Tiltan's Automated Geo-Mapping System Handheld Group

Metadata for INSPIRE Autodesk

Magazi ne f or Sur veyi ng, Mappi ng & GI S Pr of essi onal s
M
arch 2
0
1
1
Volume 14
2
Imagery and the
Engineering World
At the time of writing, my mailbox is overowing with announcements of upcoming
geospatial events. I think this is a good sign that the new year in geospatial has
really started. In line with this thought, readers of this magazine can see the rst
new releases for this year from the major software vendors, and more will follow in
the coming months. When looking at some of the latest features of the new soft-
ware, I was struck by the announcement of handling point cloud data, and 'data in
the cloud' as well. I wonder just how long it will take before this becomes 'business
as usual', and is broadly accepted. Apparently, there is a market demand for it but
I have yet to see any major customers. We'll just have to wait and see how all this
will evolve.
What I have noticed though is that my previous editorial caused some stir among
readers, notably the part about Autodesk. The Autodesk article presented in this
issue will hopefully clear things up a bit. It's interesting to read Geoff Zeiss' state-
ment on imagery, that imagery solves a problem not only for the GIS analysts, but
also the engineering world. I think this is a topic worth investigating in further issues
of this magazine.
What is also worth mentioning is a series of interviews in the surveying business:
Joc Triglav performed three interviews that complement each other quite well. First
of all, there's an interview about the Intergeo event that is well worth reading. To
stay ahead of market developments, the event needs to evolve and keep in good
contact with what's happening in the market. Olaf Freier, Managing Director of
HINTE GmbH and Intergeo organizer, explains how successfully the new formats
are being carried out and how cooperation between different parties helps to diver-
sify the scope of the event as a whole. The other two interviews with respectively,
Precise Positioning Management (PPM) and The Handheld Group, offer useful
insights into what's happening in the surveying market these days and whats to be
expected in the near future.
Enjoy your reading,
Eric van Rees
evanrees@geoinformatics.com
GeoInformatics is the leading publication for Geospatial
Professionals worldwide. Published in both hardcopy and
digital, GeoInformatics provides coverage, analysis and
commentary with respect to the international
surveying, mapping and GIS industry.
GeoInformatics is published 8 times a year.
Editor-in-chief
Eric van Rees
evanrees@geoinformatics.com
Copy Editor
Frank Arts
fartes@geoinformatics.com
Editors
Florian Fischer
fscher@geoinformatics.com
Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk
hlekkerkerk@geoinformatics.com
Remco Takken
rtakken@geoinformatics.com
Joc Triglav
jtriglav@geoinformatics.com
Contributing Writers:
Remco Takken, Peter McIntosch, Gertrud Riegler,
Joc Triglav, Gordon Petrie, Amber Chambers,
Jlic Belpoliti, Fulvia Gambalonga, Wolfgang Moser,
Ivo Planoetscher, Susanne Rizzolli, Martin Zambaldi,
Alberto Perli, Flavio Pompermaier,
Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk
Financial Director
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nance@cmedia.nl
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Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
March 2011
At the cover:
TerraSAR-X & TanDEM-X
satellite twins in formation flight
(source: EADS Astrium GmbH).
See article at page 14.
C o n t e n t
Ar t i c l e s
Limitless Potential of Geospatial Imagery 10
Its all about Elevation 14
Tiltans Automated Geo-Mapping (AGM) System 22
ERDAS 2011 Software 32
WG-Edit: a new gvSIG Extension 40
Standards in Practice 46
FME 2011 48
I n t e r v i e ws
Will there still be GIS in AutoCAD? 6
The Handheld Group 18
Organizing the Intergeo Event 28
Precise Positioning Management (PPM) 36
C a l e n d a r / Ad v e r t i s e r s I n d e x 50
We received the following statement from Autodesk as a result of the editorial of the previous
magazine. We hope that the article on page 6 claries statements made in the press:
The comment that Autodesk has disbanded its geospatial and infrastructure solutions (GIS)
division must not be taken out of context. In fact, the company has integrated its GIS capabilities
within its architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) division and remains fully committed
to delivering high-quality geospatial solutions that address the needs of its customers across the
GIS sector.
22
6
Geospatial experts have
always pointed out the
importance of maintenance
and design within a spatial
environment.
18
In cooperation with Diamond
Airborne Sensing, the Tiltan
company has developed a
highly integrated airborne
image data acquisition and
photogrammetric processing
system.
The Handheld Group is a
worldwide supplier of rugged
PDAs and mobile computers.
Jerker Hellstrm, CEO and
founder of Handheld Group
explains how the company
serves its clients in the best way
possible, by offering products
for tough working
environments.
36
Precise Positioning
Management (PPM) is a
German company
that started out as a
trading partner of
Ashtech.
Nowadays PPM
serves a wide range
of clients who use GPS.
10
Today, geospatial imagery is a va-
luable source of information about
the world around us. Its widespread
availability provides us with timely
and accurate data about virtually
anything occurring on the Earths
surface, from natural phenomena
and disasters to events caused by
human activity, such as military
operations.
32
In this modern age of con-
venience and instant gratifi-
cation, its not enough to
just provide information; it
must be easily accessible
and available almost instan-
taneously.
46
The 3rd of December 2010
was the deadline for member
states of the EU to publish their
Annex I & II metadata to their
national geoportal. With this
deadline behind us, now is a
good time to investigate what
is available and how we can
use it.
28
For many people, intergeo is
the major geospatial event of
the year in Western Europe,
and one that is not to be mis-
sed. The event, which takes
place in a different city in
Germany every year in au-
tumn, captures every aspect of
the value creation chain and
the geospatial industry.
A
utodesks GIS pros are now part of the
AEC Solutions division. They will now
communicate directly with architects
who will have to learn to design in close con-
nection with the outside world, rather than
the frontiers of a CAD drawing. GIS and loca-
tion information will not vanish from
Autodesks roster. While Autodesk seems to
have reassessed its leading position in design
and visualisation, geospatial merely loses
its own little island. Geoff Zeiss geospatial
expert at Autodesk says about the shift: Dave
Sonnen, who prepares IDC's annual spatial
information management report, has for
years predicted that location aware IT (infor-
mation technology) was going to become a
much larger market than traditional GIS. He
targeted 2005/2006 as the point when loca-
tion aware IT would overtake traditional
GIS.
Autodesk began integrating geospatial and
design in 1996, when AutoCAD Map was
released. Coincidentally 1996 was the year
that Oracle released the Spatial Data Option
(SDO) with Oracle 7.3. Together these repre-
sented major steps toward enabling location
awareness in IT as opposed to the more
restricted focus of traditional GIS.
In 2005 Google Earth was released and this
represented a major inection point, when
geospatial-enabling overtook traditional GIS
and became a major part of mainstream IT.
Also in 2005 Autodesk launched AutoCAD
Civil3D, the next step in the evolution of inte-
grated geospatial and design engineering.
The integration of Autodesks geospatial busi-
ness unit into the AEC division reects what is
happening to make the IT business as a whole
more location aware, states Zeiss. It will also
accelerate breaking down the silos of GIS,
engineering design, and advanced 3D visual-
ization technologies to enable a more holistic
way of modeling a more complex world.
Zeiss: At Autodesk what excites me is that it
will mean more geospatial development, not
less. You will see more vertically-focused prod-
ucts that integrate geospatial with other tech-
nologies to address specic business needs.
In utilities for instance, this will mean products
focused on planning, design, build, and oper-
ations and maintenance including records
management.
AutoCAD Civil 3D and GIS
The AutoCAD Map software is currently
woven into AutoCAD Civil 3D as a free
addition. This means that GIS functionality is
still present within the Autodesk platform.
Zeiss explains how this added value of
AutoCAD Civil 3D will be marketed in the
future: AutoCAD Civil3D adds vertical
model-based design and 3D visualization
tools, generally referred to as BIM, for design-
ing highways, roads and other civil structures,
to AutoCAD Map 3D, which is geospatially-
enabled AutoCAD. As we break down the
silos around traditional mono-technology
tools, we are increasingly focusing on deliv-
ering applications that integrate technologies
to solve specic business problems for verti-
cal industries.
Autodesk folds Geospatial Division into AEC
Will there still be GIS
At the end of 2010, Autodesk announced that its GIS division was to be folded into its AEC (architec-
ture, engineering and construction) division. Although the company is most known for its AutoCAD-
based design and engineering tools, GIS has been an integral part of their products. Geospatial experts
have always pointed out the importance of maintenance and design within a spatial environment.
6
I n t e r v i e w
By Eric van Rees and Remco Takken
Geoff Zeiss: AutoCAD Civil3D adds vertical model-based design and 3D
visualization tools, generally referred to as BIM, for designing highways,
roads and other civil structures to AutoCAD Map 3D, which is geospatial-
ly-enabled AutoCAD.
March 2011
Democratizing the Workforce
Interestingly, when a surveyor collects his spa-
tial data in the eld, he is not working within
a GIS, but in a CAD environment. Traditionally,
design software by Autodesk and others has
proved to be a most practical solution for data
collection. Plus, there are other benets. To
teach outdoors CAD basics to surveying spe-
cialists, instead of making them into geo-ICT
eld workers, is also an economic decision.
Registered CAD licenses are less expensive,
and while chances are good that someone is
already familiar with the world of CAD, re-edu-
cation is relatively easy. Not to mention the fact
that a CAD-trained professional is of wider use
within an organisation, working on a smaller
paycheck than a GIS specialist.
On the downside: traditionally CAD workers,
and especially those in the eld, face organi-
sational difculties when its time to upload
their data into the enterprises database. They
get in direct competition with the (geo) ICT staff
at their desk tops.
A few years back, Geoff Zeiss coined the
phrase democratizing the work force in order
to open up the vast potential of eld workers.
Zeiss: One of the areas that has made the
geospatial industry an exemplary model for
other areas of IT is interoperability. Standards
bodies like the Open Geospatial Foundation,
private companies like Safe Software, open
source initiatives like GDAL, OGR and FDO,
and IT advances like geospatial web services
and cloud computing have all made geospa-
tial interoperability a reality. Interoperability is
now being developed in other sectors to
enable, for example, the sharing of BIM, city,
electric distribution network, and highway and
road model.
Technology is no longer the excuse, states
Zeiss: GIS and CAD integration is no longer
the technical challenge it once was. However,
organizational challenges still remain. For
example, in many utility organizations CAD is
part of the engineering group and GIS is part
of the records group, and more often than not
each reports to a different VP. Zeiss: Several
years ago I worked with a public power utility
that had solved the problem of integrating GIS
and eld engineering. The reason they were
able to do this was partly technical, but more
importantly the GIS and Operations groups
reported to the same person, and he recog-
nized that it was in his interest to solve this
problem.
Surveying and Civil 3D
For surveyors, AutoCAD Civil 3D introduced
a revolutionary new approach, which made
it possible to store and sell their geodata in a
totally different way. Whereas a traditional
surveyor has to visit the work site every time
he needs to deliver new data, within AutoCAD
Civil 3D its much more efcient to measure
the whole environment at once. When asked,
a surveyor is able to deliver additional data
from his desk. Only after large revisions or
massive changes in (land) volume does a visit
to the site become necessary. Surveyors main-
tain their geodata as if they were geo-ICT peo-
ple. Whether this relatively new working
methodology will be actively promoted by
Autodesk, remains unclear.
Mapping and 3D City Modelling
Most of the existing digital base maps are still
CAD oriented and made with line systems in
mind. Through specic conversions, many
(often widely used) maps are currently being
revised in order to accommodate object-type
analysis. CAD is evolving towards GIS.
Maybe CAD even becomes GIS. When asked

