Historical images that do not contain any geospatial coordinates — while nice to look at — are of limited value. Thankfully, new geospatial data processing innovations can help breathe new life into this archival information.
With the ENVI software solution from Exelis VIS, it is possibly to process and analyze this imagery in a more modern fashion. ENVI combines spectral image processing and image analysis technology with a modern, user-friendly interface that allows users to easily extract meaningful information from imagery. Regardless of the image format, ENVI has the latest image processing and analysis tools aim to help users extract meaningful information from imagery.
If your organization has a deep archive of historic imagery that needs to updated to today’s geospatial standards, we recommend checking out this video below. It provides a full tutorial on how to use ENVI to meet this objective. (more…)
Last year, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) held its GIS-Pro 2012 symposium, which featured a keynote address by geospatial visionary Michael F. Goodchild.
The first part of Goodchild’s keynote address focused on how far the geospatial sector has come since 1998. Specifically, he highlighted how we now have faster broadband connections and graphic accelerators, as well as massive amounts of data. All of these things are driving today’s geospatial solutions through we still have challenges ahead of us.
The second half of Goodchild’s keynote address highlighted the global social constructs behind mapping. Each culture has a different interpretation of mapping and what locations are worthy of monitoring – whether it is a sports complex, a Korean deli or a riverbed in Western Australia. Goodchild also discusses how we are creating global mapping standards, as well as localized crowdsourced capabilities.
He also discussed “place-based GIS,” which is focused on core locations and how most cities have adopted standard subways maps (i.e. New York City). This standard is ideal because “humans can use it.”
Be sure to check out part two of Goodchild’s keynote address at GIS-Pro 2012.
In October 2012, Trimble announced that launch of its DSS 500, which is the company’s latest medium-format, directly georeferenced aerial imaging system.
Capable of producing full-resolution, ortho-rectified imagery in real time with In-FlightOrtho™ technology, the Trimble Digital Sensor System (DSS) is designed as a high-productivity, mapping-grade solution for color orthophoto and vertical mapping applications.
“The DSS 500 with In-FlightOrtho pushes the limits of efficiency like no other medium-format aerial mapping system,” said Joe Hutton, director of Airborne Products at Applanix, a Trimble Company, in the press release launching the new product. “The DSS 500’s ability to produce full-resolution, orthorectified imagery as it is captured makes it an ideal solution for air-to-ground quality control and time-critical mapping. Watching the orthos produced in real time gives users extremely high levels of confidence in their data collection. And now with significantly smaller, lighter, lower power and less complex hardware—just three cables are required for most installations—aerial mapping has never been easier, faster or more efficient. It is the most advanced Digital Sensor System that we have ever produced.”
Be sure to check out this video all about the DSS 500.
Typically, geospatial intelligence is most commonly linked to defence and the military. While this may be true, more and more civilian organisations are utilising the power of geospatial information to radically improve their abilities. Unsurprisingly, the police force is one such area getting involved.
Associate Professor of Criminology, Law, Society & Planning, Policy & Design at the University of California Irvine speaks to DGI’s Online Editor Dan Mellins-Cohen about the innovative and highly successful implementation of geospatial intelligence by the LAPD to not only catch criminals, but proactively prevent crime.
John Lucier, Senior Project Manager, DigitalGlobe gives us his insight on current and future trends in geospatial intelligence. The video was filmed at the Defence Geospatial Intelligence (DGI) 2011- Europe’s largest and most international annual gathering dedicated to the high-level discussion of the importance and the major challenges of the use of geospatial intelligence in both defence and national security operations.
