to the surface and it transmits data through satellite to the shore."

SOURCE Lanka Business Online

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Philippines Web GIS System Standards and Policies Reviewed

The Regional Geographic Information Network (RGIN) has evaluated the proposed data standards and data policy of the Climate Change and Risk Reduction Information Support System Project (CRISP) to be presented to the RGIN meeting on January 27, 2012 and to the Regional Development Council in its 2012 1st Quarter Meeting for final approval and adoption.

The data standards and data policies include the information on Geographic Information System data structures for the project, and the data sharing policy and responsibilities of the members and other end-users of the GIS data.

During the review, immediate necessity of data during natural calamities and the cost of sustaining the system are also explored as factors to consider in the proposed sharing policy. The members also suggested to include the guidelines on data updating, uploading and deleting as well as the distribution and regulation of such to third parties.

All recommendations will be incorporated in the Operations Manual of the system.

The CRISP, a joint undertaking of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United States Agency for International Development (AusAID) and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), is a web-based information system that aims to establish a databank in support to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (CCA-DRR).

The implementation of the project is expected to run starting first quarter of next year. The CRISP will be adapted in all regions after its successful piloting region 2.

According to NEDA Knowledge Management Division Chief Ronilo H. Bulseco, the three cities in the region, Tuguegarao, Cauayan and Santiago shall also be encouraged to become part of the RGIN and they shall also be briefed on the project for wider and more accurate information system in local development planning.

SOURCE PIA.gov.ph

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Headwall Photonics Announces Micro-Hyperspec Imaging Sensor on UAVs

Headwall Photonics has announced that its Micro-Hyperspec imaging sensor is being successfully deployed aboard very small commercial UAVs to help agriculturalists and researchers monitor vegetation over wide areas. Accurate spectral scenes of farmlands and crop fields can now be quickly rendered using this technology. Nutrient stress conditions of crops and fruit, for example, can be gathered by placing these miniaturized hyperspectral imagers on long-duration commercial UAVs, which crisscross farmland to yield a mosaic of data-rich images.

Headwall worked collaboratively with Pablo Zarco-Tejada, a Principal Investigator at the Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (IAS) in Spain. "This is a critically useful deployment of our technology by a leading researcher in the remote sensing community," said David Bannon, CEO of Headwall Photonics. "Hyperspectral imaging allows agricultural experts across the globe to make crop and vegetation decisions that will enrich the lives of everyone." Bannon noted the need for precision hyperspectral imaging solutions that are small, light, and rugged. "Size, weight and power requirements are important concerns when deploying this technology aboard airborne vehicles, so we developed and engineered the aberration-corrected Micro-Hyperspec sensor with that in mind," said Bannon.

With a small size and fully integrated payload weight of less than 1.5 lbs., the Micro-Hyperspec imaging sensor is an ideal sensor for very small UAV platforms. The Micro-Hyperspec is available in VNIR configurations (380-1000nm) and NIR configurations (900-1700nm). The Micro-Hyperspec is available as a complete airborne configuration consisting of a small, accurate GPS/INS unit, data processing engine with high capacity, solid state drive, and application software necessary to acquire and display hyperspectral datacubes with exceptional spectral and spatial resolution.

Pablo Zarco-Tejada commented on the success of the collaborative effort between IAS and Headwall: "We've pioneered this technology aboard unmanned airborne platforms and the data we're able to collect about agriculture and croplands helps us make life-enriching decisions for everyone." A mosaic of the flight patterns yields a tremendous amount of useful data about the vegetation below. The use of long-duration UAVs means better stability aloft, and larger data volumes stored during each flight. "Headwall's Micro-Hyperspec technology and their applications support have allowed us to achieve what matters most in our field of work: outstanding spectral/spatial resolution and high dynamic range in a rugged, small-form-factor package," concluded Zarco-Tejada.

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GIS Day 2011 Date is November 16 in Canada

Celebrate GIS Day on November 16, 2011. Many of the questions we have about the world requires answering the question “where.” Knowing where something is leads to a better understanding of how its location influences its characteristics and relationships with other objects or beings in the environment. This type of analysis, known as geographic analysis, is enabled by geographic information system or GIS technology. GIS allows people to integrate numerous information and analyze it spatially on digital maps, helping them uncover new patterns and valuable insights for effectively addressing the world's economic, social, political and environmental problems. On Wednesday, November 16, 2011, participate in numerous events being held across Canada in celebration of GIS Day.

The University of Waterloo in Ontario is one of the first Canadian universities to use GIS throughout its organization. The University uses ESRI's GIS solution in teaching geography and geomatics, as well as other programs that focus on developing highly in-demand technology skills. It also uses GIS to improve school administration and student recruiting. It is one of only three Canadian universities that have been recognized as an ESRI Development Centre for providing exemplary programs that educate students in designing and developing applications using GIS. The University has developed an application called RPyGeo that integrates ESRI geoprocessing tools with the free R statistical computing software, allowing users to leverage geographic data in statistical analysis without the need for programming.

“GIS allows us to intersect various data and apply new perspectives to problems,” says Scott MacFarlane, GIS Specialist, University of Waterloo. “It's a valuable technology for improving learning and promoting innovation among our students. Using GIS, they're able to create applications that have real-world impact. It provides them with important skills that they can apply to a wide spectrum of challenges and contribute to a more sustainable society.”

Students at the University leverage GIS to develop innovative prototype applications for planning, environmental management and other concerns. They also use the technology to support research on a broad range of issues including how to make municipal transit more efficient; how to use GIS for business development; determine the health effects of living near wind turbines; monitor the spread and impact of invasive insect species; monitor the effects of marine oil spills; and tracking climate change.

This year, the University will hold a GIS Day open house to showcase its various GIS applications, including a new mobile campus map application that helps students and visitors to easily navigate the university and obtain better access to information and services.

In addition to the University of Waterloo, many other organizations across Canada are hosting GIS Day events. To find an event near you, visit esricanada.com/GISDay.

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