in AutoCAD?
I n t e r v i e w
7
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
Autodesk Topobase is built on and includes AutoCAD Map 3D, allowing users to get the best of CAD and GIS while working with a central
database. Users of AutoCAD and Map will find the transition natural, due to the similar interface, capabilities and CAD drafting tools whilst
creating features directly in a spatial database.
For the challenges we are
facing this century such as climate
change, increasing energy demand,
increasing water stress, resulting
from the pressures of increasing
population, we need tools that
integrate technologies to enable us to
analyze and simulate our increasingly
complex built environment.
Geoff Zeiss
March 2011
if this practice, where traditional map makers
are working with CAD design tools, is a poten-
tially dangerous situation, Zeiss notes that
there has been a close link between CAD and
GIS from the beginning: Most of the worlds
geospatial vector data has been and is cap-
tured using CAD tools. All of the conversion
vendors I know who convert paper maps and
drawings to digital data for telecommunica-
tions and utility companies use CAD tools.
But what is happening in the geospatial world
that is having such a signicant impact on the
engineering, utility and architectural designer,
notes Zeiss, is that high resolution geoimagery
solves a problem for these people. Zeiss: I
see this happening for several reasons. First
of all, the resolution of some aerial imagery
has reached the level of engineering preci-
sion. Secondly, technologies such as laser
scanning and oblique imagery are adding the
third dimension. Thirdly, the availability and
coverage of imagery has increased dramati-
cally. Finally, the cost of imagery is plummet-
ing.
An example claries this last statement: More
and more utility workers are retiring these
days, and as a result skilled utility workers are
in short supply. Sending a skilled electrical
worker out in the eld to geolocate a facility
such as a transformer, as a rule of thumb, will
cost the utility about $100 and will tie up a
valuable resource for a signicant period of
time. If the worker can do the same work in
the ofce using high resolution imagery, the
cost is much less, some estimates suggest a
tenth of the cost of sending the worker out to
the eld. The bottom line is that a valuable
resource is much more productive.
Architects and GIS
In terms of sustainable design, architects need
geo-information in varying degrees and
quantities. Municipalities may want to incor-
porate plans and design into a broader 3D
environment, or extra data may be needed
when applying local materials within a build-
ing or construction. Zeiss notices that the con-
vergence of architectural and engineering
design, GIS, and 3D technologies is break-
ing down traditional silos of technology and
is enabling a more holistic view of the built
world: The new fusion of information tech-
nology is providing critical tools for planning,
designing, building and managing smart
cities in the 21st Century.
A key part of the worldwide infrastructure
transformation is creating and maintaining
precise and reliable digital models that will
enable us to operate and manage sustainable
infrastructure efciently.According to Zeiss,
integrating precision survey data, engineer-
ing design models, point clouds from laser
scanning, high resolution photogrammetric
imagery, and other geospatial data makes it
possible to develop a precise synthetic envi-
ronment that can be used to simulate the
inside (utilities, HVAC systems, furniture, ele-
vators, walls, doors, windows, and structural
details), outside (aerial utilities, full city blocks
of 3D detail, road access), and the area
beneath (underground water, wastewater,
gas, power, and telecommunications systems)
an urban environment and create an intelli-
gent model that can be used for visualization,
analysis, and simulation.
Zeiss: For example, sustainable analysis
tools can be used to assess alternative
designs with respect to energy, water, and
emissions, to estimate the load impact of a
new building on a utility network, and how
much daylight will be available in interior
spaces at different times of the day and of the
year.
The coincidence of technical advances and
massive investment in infrastructure renewal
creates a unique opportunity to develope
intelligent, precision digital infrastructure for
planning, designing, building and operating
sustainable buildings and energy, water,
transportation, and communications infras-
tructure networks, as the foundation for a new
energy, water efcient and low emissions
world economy.
Local Resellers and Distributors
Over the years, Autodesk has been working
with a huge network of resellers and distribu-
tors. Many of them are responsible for
localised versions of the software, which are
primarily for building applications and tools
for specic tasks. In Europe, the majority of
municipalities are using CAD-GIS tools, and
a fair number are using AutoCAD-based solu-
tions.
With the recent reorganisation of geospatial
software within Autodesk, the position of
resellers, who also market their own solutions
built on Autodesk products, is unclear. When
asked if customers will continue to recognise
Autodesk resellers as geospatial solution
providers, Zeiss expects to see more products
that address specic problems in vertical
industries: For example, in the utilities sector,
products like Autodesk Utility Design or
Topobase, or in transportation, Civil3D, inte-
grate geospatial with other technologies to
address specic business needs. In the future,
geospatial will be an increasingly important
technology at Autodesk, but from a product
persepctive geospatial will be one of several
technologies that will be integrated with prod-
ucts that Autodesk resellers will be offering to
their customers in different vertical industries
to solve specic business problems.
Project Galileo is another example. It is a con-
ceptual design tool for infrastructure projects
that is currently a technology preview on
Autodesk Labs. With Project Galileo, you can
build 3D infrastructure models from geospa-
tial, BIM, CAD, point clouds, imagery, and
other data sources. Proposed conceptual
design alternatives can be visualized and
anlayzed in context of their environment for
views into the potential impact of infrastruc-
ture projects very early in the process. Zeiss:
For the challenges we are facing this century
such as climate change, increasing energy
demand, increasing water stress, resulting
from the pressures of an increasing popula-
tion, we need tools that integrate technologies
to enable us to analyze and simulate our
increasingly complex built environment.
Geoff Zeiss, geospatial expert at Autodesk.
For more information, have a look at www.autodesk.com
8
AutoCAD Map3D point cloud from Denver
I n t e r v i e w
March 2011
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Far Reaching Use
Limitless Potential of
Geospatial Imagery
P
rofessionals across disciplines have
over the past several years begun to
use geospatial imagery more, as it
becomes more readily accessible and cost
effective. Its widespread availability, cou-
pled with modern software packages which
make it easier to uncover information down
to the pixel level, has made imagery an inte-
gral element to a GIS, providing not just a
visual backdrop to a map or visual context
to GIS layers, but pertinent, current informa-
tion about a geographic area of interest.
Traditional Uses of Imagery in
GIS
Today, remotely sensed data such as satellite
and airborne imagery is rapidly becoming a
source of valuable input layers to a GIS. The
increased use of imagery in GIS can be
attributed to many factors: the increase of data
acquisition by new and existing satellite and
airborne sensors; the global coverage offered
by many satellite sensors, which enables GIS
professionals to use imagery to ll gaps in
geospatial layers; the ability for modern sen-
sors to gather critical data that is found out-
side the visible spectra such as RADAR
imagery and elevation data; and, image anal-
ysis software advances which allow users to
uncover the hidden information in an
image.
Using imagery as a source of additional
information beyond what can be seen by the
human eye was once considered a distinct
science, reserved for those with extensive
knowledge of remote sensing and image
analysis methods. In the past, GIS users did
not have access to software that allowed
them to easily extract pertinent data from an
image and effectively integrate results into a
GIS without expending valuable time and
effort, learning advanced image analysis
techniques from various unrelated software
packages.
Recent software advances have removed the
complexity and inconvenience from image
analysis and the subsequent integration with
an existing GIS. Today, software like ENVI
from ITT provides ArcGIS users with wizard-
like workows allowing them to easily pro-
cess and analyze geospatial imagery, pro-
viding information about an image and use
results as an effective input layer and ulti-
mately enhancing the GIS with rich data
about a particular geographic area of inter-
est. The results of image analysis processes
in ENVI are uniquely easy to obtain since the
software is designed to walk the user through
each step of the process using pre-set param-
eters and prompts. Results maintain the sci-
entic accuracy of previous, more complex
processes, but can be derived in much less
time and by professionals with far less train-
ing in the use of image analysis software.
Implementing time and effort saving work-
ows was the rst key measure in allowing
GIS professionals to add important informa-
tion from imagery to a GIS. Now, technolo-
gy found in the most current versions of ENVI
software completes the marriage of the two,
once distinct processes of image analysis
and GIS, providing revolutionary functionali-
ty that makes image analysis tools a seam-
less, inherent step in the GIS workow.
Image Analysis as a Core Input
to GIS
The integration of image analysis with GIS is
a direct result of the development partnership
between ITT Visual Information Solutions and
Esri. The multi-year development effort deliv-
ers users of both products with a valuable time
and effort saving solution: the availability of
advanced ENVI image analysis tools in both
the ArcGIS desktop and server environments.
The innovative approach makes ENVI image
analysis tools available directly from the famil-
iar ArcToolbox, allowing users to perform a
variety of advanced image analysis tasks,
such as nding features of interest, classifying
land cover, or detecting change between two
images over time - without ever leaving the
ArcGIS environment and the users familiar
workow. Additionally, ENVI provides the
10
March 2011
Ar t i c l e
By Peter McIntosh
Defense and security is another discipline using the integration of geospatial imagery and GIS to aid in many types of missions.
capability for ArcGIS users to easily build cus-
tom image analysis tools and models to meet
unique needs.
Not only pertinent to just the desktop user, and
in order to meet the growing need across
industries to increase overall productivity and
return derived data to a central, shared loca-
tion, ENVI for ArcGIS Server, a new ENVI
product, makes it easy to leverage server class
resources, allowing ArcGIS Server users to dis-
tribute ENVIs advanced image analysis tools
or custom tools and models to an entire work-
group or organization. ENVI for ArcGIS
Server allows users to add image analysis
capabilities to their existing tools and models,
combine multiple tools that include image
analysis functionality, and create new custom
image analysis tools for their organization.
Once tools and models are built, they can be
published to the ArcGIS Server allowing users
to access them from desktop, mobile and Web
applications.
Imagery Aids in Disaster
Management
Today, advanced image analysis tools can be
easily and accurately applied within a GIS to
provide timely, critical information to decision
makers in manmade and natural disaster man-
agement situations. The integration of image
analysis and GIS has become a major com-
ponent in post-disaster relief efforts and has
been effectively applied in recent situations
such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the erup-
tion of the Eyjafjallajkull volcano in Iceland,
the Four Mile Canyon Fire in Colorado, and
Hurricane Katrina. Fighting wildres is a par-
ticular type of disaster where the application
and benets of using geospatial imagery
together with a GIS can be clearly dened.
GIS technology is used by top reghting
agencies around the world to provide con-
crete data to responders who are both
attempting to mitigate further damage and to
measure its results. Successful operations use
ENVI and ArcGIS to create dynamic visual
representations to aid in their efforts, such as
maps showing the locations and status of
active res and incident brieng maps, which
provide reghters with tactical assignments
and objectives. Satellite and airborne imagery
analyzed with ENVI and included as part of
a GIS provides a unique source of valuable
data and helps to ensure accurate, informed
and reliable decision making.
The unpredictable nature and subsequent
destruction caused by wildres is a problem
faced by both those trying to help during a
blaze, and those rebuilding in its aftermath.
Every wildre has its own unique circum-
stances that make mitigating damage difcult.
Fuel loads, topography, wind, humidity and
temperature are just some of the factors that
affect the direction, severity and duration of a
wildre. The integration of advanced image
analysis tools with a GIS can help address
these challenges and allows reghters to
employ the operational power of remote sens-
ing data without requiring image analysis
expertise.
Recent advances in image analysis software
are changing the ways geospatial imagery is
being used for reghting. Sophisticated
image analysis tools like those found in ENVI
that have been integrated into a GIS provide
reghters with critical information about res
increasing situational awareness and
enabling reghting agencies to more effec-
tively utilize valuable resources. This allows
disaster response personnel to make more
informed and relevant decisions, preventing
property loss, reducing injuries and potential-
ly saving lives.
And, ENVI is used by reghters to provide
critical information about an area of interest
potentially not attainable otherwise. ENVI can
quickly zoom in and analyze an area of
interest on a pixel by pixel basis, sharply
increasing the number and accuracy of fea-
tures identied. Other advanced tools within
the software are employed to determine the
locations of assets, lines of control, threatened
property and other structures through smoke
Ar t i c l e
11
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
March 2011
Today, geospatial imagery is a valuable source of information about the world around us. Its
widespread availability provides us with timely and accurate data about virtually anything occurring
on the Earths surface, from natural phenomena and disasters to events caused by human activity,
such as military operations. The use of imagery is far reaching, in both private industry and govern-
ment applications - its value now being additionally enhanced as it becomes an effective source of
input to GIS, allowing like never before the ability to verify the validity or quantity of field work,
justify investment expenses and aid in decision making.
Fighting wildfires is a particular type of disaster where the application and benefits of using geospatial imagery together with a
GIS can be clearly defined.
and other visual interferences.
ENVI also works with a variety
of airborne sensors to measure
information found in wave-
lengths beyond the optical
region of the spectrum such as
infrared, thermal and micro -
wave wavelengths. Infrared
measurements are particularly
valuable in re ghting because
they can be used to determine
hot spots and re perimeters.
Knowledge gained from image
analysis and other data con-
tained in a GIS are also used
by reghters and others to tar-
get clean-up operations efforts
after res have been largely
contained. The tools within
ENVI are used to measure and
assess vegetation mass, classify
land cover and determine the
effects of re on the geography.
Image analysis for
Defense and Security
Defense and security is another
discipline using the integration of geospatial
imagery and GIS to aid in many types of mis-
sions. Defense and security personnel face a
variety of challenges from monitoring infras-
tructure and assets to vulnerability analysis,
which can be overcome with the help of infor-
mation extracted from geospatial imagery.
Data extracted from imagery can save time
and manpower and increase the likelihood of
achieving tactical and operational goals.
Imagery and other geospatial data are fre-
quently combined in a GIS with other intelli-
gence for a variety of security and defense
purposes. Military and security personnel use
a GIS to view, understand and visualize a
geographic area, and now, thanks to the inte-
gration of the ENVI and ArcGIS packages,
they can now also perform image analysis
using a streamlined workow delivering
image analysis tools directly within a familiar
working environment, eliminating the need to
switch between multiple software packages.
The integration of advanced image analysis
tools in ENVI within the ArcGIS environment
provides a unique capability that saves criti-
cal time and effort and gives warghters and
mission planners a tactical advantage.
As with other disciplines, ENVI is used in
defense and security to accurately extract crit-
ical information from geospatial imagery and
turn it into actionable intelligence. For tactical
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
(ISR) operations, military analysts rely on
ENVI for applications ranging from assessing
the combat environment, to nding hidden tar-
gets and detecting changes in an area of inter-
est taking place over time. ENVI can also be
uniquely customized to solve challenges, mak-
ing it a exible solution for defense and secu-
rity applications.
A common challenge faced in the industry is
detecting and identifying targets. Targets such
as vehicles, disturbed terrain or camouaged
objects that are not always visible can be
detected with ENVI using spectral information.
The target detection tool in ENVI combines
advanced algorithms with a guided workow
to allow analysts to quickly nd targets,
regardless of their image analysis experience.
ISR operations may also use imagery to
extract features of interest from an overall
image scene. The automated feature extrac-
tion tool in ENVI walks users through the pro-
cess of nding similar objects throughout an
image, and then extracting them as a vector
layer for use in a GIS. Utilizing modern,
object-based technology that integrates infor-
mation about spatial, textural and spectral
attributes of features in an image, the ENVI
tool can be used to quickly extract buildings,
vehicles, roads, coastlines, landing strips and
other tactical land marks.
Defense and security personnel can also use
imagery to detect and monitor changes occur-
ring in a geographic area over time. From
vehicle movement to new structure develop-
ment, change detection tools in ENVI are
appropriate for detecting change that is criti-
cal to mission success. ENVI not only maps
the detected changes, but also creates reports
showing the area and per-
centage of changes, provid-
ing a selection of sophisti-
cated tools for dynamically
viewing the same location in
two or more images simulta-
neously.
The ability to easily visualize
topography is crucial for
many defense and security
operations. ENVI offers com-
prehensive topographic
tools for tactical ISR opera-
tions so military analysts can
visualize their data and
understand the terrain
ahead before making deci-
sions about troop move-
ment. With ENVI, analysts
can produce dynamic three-
dimensional models with
imagery or vector data
incorporated. They can then
easily navigate through the
models to visualize terrain
from varying view angles, as
well as create automated y-
through movies.
In addition to military applications, geospa-
tial imagery can also provide relevant infor-
mation which is suitable to other security oper-
ations such as border control, maritime
security and piracy and illegal crop detection.
The European Union has used imagery for
years for these purposes in the Global
Monitoring for Environment and Security
(GMES) program, a progressive initiative to
further the science of Earth observation.
Imagerys Limitless Potential
Uses of geospatial imagery continue to
grow as the technology used with it is
developed to meet specific, valid chal-
lenges for its application in each industry
where it is employed. Its unique capability
to provide information about a geograph-
ic area which is not always visually
observable makes it a crucial tool, not only
in disaster management and defense and
security, but in applications like agricul-
ture, natural resource management,
forestry and urban planning. As software
advances continue to develop in response
to the individual needs in each industry
and workflows are streamlined to save
time and effort, new applications will con-
tinue to arise and call attention to the value
of imagery to the world around us.
By Peter McIntosh,
Industry Solutions Engineer, ITT VIS.
Ar t i c l e
12
March 2011
The innovative approach makes ENVI image analysis tools available directly from the familiar ArcToolbox, allowing users to
perform a variety of advanced image analysis tasks.
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The rst and only imaging station
with Through The Lens technology and 30x optical zoom.

