Brian Goldin, CEO and founder of Voyager Search and formerly of Esri, recognizes that geospatial systems amass a tremendous amount of data. “A lot of solutions for helping people understand data haven’t evolved very well,” said Goldin. “By taking some modern web search technology and combining it with geospatial data, we can allow someone to install some software for dealing with their data without impacting their work in their existing IT environments.”
In February, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) responded to concern about increased El Nino flood risk by releasing new data on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies, which showed an increase in more than 27,000 new NFIP policies written in California during the month of December 2015.
At Esri Federal GIS two weeks ago, there were a number of three-hour presentations called “Summits” that focused on particular areas of expertise and featured many federal agency experts.
A look at what is being demonstrated on the Exhibit Floor is a great way to see what is trending in the geospatial industry. Location, navigation, GIS positioning, sensors, geospatial intelligence, UAS, 3D, emergency response are just a few of the areas covered in the vast offerings seen throughout the week.
In an interview with Todd Steiner, marketing director, Geospatial Imaging and Optical Solutions and Tim Lemmon, marketing director, Geospatial Software Solutions, GISCafe Voice discussed the recent announcement from Trimble announcing an expanded portfolio of geospatial solutions for surveyors, engineers and mapping professionals. Highlights include new total stations, a new GNSS receiver and new field and office software features. According to company materials, the solutions save time, reduce costs, streamline workflows and produce high-quality geospatial deliverables across a wide range of industries.
Over the weekend, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal near the city of Kathmandu, followed by aftershocks that also resulted in many deaths and structural damage. Simultaneously, climbers on Mount Everest’s base camp were buried in an avalanche, precipitated by the quake.
The following are some sites that provide some geospatial insight into the events. I’m leaving the links whole in most cases so that they are easy for people to access and will add others as I learn about them. If anyone has any other links that should be added to this list, please contact me at susan.smith@ibsystems.com.
Dharahara Tower, Kathmandu April 2014 before the earthquake, courtesy DigitalGlobe
In recent years, Emergency Response and Recovery has been tasked with addressing the growing number of natural disasters and manmade disasters worldwide. When a disaster happens, the role of GIS and geospatial is front and center in the identification of location and the location of individuals impacted in the event, as well as the clarification of the physical damage to vital structures. It is also fundamental to the provision of medical care and utilities during a time when those things may be scarce or non-existent.