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a t s g n i g a m i y l n o d n a t s r e h T
d 3 n y a g o l o n h c e t s n e e L h h T g u o r h T h
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. m o o l z a c i t p x o 0 d 3

Radar Satellites Cover our Earth in 3D
Its all about Elevation
With the successful launch of the German radar
satellite TanDEM-X on June 21st, 2010, a new
era of global digital elevation information
provision has commenced. Together with
TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X forms a high-precision
radar interferometer acquiring the data basis
for a global homogeneous Digital Elevation
Model of unprecedented quality, accuracy, and
coverage. This unique dataset will be available
for the entire land surface of the Earth from
2014 onwards.
Accuracy of a new Dimension
The German high-resolution radar satellite
TerraSAR-X was launched in 2007, enabling
the provision of new-quality radar data prod-
ucts for a wide range of sophisticated applica-
tions. This unique radar satellite features a res-
olution of up to 1m, an excellent radiometric
accuracy and a geometric accuracy unrivalled
by any other commercial spaceborne sensor.
TerraSAR-X was joined by its twin TanDEM-X
(TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation
Measurement) on June 21st, 2010 and togeth-
er they form a unique satellite formation. The
two satellites acquire data absolutely reliably
as they operate independent of cloud cover-
age and lighting conditions. Over the next
three years they will record the data basis for
a global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of
unprecedented quality, accuracy, and cover-
age.
This DEM will feature a relative vertical accu-
racy of 2m and an absolute accuracy of 10m
within a 12mx12m horizontal raster. The accu-
racy will surpass that of any satellite-based ele-
vation model available today and the quality
level will be closer to that of airborne acquisi-
tion rather than that achieved with a space-
borne sensor. Consequently, the TanDEM-X
Mission will open up a new era of globally-
available high quality DEMs and replace the
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)
DEM with a leap forward in accuracy and
quality of data.
The worldwide homogeneous acquisition guar-
antees a global elevation model with no break-
lines at regional or national borders and no
heterogeneities in data quality caused by dif-
fering measurement procedures or measuring
campaigns staggered in time. Compared to
established procedures, the number of mea-
surement gaps will be reduced considerably.
Customers from industry and public authorities
as well as the scientic community will be pro-
vided with a high-quality homogeneous refer-
ence data source for elevation information.
Both the TerraSAR-X mission and the TanDEM-
X mission are being implemented by a Public-
Private-Partnership between the German
Aerospace Centre (DLR) and Europes leading
space company, Astrium. Within this partner-
ship DLR is responsible for the planning and
execution of the mission, controlling the two
satellites and the generation of the unedited
global DEM as well as the scientic use of the
TanDEM-X data. Astrium built the satellites and
contributed to the cost of their development
and deployment. Infoterra GmbH, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Astrium and part of
Astrium GEO-Information Services Division, is
exclusively responsible for the adaptation of
the elevation model to the needs of commer-
cial users and for its worldwide marketing.
Technical Challenges
One of the most exciting challenges of the mis-
sion is the close formation ight of the two
satellites which is unparalleled. Shortly after
the launch of TanDEM-X the satellites were y-
ing at a distance of 2,000km and in various
staged manoeuvring steps they converged
closer reaching their nal formation in mid
October 2010. Now the two satellites y with
a minimum distance of only 200m from one
another - at a speed of 28,000km per hour.
To avoid collision the satellites circle around
each other in a helix-shape, constantly keep-
ing an equal distance. TanDEM-X moves
around its twin once every 95 minutes (the
14
March 2011
Ar t i c l e
By Gertrud Riegler
Figure 1 TerraSAR-X & TanDEM-X satellite
twins in formation flight (source: EADS
Astrium GmbH)
duration of their orbit around the Earth). At
the North Pole, TerraSAR-X overtakes TanDEM-
X, as the latter, because of its eccentric orbit,
is slightly higher and thus orbits more slowly.
At the South Pole the situation is reversed:
TanDEM-X orbits lower and faster, and over-
takes TerraSAR-X. This helix ight pattern is a
world-rst, never before have two satellites
own in such a close formation.
This unique formation ight allows TerraSAR-X
and TanDEM-X to record images of the identi-
cal terrain from slightly different perspectives.
The two satellites operate in a so-called bi-stat-
ic mode: while one satellite transmits the radar
signal both satellites record the signals
backscattering simultaneously (in a classic
monostatic radar conguration, the same
antenna is used for transmission and recep-
tion of the signal). Applying SAR-Inter -
ferometry (InSAR) techniques, the phase dif-
ference of the two SAR acquisitions is
evaluated and the precise elevation informa-
tion can be extracted.
A vital requirement for this to work is that both
satellites operate completely synchronously.
TanDEM-X needs to know exactly when
TerraSAR-X is transmitting the signal and thus
when to expect the signals backscattering in
order to open and close the reception aper-
ture at the right time. This is achieved by high-
ly specialized antenna arrays on-board the
two satellites, which allows the analysis of
GPS time and the exchange of synchroniza-
tion signals.
A further challenge was the design of an
acquisition schedule that enables TerraSAR-X
and TanDEM-X to acquire data covering the
Earths entire land surface in a minimum time-
frame. Experts at DLR supported, by their
Astrium colleagues, have devised a detailed
mission plan that takes into account the plan-
ning of image acquisitions, management of
satellite resources such as available memory
space, downlink capacity, battery status, and
many other parameters.
The data acquisition schedule was developed
with convenience aspects in mind to make
best possible use of the satellites formation,
while also allowing capacities for the contin-
ued routine operation of TerraSAR-X and
allowing capacities on both satellites for fur-
ther novel (and potential un-scheduled) appli-
cations. Therefore, there are no priority areas
of the world, which will be covered rst, but
the entire global DEM dataset will be avail-
able almost concurrently in 2014.
Data Acquisition and Processing
In order to achieve the outstanding quality and
accuracy of the global DEM, TerraSAR-X and
TanDEM-X will record data covering the
Earths complete land surface in two extensive
acquisition campaigns, each requiring
approximately one year for completion. The
rst coverage will deliver an intermediate
DEM, which will be further rened to its nal
specications following the acquisition of the
second complete coverage. In a subsequent
extended acquisition campaign, additional
data takes will be tasked for complex terrain
conditions and for the correction of possible
voids.
The data acquired is stored on-board
TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X until they come
within the range of a ground station. To
achieve the optimal utilization of the two satel-
lites a global network of three principal
ground stations (Inuvik in Canada, OHiggins
in Antarctica and Kiruna in Sweden) is oper-
ated for this mission. From the ground stations
the raw data is transferred to DLR facilities,
where an automated processing chain trans-
forms them into SAR images and generates
the unedited DEM data sets.
Astrium GEO-Information Services based in
Friedrichshafen, Germany, will rene the data
delivered by the satellite system in additional
processing steps according to customer
requirements (e.g. water surfaces are edited
ensuring a consistent water height and the cor-
rect sloping of river beds). Quite frequently,
users require a Digital Terrain Model (DTM),
which - in contrast to the TanDEM-X elevation
model - represents the bare Earths surface
excluding objects such as buildings, vegeta-
tion etc. This DTM is prepared by Astriums
geo-information experts in a further manual
editing step. In case of additional customer
requirements, individual solutions are
designed for the respective application.
Delivery in any established format, as well as
thorough ISO 9001-certied quality assur-
ance, is warranted for all provided products
and services.
Digital Elevation Data for
Versatile Applications
Precise elevation data is the initial foundation
of any accurate geospatial product, particular-
ly when the integration of multi-source imagery
and data is performed based upon it.
In the future operators of civil and military Earth
observation satellites can be condent: No
matter where their acquisition area is located
on the planet, thanks to TanDEM-X a standard-
ized elevation model will be available for the
orthorectication process. Cartographic
authorities around the world will be able to
improve or update their standard cartographic
Ar t i c l e
15
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
March 2011
Figure 2 TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model of
the Volcano Tunupa and edges of the salt lake
Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia (source: DLR)
Figure 3: TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model of Mount Merapi in Indonesia used to support rescue efforts following the volcanos eruption in
October 2010 (source: DLR)
maps thanks to this more
accurate and up-to-date
data source. In addition to
the update of the height
information, the radar data
used for generating the
DEM can also serve as
input data for change
detection analyses (devel-
opment of urban areas,
infrastructures, etc.) and
therefore, support the
updating of existing map
material.
The global availability of
the dataset without seam
lines and heterogeneities
along national or regional
borders will also support
international cooperation
and cross-border mission
planning. Particularly when
the rapid provision of accu-
rate information is of the
utmost importance (for
instance in the case of emergency situations
like natural or environmental disasters), the
availability of a standardized, highly accurate
DEM will be a major advantage as it will
enable the provision of reliable information to
rescue teams on the ground.
Already, during the missions commissioning
phase, TanDEM-X was used for crisis manage-
ment in response to the eruption of the
Indonesian volcano Mount Merapi in
November 2010. Using TanDEM-X data DLR
experts were able to predict the movement of
lava ow and thus facilitated the decision mak-
ing process of the rescue teams regarding the
evacuation of people living in the affected
areas.
Furthermore, a multitude of applications rely
on dependable and accurate data, such as the-
matic mapping, change detection analysis, sur-
face movement monitoring as well as a more
targeted preparation of defence and security
related missions.
Additional innovative application areas for the
satellite constellation and the TanDEM-X eleva-
tion model are under investigation by the DLR
and scientists around the world through the
PPP-responsibility assigned to the DLR to coor-
dinate scientic research projects. Innovative
concepts for the optimization of established
measurement techniques or the development
of new methodologies are already under
preparation and show promising potential.
Scientists at DLR are, for instance, working on
the development of the so-called Ground
Moving Target Identication (GMTI), which is
a technique to monitor the mode, the velocity
and the movement direction of objects (e.g.
cars) on the ground. With TanDEM-X, a GMTI
even on rough terrain (i.e. off the roads) would
be possible - a solution that could prove par-
ticularly valuable for border security (e.g. ille-
gal immigration, smuggling) or for the moni-
toring of forests (illegal logging).
Commercialisation of a Unique
Concept
As with TerraSAR-X, Infoterra GmbH, the
German part of Astrium GEO-Information
Services Division, is responsible for the com-
mercial marketing of TanDEM-X data to cus-
tomers worldwide. For this the company will
be able to rely on the experiences gained from
the commercialization of the TerraSAR-X data
and services portfolio, which has been suc-
cessfully positioned in the international market
and represents a continuously growing busi-
ness. Customers from private industry and
public authorities are eagerly awaiting this
unique dataset, from which they will signi-
cantly benet in their daily work. Innovative
product and distribution models will be avail-
able to customers and tailored to their respec-
tive needs.
Today, Astriums geo-information experts are
already offering a diverse portfolio of digital
elevation modeling services. The TerraSAR-X
ELEVATION Product Suite offers digital eleva-
tion data for areas as small as 500km, and
up to full regional or even national coverage,
featuring 10m grid spacing and an absolute
height accuracy of up to 5m. These products
are based on TerraSAR-X StripMap Stereo
Pairs acquired in both
ascending and descend-
ing orbit directions,
which are then pro-
cessed applying ra dar -
grammetry techni ques.
The unique reliability of
the weather-independent
radar sensor makes this
a particularly ideal com-
plement to other estab-
lished elevation data sets
offered by Astrium GEO-
Information Services such
as Reference3D, based
on SPOT HRS optical
data.
Milestones of a
Success Story
The excellent coopera-
tion and integration
between all involved
partners within industry
and the scientic community has resulted in
the exceptionally smooth preparation and
realization of the TanDEM-X mission.
Following the picture-perfect lift-off on June
21st, 2010 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan, the rst images were recorded
by TanDEM-X in record time: only three days
after the launch. A mere month later (and a
full week ahead of schedule) scientists at the
DLR processed the rst examples of DEMs cre-
ated from data collected by the TerraSAR-X /
TanDEM-X satellite formation, even though the
satellites were not yet ying in their close for-
mation. On October 19th, 2010, the worlds
rst DEM data using a free-ying bi-static SAR
satellite formation was recorded, and con-
rmed all expectations with regard to accura-
cy and quality of the data.
Finally, the extensive commissioning phase of
TanDEM-X was concluded fully on schedule
on December 12th, 2010 and the complex
data acquisition and processing phase com-
menced. Now the only thing that remains to
be done is wait and see: the two satellites
and the ground segment are setup and ne-
tuned and will be hard at work over the com-
ing years until the global TanDEM-X DEM
becomes available from 2014 onwards.
Dr. Gertrud Riegler, Product Manager DEM,
Astrium GEO-Information Services - Infoterra GmbH.
For more information visit www.infoterra.de/tandem-x-satellite and
view TanDEM-X DEM examples on www.infoterra.de/image-gallery.
Ar t i c l e
16
March 2011
Figure 4: TerraSAR-X ELEVATION DSM for a tropical forest landscape in Sabah, Malaysia (source: Infoterra GmbH)
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Products for Tough Working Environments
The Handheld Group
The Handheld Group is a worldwide supplier of rugged PDAs and
mobile computers. Jerker Hellstrm, CEO and founder of Handheld
Group explains how the company serves its clients in the best way
possible, by offering products for tough working environments. Topics
discussed are the companys product portfolio, different specifications
for temperature range, the various units abilities to operate at extreme
temperatures, plus costumer support and the future of the company as
a whole.
Introduction
The Handheld Group is a worldwide supplier of rugged PDAs and mobile
computers. The Swedish companys headquarters are in a small town
called Lidkping. Furthermore, there are local ofces in Finland, Italy, The
Netherlands and the US. Jerker Hellstrm, CEO and founder of Handheld
Group, explains the companys strategy: Our business model is very
partner-centric and we sell our products through an extensive partner net-
work consisting of more than 450 reselling partners worldwide. Our
vision is to be one of the leading companies in the world for ruggedized
mobile computing. In terms of the geoinformation and surveying business
we have a long history of providing really ruggedized equipment to this
sector and we have a large number of customers in this sector all over
the world.
Success
In this rough economic time, the company is providing rugged mobile
equipment to various branches of mobile users. The company has experi-
enced exceptional growth over the past six or seven years, both its cus-
tomer base and reseller network have grown, together with an increase
of its product portfolio. These facts combined have resulted in numerous
awards and acknowledgments, such as its third consecutive Gazelle
award. Jerker: To simplify the success formula, I think it is as simple as
we produce products that our customers demand, we supply these prod-
ucts at attractive pricing and we are able to support and service our cus-
tomers in a good way in order to get repeat business over and over
again. Sounds simple but it requires a lot of hard work.
What the Client Needs
The Handheld Groups products are designed for anyone who works in
a less-than-gentle environment, with challenges from weather, extreme
temperatures, and tough work situations. Jerker explains what his clients
needs are for working in these types of conditions: We believe that any-
one who works in a non-ofce environment should have a computing
tool that is built for that purpose, especially in the eld of survey and
geoinformation where users of our equipment work outdoors regardless
of weather. These users generally need computing tools with a long bat-
tery life, outdoor viewable screens and in a lot of cases powerful pro-
cessing capability.
Finding the Right Tool for the Job
For the wise purchaser of a mobile computer in the geoinformation busi-
ness, Hellstrm has four cardinal rules when it comes to advice on how
to nd the right tool for the job. Hellstrm: First of all, its important to
carefully dene the requirements for the computing tool, starting with envi-
ronmental requirements i.e. where and how will the device be used?
Secondly, I would make sure that the computer has all the features that
are required for the job. Thirdly, I would look for any compatibility require-
ments with regard to communicating with other machinery or software
programs. And lastly I would make sure to investigate the total cost of
ownership before making any purchases to make sure you get the most
mileage of out of the investment.
Defining Ruggedness
Ruggedness has various meanings and denitions for various profession-
als. The surveying industry uses a number of test standards to dene
ruggedness; IP (Ingress Protection) is one term to dene protection against
water and particles. MIL-STD 810F/G is a US military standard set of
tests where there are a number of sub-tests for shock, vibration, altitude,
temperature etc. The industry also uses the temperature range that the
unit can operate within to dene ruggedness. Hellstrm: From a user
perspective, I believe that ruggedness is dened as something that ensures
my computing tool works properly in all the situations that I am exposed
to. And the standards will help and guide the user to make the right
choice in device.
18
March 2011
I n t e r v i e w
By Joc Triglav Jerker Hellstrm, CEO and founder of Handheld Group
Algiz 7 (ultra-rugged tablet PC)
Specifications of Temperature Range
The potential users of mobile computers evaluate product specications to
get invaluable information to help them pick out the best equipment for
their work environment. The temperature range shows the units ability to
operate in extreme temperatures. It means the unit has been tested under
these conditions and the components inside the unit fulll these tempera-
ture requirements. Hellstrm: Easily put, if you are working outside, in for
example Sweden, youd better make sure you have a unit that is specied
for extreme cold. The most common and useful specications of tempera-
ture range, MIL-STD-810F/G and IP, are explained below in detail.
The IP rating stands for Ingress Protection. IP ratings are displayed as a
2-digit number. The rst digit reects the level of protection against dust.
The second digit reects the level of protection against liquids (water). So,
if a product has an IP65-rating, it means that it has the highest protection
against dust, and a very high protection against water. The IP rating there-
fore helps the customer to understand the protection against small particles
(dust) and water. Simply put the higher the IP rating the better protection
against dust and water. Hellstrm: Again, if you are working outside and
will be exposed to rain or moisture you will do best in choosing a device
which has at least an IP65-rating or higher.
MIL-STD-810F/G is a standard issued by the U.S. Army Developmental
Test Command. The standard consists of a series of different environmental
tests to prove that equipment qualied to the standard will survive in the
eld. The MIL-STD tests show the customer a level of ruggedness, and how
well it can accommodate being dropped and other tough handling etc.
However, the MIL-STD tests are very open so the informed customer should
ask for specic tests and procedures performed.
Total Cost of Ownership
Mobile computers are often dened as belonging to one of four cate-
gories, as commercial, durable, semi-rugged and fully rugged. Hellstrm
explains the idea behind the total cost of ownership (TCO): Generally
speaking the TCO studies that exit show that over a 3-5 period of use,
the more rugged devices will carry a lower TOC, meaning that over that
period they are actually cheaper than the less rugged devices. That said,
it will very much depend on the environment and usage of the devices.
In the survey and geoinformation industry there is little doubt that almost
all users have come to this realization already preferring an ultra-rugged
device for their computing tool of choice.
Product Range
The Handheld Group is offering a wide range of rugged PDA, tablets
and notebooks for tough working environments, meant for various pur-
poses. The companys ambition is to offer a full spectrum of rugged com-
puters from PDAs and Tablets to Notebooks so that it can full any need
of the mobile computing professional. The product range differs in terms
of size/weight, operating systems, processing power, memory and of
course ruggedness. Hellstrm: For example, in the survey and geoinfor-
mation vertical, the products that are most popular so far are the Nautiz
X7 (ultra-rugged PDA) and the Algiz 7 (Ultra-rugged tablet PC).
Co-operation
When asked about co-operation with the companies in the global sur-
veying instruments production business, Hellstrm explains that the com-
pany has a number of customers among the surveying instrument
providers and manufacturers, but thinks that the days of producing pro-
prietary equipment for one sole category will soon be history. Hellstrm:
We see a clear trend towards a broader usage of standard rugged
devices as supposed to proprietary developed equipment and I think
you will see even more partnerships between surveying instrument sup-
pliers and companies like us in the future.
19
March 2011
We see a clear trend towards a broader
usage of standard rugged devices as
supposed to proprietary developed
equipment and I think you will see even
more partnerships between surveying
instrument suppliers and companies
like us in the future.
Nautiz X7 (ultra-rugged PDA)
I n t e r v i e w
Nautiz X3 IP65
Costumer Support: MaxCare
Regardless of the level of a products
ruggedness, service and support have to
be provided.
The Handheld Group has built its after-
market handling on two basic principles,
service and support, and should be pro-
vided as close to the end user as possible.
To achieve this, the company works with
a network of Authorized Service Centres
around the world that can provide full ser-
vice including warranty and service con-
tract work on all its units. The second prin-
ciple is to make it easy for the end user to
know what to buy in terms of after pur-
chase protection. The company has devel-
oped the MaxCare concept, which is a complete set of protection plans
for its customers, giving them ease of mind.
Involvement in Education
Geospatial technology is identied as one of the fastest-growing work-
force needs, with quality geospatial data collection a high priority. When
asked about the mostly unused potential in the areas of geospatial edu-
cation, particularly with young people, and how to get the best use of
mobile computers in the eld, Hellstrm talks about some local projects in
Sweden and in the USA. Hellstrm: For instance, at the Atlantic Cape
Community College (New Jersey, USA) students created a detailed, cam-
pus-wide emergency response system for
possible crisis situations using our Nautiz
X7 PDAs while learning real-world GIS
technology at the same time. We would
be very interested to assist in more initia-
tives like this.
The Future
When asked about the future of Handheld
Group, Hellstrm thinks that in ve years
it will be a much larger company with
more local ofces and an even broader
product portfolio focusing on customer-ori-
ented product development. Hellstrm:
We already see clear trends in constant
connectivity, and faster processing of
more information in all aspects of business. Moving forward I think you
will see this trend solidifying even more, technology and user interfaces
will improve. In general, I think more focus will be put on user experience
when it comes to mobile computing to make it easier and more efcient
for users to access and process data. I also believe that battery perfor-
mance will take great leaps as well as screen technology making the
overall user experience greater.
IJerker Hellstrm, CEO and founder of Handheld Group
Joc Triglav, GeoInformatics Editor
For more information, have a look at www.handheld.com
20
March 2011
I n t e r v i e w
Algiz XRW Rugged Notebook
CAPIGI links precision agriculture and national policy related information
CAPIGI offers information inspiration and networking
CAPIGI discusses geo-information trends in agriculture
CAPIGI connects governments science modern farmers industry
CAPIGI 2011 4 - 6 April
Amsterdam The Netherlands
To exhibit at CAPIGI please contact Register at
A Highly Integrated Airborne Image Data Acquisition & Processing System
Tiltans Automated Geo-Map
In cooperation with Diamond Airborne Sensing, the Tiltan company has developed a highly integrated
airborne image data acquisition and photogrammetric processing system. This utilizes digital frame
images that have been acquired employing the step framing principle in a convergent oblique mode to
produce its stereo-coverage of the terrain. The overlapping stereo-images can then be used to produce
true orthophotos and 3D urban models using highly automated photogrammetric image processing
techniques.
Introduction & Background to
Tiltan
Tiltan Systems Engineering Ltd. is an Israeli
company that develops 2D and 3D image-
based terrain visualization software and sys-
tems and supplies these to an international
customer base. It also develops and provides
visual solutions for military training and simu-
lations and for command and control applica-
tions. Within this latter context, the Tiltan com-
pany is a preferred supplier of visual
intelligence solutions to the Israeli Ministry of
Defense (IMOD). The Matrix company, which
is a leading IT services and solutions provider
within Israel, and the aircraft manufacturer,
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), each own 35%
of the Tiltan company. The remaining 30% is
owned by the three original founders of the
company, one of whom, Arie Shar, has acted
as its Chief Executive Ofcer (CEO).
With regard to 3D image generation for
visualization purposes, the Tiltan company
offers (i) its TView Engine, which generates
photo-realistic scenes of a virtually unlimited
size for training and simulation purposes; (ii)
its FlighTV product, which generates terrain
images that are used for ight training and
simulation; (iii) its SpoTView product by
which the images from multiple airborne sen-
sors are presented on video walls against
the background of a computer-generated 3D
image of the terrain; and (iv) its IRView
product that generates terrain images for infra-
red (IR) sensor simulation and training. Besides
which, Tiltan also offers a Database
Generation System that employs automat-
ic and rule-based modelling as the basis of its
solution. The company also supplies high-res-
olution geographic databases of large areas.
This has included the construction of a realis-
tic 3D model of the whole of the West Bank
area for the Israeli Army. Regarding 2D
image generation, Tiltan has developed
its ILX product, which is a 2D visualization
engine that is being used in various mapping,
GIS and image interpretation applications.
TLiD Software Package
Given this background, it will come as no sur-
prise to readers to learn that Tiltan has also
developed its TLiD software package that car-
ries out the highly automated processing of
airborne laser scan data. This package was
originally developed in cooperation with the
Italian National Institute of Oceanography &
Applied Geophysics (OGS) based in Trieste.
The TLiD software can transform the geo-refer-
enced point cloud data that is acquired by an
airborne laser scanner system into the appro-
priate GIS layers and can generate a photo-
realistic 3D presentation of the processed
data. The packages capabilities include the
extraction of the buildings, trees and power
lines that have been measured and recorded
by the airborne laser scanner [Fig. 1]. With
the TLiD solution, users can process the air-
borne lidar data either on-site or in-house.
Among the customers and users is the well
known Tuck Mapping Solutions aerial
mapping company which is based in Virginia,
U.S.A.
Besides the outright purchase of the software,
the processing of airborne laser scan data
using the TLiD system can also be carried out
as a service either by Tiltan or via a Tiltan part-
ner. One of these partners is Diamond
Airborne Sensing GmbH, which is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Diamond Aircraft
Industries, the Austrian manufacturer of single
and twin-engined light aircraft, whose head-
quarters and main manufacturing facilities are
located in Wiener Neustadt, just south of
Vienna. Diamond Airborne Sensing operates
a number of Diamond DA 42 twin-engined
22
March 2011
Ar t i c l e
By Gordon Petrie
Fig. 1 A perspective view of an area of terrain, showing the features (buildings, trees, etc.) that have been extracted from airborne
laser scan data and placed against an image background. (Source: Tiltan)
aircraft. This allows the company to demon-
strate the capability of the MPP (Multi-Purpose
Platform) version of the DA 42 aircraft using
a variety of different airborne imaging and
laser scanning devices. These include high-
resolution video cameras such as the Cineex
range from Axsys Technologies, the L3
WESCAM range; and FLIRs EO/IR systems;
the Vexcel UltraCam digital metric frame cam-
eras; and RIEGLs laser scanners [Fig. 2].
In order to implement the last of these systems,
Diamond Airborne Sensing formed a partner-
ship with RIEGL Laser Measurement
Systems. This resulted in the development of
a special belly pod with twin windows that
could be tted to the underside of a DA 42
MPP aircraft and could accommodate either
one or two RIEGL LMS-Q560 laser scanners
in combination with a medium-format digital
frame camera from IGI. The resulting system
has been used by Diamond Airborne Sensing
both as a demonstrator and to provide an air-
borne laser scanning and imaging service. In
both cases, the required processing of the air-
borne laser scan data has then carried out
using the Tiltan TLiD software that had been
installed at the Diamond Systems computer
centre located near Frankfurt, Germany.
Automated Geo-Mapping (AGM)
System
The belly pod that was developed by
Diamond and has been certied by the
European airworthiness authorities for use
with the RIEGL laser scanners on the Diamond
DA 42 MPP aircraft is now being used as the
platform for a new camera system [Fig. 3] that
has been developed by Tiltan in a further
cooperative partnership that has been estab-
lished between Diamond Airborne Sensing
and Tiltan Systems Engineering. From the
point of view of Diamond Aircraft, this extends
the range of electro-optical imaging systems
that can be operated from the DA 42 MPP air-
craft. While, from the point of view of Tiltan,
this marks its entry into the area of supplying
airborne image acquisition systems in combi-
nation with its recently developed and highly
automated photogrammetric processing soft-
ware. The overall mapping system has been
designed with a particular emphasis on the
acquisition of the airborne image data that is
required for 3D urban modelling. Tiltan labels
this combined image acquisition and pho-
togrammetric processing system as its
Automated Geo-Mapping (AGM) sys-
tem. Within which, the camera sub-system is
called the Airborne Mapping Unit
(AMU); while the photogrammetric sub-sys-
tem is referred to as the Ground
Processing Unit (GPU).
Ar t i c l e
23
March 2011

ping (AGM) System
Fig. 2 This illustration shows three different Diamond DA 42 MPP
(Multi Purpose Platform) aircraft. At the top is a DA 42 MPP aircraft
that has been fitted with a belly pod, (designed by Diamond) which
contains a RIEGL laser scanner and an IGI DigiCAM camera.
The middle aircraft is fitted with a nose cone (again designed by
Diamond) that carries a Cineflex gyro-stabilized turret containing a
high-resolution video camera for surveillance purposes. At the foot is
yet another DA 42 MPP aircraft fitted with a different nose cone
containing a Vexcel UltraCam large-format digital metric camera.
(Source: Diamond Airborne Sensing)
Fig. 3 The Diamond DA MPP aircraft fitted with its belly pod that
has been used as the platform for the Tiltan Airborne Mapping Unit
(AMU). (Source: Diamond Airborne Sensing)
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
Airborne Mapping Unit (AMU)
The Airborne Mapping Unit (AMU) is a
twin digital frame camera unit that implements
the stepping frame principle by which each
of the two cameras simultaneously acquires a
strip or fan of four frame images in rapid suc-
cession in a single sweep in the cross-track
direction relative to the aircrafts ight line.
Besides which, each of the two cameras is
congured to point at angles of 16
0
to the ver-
tical in both the forward and backward direc-
tions along the ight line respectively [Fig. 4].
This ensures that the same piece of terrain will
be covered by a pair of overlapping conver-
gent oblique frame images having an inter-
section angle of 32
0
in the ight direction. This
conguration provides an excellent
base:height ratio of 0.57 for the photogram-
metric determination of the ground elevations
of each terrain strip that has been imaged.
The two cameras can also be set at the much
higher angles of 45
0
to the vertical in both the
forward and backward directions relative to
the ight line. This alternative conguration
will be used if the main objective is to acquire
highly oblique images of urban areas that will
provide details of building facades for inclu-
sion in the 3D urban modelling of such areas
[Fig. 5]. It is also possible to set the pointing
angles at any intermediate angular value
between 0
0
and 45
0
, if this is required.
Each of the two cameras utilizes a small-for-
mat Kodak CCD frame imaging array having
a format size of 4,008 x 2,672 pixels = 11
Megapixels, with each pixel being 9 x 9 m
in size. The focal length (f) of the wide aper-
ture (f/4) lens that is used in each camera is
300 mm. From a ying height of 1 km, this
results in a ground pixel size or GSD of 3.3
cm. When used in conjunction with the rect-
angular CCD imaging array, the lens provides
an angular coverage of 6.9
0
along-track by
4.1
0
cross-track for each individual image.
With each camera imaging a strip of four
images during a single cross-track sweep or
scan, the total cross-track angular coverage
for each of the two cameras is 4 x 4.1
0
=
16.4
0
. Each cross-track strip or fan of four
images will therefore contain circa 40
Megapixels of data in total, while the stereo-
pair formed by the two overlapping strips of
frame images will comprise 80 Megapixels in
total. For operation at the comparatively low
altitudes that are own to provide very high
resolution images, the exposure times need to
be extremely short in order to implement the
cross-scan sweep or scan and to ensure that
image blur is insignicant. With this in mind,
the exposure time can be set over the range
1/1,666th to 1/5,000th of a second. The
two cameras are calibrated by Tiltan in its own
laboratory using a specially constructed tar-
get.
The two cameras are mounted on a
lightweight but very stiff frame that allows
them to be inserted into the belly pod that was
originally developed to accommodate the
RIEGL laser scanners [Fig. 6]. In order to
implement the required imaging conguration,
both cameras are controlled by the systems
Scanning, Pointing & Stabilization
(SPS) unit. As the name suggests, the main
function of the SPS unit is to stabilize the cam-
eras around their pitch and roll axes and to
control the angular pointing of the mirrors that
are placed in front of the camera lenses, so
implementing the required imaging congura-
tion and the specic ground coverage of each
individual frame image. The whole AMU sys-
tem is controlled by a PC that provides the
required commands to all of the individual
components and sub-systems of the overall sys-
tem and manages the resulting outputs. The
images are recorded on a RAID system of
removable hard drives, with two drives being
allocated to each camera. Finally a NovAtel
GNSS dual-frequency receiver and antenna
are provided for geo-referencing purposes
using differential GPS techniques.
A ight planning module is also provid-
ed to carry out the pre-ight planning of the
tracks and ying heights that will need to be
own in order to achieve the overall ground
coverage of the dened area at a specied
ground resolution, as required for a particular
mapping project. The computed data includes
the start and end points for the operation of
the AMU for each specic track [Fig. 7(a)].
This module is associated with a further mod-
ule that provides both the pilot and the system
operator with a real-time display of the
actual course that is being own with particu-
lar respect to the planned ight lines. In the
case of the systems operator, the monitor
screen will also display simultaneously the
operational status of all the individual compo-
nents and sub-systems of the entire AMU sys-
tem [Fig. 7 (b)].
Ground Processing Unit (GPU)
This sub-system carries out the fairly conven-
tional all-digital photogrammetric work ow
that is required to produce a DSM & DTM
Ar t i c l e
24
March 2011
Fig.. 4 A diagram showing the configuration and the coverage of
the backward and forward pointing digital frame cameras of the
AMU, each of which steps to expose four images in rapid succession
during a single sweep or scan in the cross-track direction (Source:
Tiltan)
Fig. 5 (a) Showing a representative image acquired with the AMU camera unit
when it is set in the 16 degree convergent mode that will be used for the
acquisition of the images intended for photogrammetric processing.
(b) Showing a sample image acquired with the cameras set in the 45 degree
tilted configuration in order to obtain detailed information about the
building facades. (Source: Tiltan)
[a]
[b]
using automated image correlation techniques
which will lead to the production of true
orthophotos and a 3D urban model. The ini-
tial processing involves the downloading of
the images and metadata that have been
acquired in-ight by the AMU system and their
conversion to the standard format that is
required for their further processing. This
includes their incorporation into a structured
database. A further preliminary processing
step is applied to the GNSS or GPS data that
has been recorded during the ight, both by
the airborne receiver and the base station.
This processing is carried out using the well
known GrafNav software from NovAtels
Waypoint Product Group. This converts the
raw GPS data into the precise position and
height (X, Y, Z) data in the required coordi-
nate system that can be used in the subsequent
photogrammetric processing.
After which, the image data and the
GNSS/GPS coordinate data are fed into the
proprietary aerial triangulation module.
This rst carries out the selection and identi-
cation of the tie-points at suitable locations on
each image. It then transfers the selected
points to the overlapping images using auto-
matic image correlation techniques to form the
nal block that will be triangulated. When this
has been achieved, the bundle orientation,
projection centre determination and block
adjustment are then carried out using all avail-
able ground control points (GCPs), either for
the complete block or for any selected part of
it. The block adjustment can handle tens of
thousands of images if required. Once the
aerial triangulation has been completed, a
digital surface model (DSM) is then
formed from the overlapping pairs of images,
again using automated image correlation
techniques that have been developed in-house
by Tiltan. A very high density of points per
square metre can be achieved using these
techniques. Furthermore Tiltan has also devel-
Ar t i c l e
25
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
March 2011
Fig. 6 (a) The twin-camera system of the AMU system is mounted on
a lightweight frame, which is then inserted into the belly pod with its
two windows that was developed originally to accommodate twin RIEGL
laser scanners. (b) A close-up view of the twin-camera AMU attached to
the underside of the Diamond DA 42 MPP aircraft. The cover of the belly
pod is then placed over the twin-camera unit. (Source: Tiltan)
Fig. 7 (a) Showing the planned flight routes superimposed over a
background image that has been extracted from Google Earth.
(b) A typical display as seen on the system operators monitor
screen during a mission flight. (Source: Tiltan)
[a]
[b]
[b]
[a]
oped routines to identify, classify and extract
certain specic types of feature from the 3D
image data, including buildings, trees and
power lines. In this context, methods have also
been developed to identify and handle numer-
ous different types of roof surfaces. Needless
to say, the results of all of this data process-
ing also lead to the formation of a digital
terrain model (DTM) should this be
required. Finally a true orthophoto image
or a 3D urban model (or both) can then
be generated as the nal mapping product
[Fig. 8]. Already Diamond Airborne Sensing
has carried out several missions with the pod-
mounted AMU system in Austria with the nal
GPU processing being carried out by Tiltan.
[Fig. 9]
Conclusion
The twin digital camera arrangement of the
AMU imaging sub-system implements (i) the
step framing principle of acquiring multiple
images in the cross-track direction, in combi-
nation with (ii) a convergent oblique imaging
conguration which certainly is a unique
and quite novel method of acquiring overlap-
ping airborne image data. The subsequent
data processing is carried out by the GPU
sub-system. This implements advanced pho-
togrammetric methodology, especially in terms
of its extensive use of automated image match-
ing and feature extraction techniques. In this
respect, it is extremely interesting to note that,
notwithstanding its previous and current
involvement in the processing of airborne laser
scan data to form digital terrain models, Tiltan
has chosen also to implement the alternative
method of forming these 3D models from over-
lapping stereo-imagery using photogrammet-
ric techniques. It will be most interesting to see
how this highly integrated AGM airborne
imaging and photogrammetric processing sys-
tem will be received by the aerial mapping
industry.
Gordon Petrie is Emeritus Professor of Topographic Science in the
School of Geographical & Earth Sciences of the University of Glasgow,
Scotland, U.K. E-mail - Gordon.Petrie@ges.gla.ac.uk;
Web Site - http://web2.ges.gla.ac.uk/~gpetrie
26
March 2011
Ar t i c l e
Fig. 8 (a) A true orthophoto that has been processed using the
GPU system. (b) A perspective view of the buildings and trees
forming part of the 3D model of an urban area that has been
produced by the GPU photogrammetric processing. (Source: Tiltan)
Fig. 9 A perspective view of the Diamond Aircraft facilities at the Wiener Neustadt Ost airfield that has been produced from images acquired by the
AMU camera system, with the subsequent point cloud generation and 3D modelling being carried out by the GPU processing system. (Source: Tiltan)
[a]
[b]
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EMEA (HQ) +33 2 28 09 38 00
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2010 Ashtech LLC. All rights reserved. The Ashtech logo and MobileMapper are trademarks of Ashtech, LLC.
All other products and brand names are trademarks of their respective holders.
China +86 10 5802 5174
USA, NA +1 408 572 1103
professionalsales@ashtech.com


2010 Ashtech LLC. All rights reserved. The Ashtech logo and MobileMapper are trademarks of Ashtech, LLC.
All other products and brand names are trademarks of their respective holders.


2010 Ashtech LLC. All rights reserved. The Ashtech logo and MobileMapper are trademarks of Ashtech, LLC.
All other products and brand names are trademarks of their respective holders.


2010 Ashtech LLC. All rights reserved. The Ashtech logo and MobileMapper are trademarks of Ashtech, LLC.


A Central Global Trade Fair
Organizing the INTERGEO
For many people, INTERGEO is the major geospatial event of the year in Western Europe, and one that is
not to be missed. The event, which takes place in a different city in Germany every year in autumn,
captures every aspect of the value creation chain and the geospatial industry. It is an event for
showcasing new products, as well as monitoring the market. Olaf Freier, Managing Director of HINTE
GmbH and INTERGEO organiser, explains the events development from its early days up to the present,
and how the organizers keep close contact with the various exhibitors, to see whether new
opportunities exist for INTERGEO. In addition, a new format and closer collaboration with specialist
networks and partners show that the event continues to evolve.
Early Development and INTERGEO Today
The rst INTERGEO was staged in 1995 in Dortmund, Germany, as a
response to the growing demand for exhibiting opportunities at the
annual conference of the DVW e.V., the German Society for
Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management.
Olaf Freier: As the events organiser, our company has been respon-
sible for all trade fair matters from the very beginning. Three main
factors have driven the development of INTERGEO. Firstly, right from
the start in 1995, the key requirements of exhibiting companies have
been met thanks to the ideal infrastructure of the exhibition centres.
Secondly, changing the location of the fair each year ensures excel-
lent market coverage and penetration. And thirdly, the most impor-
tant factor for the development of INTERGEO has been the inclusion of
geoinformation as part of the concept.
In terms of content, the focal points at INTERGEO geodesy, geoinfor-
mation and land management now cover the entire value creation
chain from geodata capture to visualisation.
State of the Industry
The statistics from INTERGEO provide a clear picture of its develop-
ment. The demand curves for companies and visitors show that inter-
est, in INTERGEO as a product, has grown continuously since 1995.
Compared to 1995, the number of exhibitors has almost tripled,
occupied exhibiting space has doubled and the number of visitors
has risen by 50%. INTERGEO has also raised its prole internationally
over recent years.
Freier: Today, a little over 30% of exhibitors and some 25% of visi-
tors come from outside Germany. Taken together, the gures clearly
show that the INTERGEO industries have grown very rapidly. I believe
that this positive development will also continue. New technologies
and systems, whether in terms of data capture or visualisation, will
increasingly become available to a broader target group and start
to dene new market potential. Geoinformation will continue to be
a major driving force behind this development.
New Opportunities
But geoinformation itself is also changing, and so is the geoinforma-
tion business. Look for instance at the growing presence of cloud
computing. Crowd-sourcing, volunteered geographic information
and urban sensing are also gaining momentum and importance.
Participants in the geospatial data production process are becom-
ing both producers and users. Freier thinks that the development of
information technology is going to bring entirely new opportunities.
Freier: One emergent example of this is cloud computing. Although
certain issues related to this concept, such as data security in partic-
ular, are far from being resolved. It will nonetheless ultimately have
a huge inuence on business in the industries. Improved data lines
28
March 2011
I n t e r v i e w
By Joc Triglav
INTERGEO impression
for larger, high-performance data transfers will generate opportuni-
ties for new products and applications.
Freier: Naturally, we will showcase these new trends and innova-
tions both at and with INTERGEO, and incorporate them into its prod-
uct cycle including both the fair and the conference.
Exhibitors Views on the Event
Every year, INTERGEO exhibitors evaluate the event from their busi-
ness point of view. This dialogue with exhibitors always produces
very constructive ideas, which has been and will continue to be a
major driver in its continuing development, according to Freier.
Freier: INTERGEO is either important or very important for some 87%
of the exhibiting companies, making it the most signicant event in
the year for them. The reason for this is that the fair attracts precise-
ly the sort of visitors that our exhibitors want to meet, with exhibiting
companies achieving their targets by almost 90%. Their objectives
range from showcasing new products or developments to winning
new customers and monitoring the market. We strive to maintain this
high standard in visitor attraction by staying in constant communica-
tion with companies.
Co-operation
The DVW (German Society for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land
Management) is the promoter and owner of INTERGEO. As the biggest
association for geodesy, geoinformation and land management in
Germany, the DVW is active in a large number of institutional and
political bodies on both national and international levels. Its presi-
dent is Professor Karl-Friedrich Thne, who also works at the
Thuringian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, the Environment and
Nature Protection. Freier explains the level of co-operation for orga-
nizing the event: HINTE GmbH has been a partner of the DVW
since 1995 and besides being responsible for the overall organisa-
tion of the INTERGEO trade fair, we also have a supporting role in the
conceptual development of INTERGEO. We are also in charge of con-
ference registration for INTERGEO.
Innovation and Format Change
Last year in Cologne, two new INTERGEO initiatives were launched
successfully - daily keynote speeches and the INTERGEO Academy.
Freier explains the rst impressions on these two innovations and
the organizations plans for their further advancement and integra-
tion into the overall INTERGEO concept.
Freier: The keynotes and the Academy are intended as a means of
conveying an overarching understanding of highly complex special-
ist subject matter from INTERGEO to different industry sectors and vice
versa. Focused seminar offerings, aimed at specic target groups,
offer highly specialised target groups an opportunity to make con-
tacts and disseminate information within the Academy. Cologne was
the rst step in this direction. And progress will continue at the next
venues Nrnberg and Hanover.
Collaboration with EnviroInfo 2010
The 2010 edition of INTERGEO also marked the rst-time collabora-
tion with the European conference EnviroInfo 2010. The event suc-
cessfully bonded two sectors, creating new ties and promoting new
interdisciplinary networks. Freier sees new opportunities for the
geoinformation business at future events.
Freier: The DVW is extremely well networked with all-embracing
bodies and is very proactive. In working towards the strategic aim
of addressing specialist sectors, and therefore new target groups,
the DVW and the organisers of EnviroInfo 2010 agreed on a joint
conference day due to the overlapping and complementary topics.
After the success of this initial step, it is safe to assume there will be
more such events as part of INTERGEO in the future.
Currently, the organization is working with specialist networks and
partners to develop additional topic areas that will produce similar
synergies with regard to geoinformation. Freier states that he has
some surprises in store.
INTERGEO East
In the last few years, Freier was also involved in organising the INTER-
GEO East events, the trade fair and conference for land management,
geoinformation, building industry and environment. The two events
are rather different from each other, explains Freier.
Freier: The big difference between INTERGEO East and INTERGEO is
that we are using a narrower, more differentiated approach to
address a cross-regional market that is in the process of taking shape.
Unlike INTERGEO in Germany, which functions as a central meeting
point for the industry, INTERGEO East is designed to bring products
29
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
March 2011

Event
New technologies and
systems, whether in terms of
data capture or visualisation, will
increasingly become available to a
broader target group and start to
define new market potential.
Geoinformation will continue to
be a major driving force behind
this development. Olaf Freier
I n t e r v i e w
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Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
March 2011
and know-how to the region and thereby support current develop-
ments in the relevant markets. Istanbul is a very central location and
the ideal base from which to address south-east Europe, the Middle
East and the Russian market. In future, INTERGEO East will also play a
global role in the overall INTERGEO strategy in terms of market com-
petence and year-round communication.
Broadening the Geographical Scope of the Event
Since the event is doing quite well over time, it may not be such a
strange idea to set up similar initiatives around the globe, such as in
Asia. However, this cannot be separated from the market demand and
the international companies that serve this demand, states Freier: We
are currently operating with a clear mandate from exhibitors to place a
central leading global trade fair at one location and focus communica-
tion once a year. This is what we are working towards year after year,
keeping in close contact with companies so that we can continuously
monitor this position. Naturally, we also work with the DVW to keep
an eye on developments in Asia and other continents.
At present, INTERGEO in Germany has a leading role owing to its geo-
graphical location and the fact it is easy to reach. Furthermore,
Germany is right in the centre of an extremely interesting European
market that is also seen as a test market for products and solutions.
Freier: We need to keep an eye on how fundamental parameters
develop. We are keeping in close contact with the market.
INTERGEO 2011
This year, INTERGEO will be held in Nrnberg, September 27-29.
Freier is optimistic about the market and its impact on the event: For
example, data capture, which suffered some uctuation as a result
of the general economic crisis, has recovered. Given the geographi-
cal location of Nrnberg, the eastern European region will play a
more signicant role this year. And, of course, we mustnt forget that
we will be in one of Germanys strongest economical regions. From
3D developments to satellite applications, INTERGEO 2011 will show-
case the trends and developments that emerged during 2010. There
will be more increasingly complex systems and solutions, the range
of offerings will be broader and thus new sectors will be open for
development.
During INTERGEO, companies and visitors alike will be able to enjoy
not just wider-ranging content, but also additional networking oppor-
tunities within the sector. A special mix of print, online and mobile
communications will nurture and promote the existing dialogue
between market participants. Freier: When the movers and shakers
of the industry come together in dialogue, being there is everything.
It would be a great shame to miss out on all that.
Olaf Freier, Managing Director of HINTE GmbH
and INTERGEO organiser.
Joc Triglav, GeoInformatics Editor.
Last year in Cologne, two new INTERGEO features were launched successfully - daily keynote speeches and
the INTERGEO Academy.

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Improving Geospatial Workflows

ERDAS 2011 Software
In this modern age of convenience and instant gratification, its not enough to just provide information;
it must be easily accessible and available almost instantaneously. These expectations are driving the
geospatial industry to boost output and shorten production times. In response, ERDAS has increasingly
focused on enhancing the user experience and making workflows faster and simpler so users can
produce more in less time.
E
RDAS has increased its focus on stream-
lining and accelerating workows. For
the ERDAS 2011 Software Release,
these improvements were largely made by
providing software additions that enhance
ease-of-use and enable users to leverage all
their available hardware.
ERDAS products are designed to enable users
to tackle every step of their geospatial work-
ow - authoring data sets from raw data,
managing extensive volumes of data, con-
necting users so they can share and collab-
orate, and delivering information to other
users and organizations. To ensure that users
are able to work efciently and smoothly
transition data from one step to the next,
some changes have been made across the
entire product portfolio.
Portfolio-wide changes for the ERDAS 2011
Software Release include the ability to local-
ize ERDAS products for a global audience,
integrated support for Microsoft Bing Maps
base imagery and map data, distributed
processing throughout the desktop offerings,
and a new product, ERDAS Engine. ERDAS
Engine is a simple solution that boosts pro-
cessing power for ERDAS IMAGINE and LPS,
leveraging existing hardware resources for
increased production needs or situations
requiring faster production output.
Individual products also underwent exciting
changes, advancing customer productivity
through improvements in usability and
speed.
ERDAS IMAGINE
This is a geospatial data authoring system
which incorporates geospatial image pro-
cessing and analysis, remote sensing and
GIS into a single package. It enables users
to create value-added products such as 2D
and 3D images, 3D ythrough movies, and
cartographic-quality map compositions from
geospatial data. It also provides advanced
tools for parallel batch processing, spatial
modeling, map production, mosaicking and
change detection.
In ERDAS IMAGINE 2011, users will see
enhancements that facilitate everyday work-
ows so they can produce more in less time,
while still achieving the results that have
become synonymous with the product suite.
Much of the usability gain stems from the
ability to interact with other popular
geospatial products, such as Google Earth
and Bing Maps. For instance, users can link
imagery shown in ERDAS IMAGINE viewers to
Google Earth to easily see the global con-
text of their imagery. It shares its annota-
tions with Google Earth and enables users
to synchronize the views in the two appli-
cations and export image footprints and
annotation layers to KML les. It also pro-
vides access to rich, high-quality base
imagery and geo-coding services provided
by the Microsoft Bing Maps platform. Many
of the tools in the product are integrated
with these base maps, making it easy to
measure distance, perform change detec-
tion and other types of analytics.
Another signicant change in the product
is the streamlined imagery analysis work-
ows. The most demanding image analysts,
including those in the defense and intelli-
gence community, will benet from new
tools and an enhanced interface designed
for quick and easy creation of presentation
products. The improved workow offers
new report templates with elements (labels,
scale bar, north arrow, coordinates, etc.)
that update automatically based on the
32
March 2011
Ar t i c l e
By Amber Chambers
Remotely configure the APOLLO Web Processing Service options, custom users/roles and the user execute permissions using the
APOLLO Data Manager.
imagery loaded into the template. Many of
the standard templates include an auto-gen-
erated country map that clearly indicates
the location of the imagery. Additionally,
users can annotate imagery with text tools
that work similarly to the ubiquitous
Microsoft Ofce and easily create inset
views that highlight specic areas with
greater detail. Once reports are complete,
a single click exports them to Microsoft
PowerPoint, Word, or JPEG.
ERDAS IMAGINE 2011 also introduces
Hyperspherical Color Space (HCS) pan
sharpening, developed specically for
WorldView-2 data from DigitalGlobe.
WorldView-2 provides the only high-resolu-
tion 8-band multispectral commercial
imagery available. The products multispec-
tral image processing capabilities enable
users to leverage the wealth of information
inherent in WorldView-2 imagery and deliv-
er intelligence and highly accurate terrain,
feature and image products.
LPS
LPS is a workow-oriented photogrammetry
system for production mapping, including full
analytical triangulation, the generation of
digital terrain models, orthophoto produc-
tion, mosaicking, and 3D feature extraction.
Accuracy reports, built-in data quality
checks, and editing tools make it easy to
maintain unwavering levels of quality.
As production mapping shops face higher
demand, they have demanded a product that
would allow them to step up production ef-
ciently, cost-effectively, and with the same
high standard of accuracy theyve come to
expect from LPS. LPS 2011 meets that chal-
lenge by offering distributed processing,
which enables users to leverage multi-core
CPUs and multiple networked servers to
increase production throughput and acceler-
ate processes like ortho generation. LPS
2011 combines its existing batch processing
capabilities with Condor (third-party software
available for free download) to harness the
power of several networked computers for
high throughput ortho generation.
LPS eATE is an add-on module for LPS that
derives dense point clouds from stereo
imagery. For this release, LPS eATE adds the
ability to distribute the Digital Terrain Model
(DTM) merging process to the existing abili-
ty to distribute terrain extraction, further
reducing overall processing time.
LPS 2011 also provides gains in efciency.
Users can now generate orthophotos for an
area of interest dened by a shapele or AOI,
excluding unnecessary pixels from processing
and reducing the time and resources required
for the ortho production process. Additionally,
the Stereo Point Measurement (SPM) tool now
supports the use of multiple orthophotos (base
maps) as a horizontal reference source of
ground control points. Orthophotos are con-
veniently shown in the image list based on the
degree of overlap with the master image and
users can easily identify reference points in
stereo and mono modes.
ERDAS Extensions for ArcGIS
ERDAS Extensions for ArcGIS is a production
suite of stereo visualization tools that integrate
seamlessly into the ArcGIS environment.
Stereo visualization enables users to view
imagery in 3D, facilitating interpretation of
topological features and allowing more spa-
tially accurate feature collection than digitiz-
ing features from an orthorectied image.
By working inside an environment users are
already familiar with, this solution provides
the most accurate image processing and
stereo feature collection possible with mini-
mal capital expenditure, training require-
ments or changes to existing workow.
This release of the ERDAS Extensions features
essential updates that provide full compatibil-
ity with the ArcGIS 10 platform. Additionally,
users may utilize a new Flip Window tool,
offering improved control of the stereo win-
dow. Accessible through an icon on the
Stereo View toolbar, the tool enables 180-
degree rotation of the displayed stereo pair.
It also offers easier access to commonly used
settings, default drive to behavior on multi-
view windows, and improvements to the dis-
play speed and performance of the stereo
window.
ERDAS APOLLO
This is a solution for managing and deliver-
ing feature data, terrain and virtually any
other digital object in an enterprise. It con-
sistently delivers more data quicker and with
less hardware than competing image serv-
ing products. An interoperable OGC/ISO
based solution, it integrates easily with other
geospatial software and offers unparalleled
performance, even when handling massive
data archives and many users.
ERDAS APOLLO 2011 further improves the reli-
ability and scalability of the system via clus-
tering, in which multiple servers work in con-
cert to improve performance. Clustering
Ar t i c l e
33
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
March 2011
Choose one of the three map sources available from Bing Maps
Platform to use as Basemap for your data in the APOLLO Web
CLient or TITAN.
increases the number of users the system can
serve and improves system reliability by
allowing other servers to handle requests if
a server goes down.
Additionally, it features signicant usability
enhancements. Base maps from Microsoft
Bing Maps are now available in both the
ERDAS APOLLO web client and the ERDAS TITAN
Client (offered with ERDAS APOLLO Advan -
tage), Bing Maps in ERDAS APOLLO provides
a premium map-viewing experience and
offers three different map sources: Bing
Maps Roads (a map with roads and labels),
Bing Maps Aerial (an aerial imagery map)
and Bing Maps Hybrid (an aerial map with
roads and labels).
ERDAS APOLLO Data Manager now provides
a convenient interface to easily modify fre-
quently used server conguration parame-
ters such as system security, users and roles,
performance and other common settings. It
also features improvements for editing meta-
data using familiar spreadsheet controls,
and enables bulk metadata editing of multi-
ple datasets.
ERDAS APOLLO 2011 extends its data format
support to include cataloging and serving
LiDAR (LAS) les. Metadata is extracted and
cataloged, and hill-shaded views for each
LAS le can be consumed in the ERDAS APOL-
LO web client. End users may download a
subset of the data via the Clip, Zip and Ship
workow, or even download the original
LAS le, using the products web client.
The product also introduces support for the
OGC-specied Web Map Tiling Service
(WMTS), which enables high-performance
serving of spatially-referenced map tiles.
WMTS in ERDAS APOLLO is designed to com-
plement WMS and provide simple integra-
tion and overlay with applications such as
Google Maps and Bing Maps, Open -
StreetMap, and other web services.
ERDAS 2011and Beyond
To introduce the world to the latest software
release, the company has launched the 11
World Tour, which includes live software
demonstration and presentation, and the
opportunity for users worldwide to interact
and communicate directly with the companys
team and partners. The kick-off for the 11
World Tour took place in early November at
the GEOINT Symposium in New Orleans, LA.
Events are scheduled around the world,
reaching every continent (except Antarctica)
before it concludes in May 2011. In addition
to providing a forum for customers to ask
questions and see the software, these events
are a valuable opportunity for the company,
enabling them to collect user feedback and
gather industry information to better shape
the future of its product portfolio.
The company is also streamlining and improv-
ing the process through which customers
acquire software. For this release, the com-
pany is offering all products via download
on www.erdas.com instead of on physical
media. By downloading software on the com-
panys website, customers acquire the latest
release (and any updates) instantly.
Looking toward the future, the company will
continue to respond to the user preferences
and remain at the forefront of photogram-
metry, remote sensing and image process-
ing technologies. There are several areas of
advanced research underway . The rst and
perhaps most signicant is an integrated
viewing tool, replacing the traditional view-
ing canvas with a single integrated 2D, 3D,
4D and even 5D ability to view information.
Like the enhanced imagery analysis work-
ows, this is multi-year project, with continu-
al improvement in each release.
The company is also working on GPU pro-
cessing to improve compute-intensive opera-
tions in image and geospatial analysis,
including the extraction of terrain, mosaick-
ing of multiple images, and classication.
Those operations traditionally take many
hours, days or weeks to process. ERDAS
2011 Software Release introduces distribut-
ed processing, breaking up and spreading
complex processes over multiple machines
on a network. This can reduce processing
time by 25-40%.
Amber Chambers amber.chambers@erdas.com
is Technical Marketing Specialist at ERDAS
and has a background in software engineering and
business administration.
www.erdas.com
34
March 2011
Stereo Analyst supports launching a MultiView window where you can
load an alternate stereo pair, orthorectified image or calibrated
image to use as an alternate collection source. Once finished, dismiss
the view and pick up where you left off in the primary window,
or leave the view open for later use.
Ar t i c l e





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Specialists in the GPS Market
Precise Positioning Mana
Precise Positioning Management (PPM) is a German company that started out as a trading partner of Ashtech.
Nowadays PPM serves a wide range of clients who use GPS. With a staff whose accumulated experience
gathers together decades of work in the surveying and GNSS industries, the company can work with its
customers in the best possible way. Michael Singer, managing director of PPM, talks about how the
company distinguishes itself in the surveying market and which products and services it provides. Lastly,
some comments are provided on the democratization of measuring as well as new signals.
P
PM was founded in 1998 as a two-
person office and a trading partner of
Ashtech in Santa Clara, California. Its
primary goal back then was to position
itself as a specialist in a young and rapid-
ly growing GPS market. Singer: At that
time it was still necessary to convince
clients that a GPS system could generally
be implemented in surveying. We are espe-
cially proud that we are still working with
almost all of our clients from our earliest
days.
Business Approach
Nowadays, PPM is focused on clients that
value professional consultation before, dur-
ing and after the purchase of a product.
What really distinguishes PPM from most of
its competitors is that, if required, it not only
acts as a consultant for its customers, but on
top of that designs and manufactures custom-
tailored solutions for them. Singer:
Nowadays GNSS applications and require-
ments have a very wide spectrum. Our cus-
tomers come from all sectors: power compa-
nies, telecommunication, automobile
manufacturers, research institutes, universi-
36
March 2011
I n t e r v i e w
By Joc Triglav
GPS Compass in use
ties, building contractors, logis-
tics companies etc. This is the fascinating
part of GPS; the users and applications are increas-
ing daily.
The usual interaction between your company and your cus-
tomers looks like the following: initial requests are often han-
dled by mail or phone, but the actual solution is frequently pro-
vided in a personal meeting. Singer: Clients are well informed
today with regard to different options. However, we notice that
there are still decits in the areas of elds of operation and data
37
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
March 2011

gement
Michael Singer
I n t e r v i e w
GPS Compass System
correction. The subject of antennas and
antenna cables is also often underesti-
mated. With only a 30-minute consulta-
tion, we have often saved many a
research and development department
a lot of time and money. However, some
of the customers initial ideas are often
not feasible.
The company also provides measure-
ment and communication hardware and
software representing a number of dif-
ferent brand names. By cooperating
with several manufacturers, PPM can
offer its clients an ideal solution from a
broad range of products, satisfying a
request in the best way possible. Due to the
fact that PPM has its own development engi-
neers for software and hardware, it is able
to provide individual hardware and software
solutions for its customers. Singer: Although
we are, as a company, just in our teenage
years, together our staff has decades of
working experience in the surveying and
GNSS industries. Our experience and the fact
that we are very well connected in the GNSS
industry allow us to work with our customers
in the best possible way. Were always able
to fulll assignments in accordance with our
customers best interests.
Measurement and Communi -
cation Software Solutions
The company offers different measurement
and communication software solutions that
are used for specic purposes. A good
example is the development of our TNmob
software, a complete eld software solution
for mobile telecom providers. Together with
our 4011 GPS compass system, TNmob soft-
ware is the perfect tool to survey/measure
the position and azimuth of GSM/UMTS
transmitting antennas from GSM/UMTS
base stations.
This is basically a GIS solution, but the chal-
lenge was that the GPS measurement has to
be done near active GSM antennas. These
can transmit very strong RF signals. TNmob
was developed in close co-operation with
Vodafone Germany, a partnership that has
been in place since 2003. Today, PPM suc-
cessfully sells the 4011 GPS compass sys-
tem into many European countries.
Total Cost of Ownership
Listing all costs is an essential component of
each business operation. Presenting cus-
tomers with the total cost of ownership
(TCO) of specic measurement or communi-
cation equipment is important, states Singer.
Our clients trust PPM, and we see ourselves
as their partner, and therefore we inform our
customers about all costs. Our clients accept
operating costs if the overall solution is
advantageous for them. We see it as our
duty to include all TCO costs and inform the
customer about them. Only in this way does
a customer get a complete picture of the
cost/performance ratio of planned procure-
ments.
Different Types of Revenues
Breaking down the companys income by
eld of work, Singer states that the distribu-
tion varies from year to year, depending on
the actual projects and of course on the com-
petitiveness of the products of the manufac-
turers that PPM represents. For example,
the latest GIS product from Ashtech, the
Mobile Mapper 100 series, is currently
extremely well accepted in the market and
has therefore signicantly increased our GIS
revenue compared to last year.
Other sectors, like OEM integration, remain
stable because these projects often run over
several years. What the employees are hap-
piest about, according to Singer, are the
good numbers showing in the development
and production of PPM solutions.
Old-style versus New-style
When asked about crucial GNSS-related
considerations, and possible dangers in
the global process of transition from old-
style national coordinate reference sys-
tems to new ITRS-based national coordi-
nate reference systems, Singer states that
whenever there is something new or a
change on the horizon, the market reacts
with doubt and expects something nega-
tive. We see it as our job to show this
type of client the advantages of new situa-
tions and help them to adapt by offering
consultancy and/or hardware and soft-
ware solutions.
Democratization of
Measurements
These days the market is experiencing a
democratization of measurements, i.e. the
growing belief that anybody can take
measurements as long as he/she uses
the proper measuring instruments, like
any kind of GPS device. This raises
the question of how much the profes-
sional knowledge of a surveyor counts
today and if it is valued as highly as
it should be.
Singer responds by saying that this
question has been asked ever since IT
entered the world of surveying. We
deliberated over the same question
when the rst total station was
equipped with software and the land
surveyor didnt need an education any
more to master his equipment. We believe
that on the one side there are projects that
can be handled by non-surveyors, but on the
other side there are always new opportuni-
ties that require a professional surveyor. The
value of a surveyors job will depend on his
performance and his willingness to stay on
top of new technologies.
Consequences of Change of
Signal
In ve to ten years at the latest, the current
L2 signal used in the GPS system will be
replaced by an open L5 signal. Singer com-
ments on the possible consequences that this
transition from the rather expensive L1/L2
dual-frequency receivers to the much cheap-
er L1/L5 dual-frequency receivers will have
in the global measurement world. Singer:
Even though it will still be a while until new
signals and GNSS systems like the L5 sig-
nal or Galileo can be used by surveyors,
this new technology is already part of the
daily business for PPM. Many of the systems
we market already support future signals
and GNSS systems. Our clients in research
and science have been using these devices
successfully for years now.
PPM expects to see only positive results from
this development for its users in the survey-
ing sector. GNSS receivers will become
even more reliable, more accurate and bet-
ter priced, enabling an even wider applica-
tion type. PPMs goal for the future will
remain to offer our customers the device best
suited for the individual situation with the
best value for money.
Joc Triglav, GeoInformatics Editor
Michael Singer, managing director of PPM GmbH.
For more information on Precise Positioning Management, please
refer to: www.ppmgmbh.de.
I n t e r v i e w
38
March 2011
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A new gvSIG Extension
This article presents the WG-Edit extension for gvSIG,
which allows the management of the road cadastre for
the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. Until now the
editing tool was based on proprietary GIS software,
but following the strategic decision to use open source
software for the future geodata management, the
extension was developed on gvSIG.
gvSIG was chosen as a substitute for ArcView 3
because it is a free/open source product and a
complete GIS tool with a user-friendly interface. It was
decided to remake the extension and add innovative
and new functionalities.
T
he spread of ArcView3 in the last 10 years has been very exten-
sive, due to its ease of use and the fact that the shapele for-
mat has quickly become one of the main standards for GIS vec-
tor data. The development of the new environment ArcGIS Desktop
by Esri led to the slow decline of ArcView 3, now considered old
and obsolete.
It would be impractical, in terms of cost, to upgrade all the ArcView3
licenses currently in use to ArcGIS. With this in mind we made the
decision to replace part of the licenses of ArcView 3 with an open
source GIS-software, gvSIG. The reasons for this choice are the fol-
lowing:
Guaranteed continuity because it is a project started by a public
institution (Generalitat Valenciana) and funded by the EU.
JAVA as the development language.
Compatibility with a large number of vector and raster le for-
mats.
Remarkable similarity to ArcView3 in logical and functional terms.
The client application for the management of the topological net-
work, works as an ArcView 3 extension, and has been replaced by
gvSIG through the development of the WG-Edit extension.
The new WG-Edit extension provides the following modules:
Module for searching roads and locations (congurable accord-
ing to the data to search)
Module for the road import (complete or partial)
Module for editing (reshape, union, split, change direction, inser-
tion variants management of the topology)
Module for the management of attributes
A great innovation will be the management of the elevation data for
the roads, which means that apart from the X, Y and M coordinates,
the Z coordinate will also be managed. The extension offers func-
tions to calculate and validate it, by getting data from a DTM (Digital
Terrain Model) in case it is not present in the imported data. It also
provides a form which can be edited graphically with the prole
graph.
Other very important functions are those related to the validation of
topological data management (client and server sides). These help
to provide a topologically-correct network, which is used as a basis
for a routes-calculator and the other services and functionalities with-
in the WEGE project.
We are now undergoing nal testing of the extension, which will be
operating by early 2011.
Objectives
The implementation of the gvSIG extension, WG_EDIT, is based upon
the following objectives decided by the Department of Statistical and
Geo Informatics:
The database is responsible for data integrity and data security.
It should not be the duty of the client or the middleware.
A tree-tier architecture with precisely dened levels (database,
application server/business logic, clients) and a standardization
of the communication interfaces within these levels (Web Service
and XML/GML) is necessary.
The visualization of the geodata within a simple map service
should be expanded to supply GIS Services e.g. making a spa-
tial analysis by asking a Web Service using a GIS functionality.
Create a GIS service-oriented Internet platform.
Manage the geometry as a 3D-object (X, Y, Z) considering also
the M coordinate. All the functions have to take into account the
four dimensions.
40
March 2011
Ar t i c l e
By Jlic Belpoliti, Fulvia Gambalonga, Wolfgang Moser, Ivo Planoetscher, Susanne Rizzolli, Martin Zambaldi,
Alberto Perli and Flavio Pompermaier
Figure 1: WG-Edit extension architecture
WG-Edit
Data access to be implemented through
the standard OGC webservices (WMS,
WFS) and standard formats (GML).
The following chapters illustrate the exten-
sion WG_EDIT from the architectural, tech-
nological and user points of view.
WG-Edit Extension
This module allows gvSIG to interact with
the WEGE project.
WEGE is a collaborative geographic information system for road
infrastructure management (road types, bridges, tunnels, etc.) and
correlated elements (public transport, petrol stations, bus stops,
addresses, etc.), which ensures a highly-detailed denition of roles
and responsibilities. Furthermore, an internet platform for the com-
munication and visualization of the collected information was creat-
ed within the project as an e-government service (G2G, G2E, G2C).
The WG_EDIT module provides the functionalities to manage the
road network.
The extension architecture is depicted in Figure 1 and is character-
ized by a loose coupled approach: the interaction between GIS
users (gvSIG + WG-Edit) and WEGE occurs via appropriate Web
Services. Authentication and authorization, provided by the Gate
module, are also exposed as Web Services. Such infrastructure
allows WEGE to provide proper data-access policies, regardless of
the specic implementation of the Gate module (actually provided
by Usergate, another Sinergis product). At the same time, all opera-
tions achievable through WEGE could be achieved by another road
infrastructure management tool that implements the necessary Web
Services. Openness of the system is a cru-
cial objective of the WG-Edit extension:
data exchange is obtained through textual
messages in standard format (OGC GML
for geometries and XML for everything else)
and only OGC services are used for maps
(WMS and WFS).
All WG-Edit functionality requires user
authentication as a preliminary step. Once
a user has logged in successfully, a new
customized gvSIG View, named WG-Edit View is created.
This View is the starting point for all WG-Edit work sessions and is
characterized by:
A predened reference system (e.g. EPSG:25832)
An initial extent which corresponds to the last saved one (that
displayed before logout)
A certain number of working layers (congurable via a dedicat-
ed administration panel)
A precongured snapping tolerance and snap-to the WFS road
layer in editing-mode
Automatic refresh of WMS and WFS layers after modication of
the road network
WFS searching tool (overcomes WFS underscored attributes
reading errors)
Editing tools for a correct Z-dimension management
The peculiarities of the WEGE system are:
Historical support
Notication of road/events changes to the owner/responsible
Observation of bilingualism
Respect of topological model constraints
Openness and a collaborative approach
Technological Components
In the current implementation, the pieces depicted in Figure 1 have
been lled with the following components:
Database: Oracle + ArcSDE Application Server
Application Server: JBoss, AXIS for SOAP Web Services
Map Server: UMN Mapserver (or GeoServer)
WG-Edit extension: on patched* gvSIG 1.9 or on gvSIG 1.10
Ar t i c l e
41
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
March 2011
OGLM: Oggetto Geometrico Lineare Misurato (english: linear
measured geometric object). Linear objects correlated to the road
network (information based on the road network) e.g. public trans-
port routes, bicycle routes, hiking routes.
Event: elements correlated to the road network. They can be in
one of these three formats: points on the road, a double point
(relative position of the element on the road and real position of
the element) e.g. bus stops, petrol stations, and linear elements
as part of the road e.g. bridges, tunnels, pavement.
Figure 2a,b and c: WG-Edit View, an example
[a]
[b]
[c]
* In order to correctly read the 4th coordinate from shapeles, we
patched the fmap gvSIG library and integrated the related patch
into gvSIG 1.10. Unfor tunately, writing of the 4th dimension is still
an open issue.
Some Examples:
WG-Edit View
After the user login is completed, the special View named WG-Edit
View, is automatically constructed. In addition, two dedicated tool-
bars are created:
The rst one is always displayed and is dedicated to general
tasks (check-out, lock release, road import, road denomination
management, proposal management, snap conguration, road
searches, creation of roads and add vertex on underlying road).
The second one is visible only in editing mode and is basically
needed to correctly manage the Z-dimension (elevation) of the
shapeles.
With respect to the basic WG-Edit View, the one depicted in Figure
2 contains the editable version of the check-out layer. The concept
of locking is crucial in this new extension: thanks to this mechanism,
multiple users can work on the same road geometry (although on
different parts of it). When a user needs to modify the geometry of
a road, it performs a check-out and locks the needed parts. When
the user nishes his/her work, it commits the modication check-
ing-in the locked parts.
Road Selection
In order to improve the usability of the WG-Edit extension, much of
the WG-Edit functionality has been collected into one central loca-
tion, the road selection dialog. This panel is opened after
a rectangular selection on the map and shows the user all
the roads within it. The concept is similar to a selection on
a WFS layer, but, since a lot of additional data is required,
the selection operation is performed directly on the spatial
layer.
The user is now able to detect which street it has selected
and can now perform a lot of operations on it, directly from
the street selection panel. These operations are: identify,
denomination editing, baptize (association of a denomina-
tion to a street geometry), change of typology (e.g. sec-
ondary road -> freeway), parts management (reorder,
reverse, Z-management), connections test, check-out, road
removing (with historical support) and zoom-to.
Z-dimension Management
One of the most innovative and complex features of the WG-Edit
extension is the correct management of the Z-coordinate.
Unfortunately, gvSIG does not properly handle the writing of shape-
les with both Z and M dimensions. Therefore, many of the common
editing operations of gvSIG have required a dedicated button on
the WG-Edit toolbar. Moreover, operations such as point addition
require further constraints such as automatic Z valorization.
There are basically three different ways to obtain a Z value of a cer-
tain 2D point:
Client-side computation (through Sextante prole): the Z coordi-
nate, intrinsically contained within a DEM (Digital Elevation
Model), is retrieved from its RGB representation. The precision of
the computed values depends on the resolution of the underlying
image. Unfortunately, this approach has shown its limitation in a
real work scenario due to the excessive download time for high-
resolution images (exposed via WCS).
Server-side computation: similar to the just described approach
but much faster because the DEM is already located on the local
le-system (no download time required). Unfortunately, this solu-
tion presents its own side of the coin: the Z computation is a rather
expensive operation from a computational point of view, and thus
processing resources could be affected.
Manual editing: sometimes a Z coordinate gets corrupted. Errors
could be inherited from a DEM or generated after an upgrade of
the database. For this purpose, a dedicated framework, named
Plot Editor, has been developed and integrated within the WG-
Edit extension (see Figure 3).
Connections Test
This feature aims to help the user in ensuring the correctness of road
intersections, easing the detection of
possible open connections. In other
words, all end points of selected parts
are examined. If vertices of other roads
are found within their neighborhood
(dened by a search radius), they get
marked as possibly open and dis-
played in a dedicated dialog (see
Figure 4).
Change Notication
As mentioned during the introduction
of the WEGE project, the road network
is just the base layer. Upon it, users
can build multiple OGLM layers (see
blue text box at page 41) and, upon
Ar t i c l e
42
March 2011
Figure 3: Plot editor developed for Z editing
44
March 2011
Ar t i c l e
them, one or more Event layers [see text box at page 41] can also
be built. In case of modication to the underlying infrastructure, the
person in charge of OGLM/Events must be informed about the
change, in order to verify if the position is still valid or not. For exam-
ple, suppose theres a bridge on a road. If the geometry of the road
gets modied, the bridge could be affected and, thus, is marked by
WEGE as invalid. The person in charge of bridges will have to go
and check if the bridge coordinates are still valid or whether they
must be modied.
This mechanism ensures the proper alignment between physical
(road network) and logical layers (OGLM and Events).
Solved Problems and Open Issues
GML parsing: in order to encode/decode 4D geometries with
GML, a customization of the Geotools library has been neces-
sary.
Reading of 4D shapeles has been xed and the related patch
has been released to the community. The patch is now routinely
included in gvSIG 1.10. Writing instead is still an open issue,
since there is a remarkable impact on the source code and we
need the support/opinion of the gvSIG team before patching that
part.
CAD tools have been partially replicated in
order to correctly manage Z coordinates
and add some extra functionality (such as
automatic Z valorization on point creation).
A solution to hide specic buttons of gvSIG
editing toolbars is required.
Reading of Oracle tables with Java 1.6 and
pagination mechanism. Opened tickets:
o #14397: Oracle tables creation fails with
java 1.6
o #14396: Big Oracle tables hang
Reading of attribute WFS values
o #14395: WFS: underscored attributes read-
ing
Editing tool issues in gvSIG 1.10:
o JOIN: Z value gets damaged
o SPLIT: not feasible. The split button remains
disabled with 4D geometries
o EXPLODE: feature gets removed from the
layer
Conclusions
We explained in this paper our effort to bring forward a new inter-
face based on gvSIG for our users. In order to ensure this aim and
make gvSIG meet our needs, we had to enhance and adapt it.
Indeed, we invested a lot in the gvSIG platform, implementing new
functionalities and improving existing ones. We strongly believe in
the spirit of open SW and will therefore donate all those intense
work, functionalities and improvements to the community.
On the other side, we expect that the gvSIG Association is also pre-
pared and interested in taking over such extensions and incorporat-
ing them in future versions of the software. This, from our point of
view, is a must in order to guarantee the competitiveness of the
Association. Only this approach will allow us to further invest in
gvSIG and continue our work on our GIS platform, based on gvSIG
solutions. Investing signicant resources in new implementations,
without the assurance of their compatibility with future versions of
gvSIG, would not be for us, a viable road to follow.
Jlic Belpoliti, Fulvia Gambalonga, Wolfgang Moser, Ivo Planoetscher, Susanne Rizzolli, Martin Zambaldi,
Autonomous Province of Bolzano Department of Statistical and Geo Informatics.
Alberto Perli, Flavio Pompermaier, Sinergis (Trento).
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Metadata for Inspire
Standards in Practice
The 3rd of December 2010 was the deadline for member states of the EU to publish their Annex I & II
metadata to their national geoportal. With this deadline behind us, now is a good time to investigate
what is available and how we can use it.
W
hen talking about metadata, from
the GIS perspective there are two
different types that we need to
distinguish. One is metadata for data /
datasets, describing the contents of the data.
The other is metadata for services, telling us
what the capabilities of a service are. As
Inspire is concerned at the moment only with
metadata for data, this article will investi-
gate this type.
Inspire Metadata Standard
The Inspire implementing rules for the use of
metadata dene an obligatory core set of
metadata. Individual member states can
then choose to extend this minimum set to
cover the needs within a specic organiza-
tion or country. The technical format of the
INSPIRE metadata core set is based on the
ISO 19115 metadata standard. The meta-
data is then published using XML and in
accordance with another standard,
ISO19139.
Creating Inspire-Compliant
Metadata
There are various options for creating
Inspire metadata. At the moment, most GIS
packages support the creation of at least
ISO 19115 or even Inspire-compliant meta-
data (e.g. ArcGIS v9.3.1 and upwards). The
advantage of using the GIS package itself
is that items such as the geographic bound-
ary can be lled in automatically. The other
advantage is that stable elements such as
the organization only need to be entered
once.
But even if the GIS package offers no
options there are other methods. Perhaps the
easiest way to create Inspire-compliant meta-
data at the moment is by using the Inspire
metadata creator. Using a simple web inter-
face, the relevant elements from the Inspire
metadata regulation can be lled in. After
editing, the les can be saved to a local
hard disk. The Inspire geoportal also has the
option to validate metadata that has been
created using other software.
Once a single le has been made, one can
even consider using that le as a template
and edit it in a text editor such as Notepad
or Altova XML Spy, changing the relevant
information.
Metadata Catalog
After it is created, the metadata can be pub-
lished to a catalog. Users can search
through the catalog for datasets that suit
their purposes based on the available meta-
data. The searching process is not unlike
that of an Internet search engine, with the
main difference being that one can dene
46
March 2011
Ar t i c l e
By Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk
Creating metadata using the Inspire metadata creator
Searching for Inspire metadata in the Dutch National Georegistry
geographic search parameters as well.
Once a dataset is discovered the informa-
tion on the web service is used to get the
dataset. Most geographic portals have the
ability to display the information in a view-
er in such a way that the user thinks he has
direct access to this data from the portal.
The service can also, however, be used to
view the dataset in ones own GIS if the pub-
lisher allows.
Discovery
At the moment, almost every EU member state
has its own national geoportal where
datasets can be discovered (and sometimes
also viewed). Two examples of these portals
are the Dutch National Georegistry and the
Inspire geoportal. The Dutch registry was built
using GeoNetwork open source software, a
much-used package that provides not only an
option for discovery but also options for cre-
ating, uploading and validating metadata
sets. There are also other packages, such as
ArcGIS server, that offer similar functionality.
The EU has created its own geoportal for both
discovering and viewing datasets. At the
moment, however, there are only a few
national (and European) datasets present. At
the moment of writing, only two national
datasets could be found, both from Germany.
This is supposed to improve once the EU por-
tal starts the process called harvesting.
With harvesting the national metadata les
can be automatically imported and made dis-
coverable in the portal.
View
Viewing is not a metadata issue, but users
would really like to view the data accompa-
nying the metadata after they nd it. Most
geoportals have a built-in viewer for the geo-
graphic data. This sounds good, but at the
moment most datasets for which metadata
is published are only discoverable and not
viewable.
We will probably have to wait for the next
deadline of the Inspire directive to be able
to actually use these datasets for viewing
(and also downloading). Effectively that
should mean sometime near the end of this
year.
Summary
With the rst deadline of Inspire passed,
there are a number of options to create, val-
idate and discover metadata for Inspire. As
a result, there is no valid technical excuse
for organizations and member states not to
publish their Inspire metadata.
With regard to discovery and viewing there
are both commercial and open source
options available, but a quick assessment is
that although there is enough metadata, the
real datasets that they describe are still not
all available.
Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk hlekkerkerk@geoinformatics.com is standards
process manager as well as a freelance writer and trainer.
For more information: www.inspire-geoportal.eu
Ar t i c l e
47
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
March 2011
Reading Inspire metadata in the Discovery service of Inspire.
Viewing an Inspire dataset in the Inspire View service
More Spatial Data Transformation
FME 2011
Safe Software launched a new version of
its spatial data transformation platform,
FME 2011. Built to address industry
advancements and customer feedback, FME
2011 offers new powers to help organiza-
tions take command of spatial data and
smash through the latest data inter -
operability barriers more quickly and easily
than ever before. This article describes
some of the new features and improve-
ments of the new software release.
I
n todays environment of an ever-expand-
ing diversity of data formats and data
models, as well as increasing data vol-
umes, organizations are facing more and
more pressure to maximize the use of their
spatial data for planning and decision mak-
ing. Dale Lutz, Vice-President of Deve -
lopment at Safe Software states that GIS,
CAD, IT, and other technical professionals
have no choice but to become the friendly
neighborhood spatial data superheroes in
their organizations: Our role is to equip
them. Thats why in FME 2011, weve made
innovations and enhancements that empow-
er people to harness their data assets, do
more with less, and ensure their organiza-
tions are ready for whatever tomorrow
brings.
Point Clouds
As LiDAR increasingly enters the main-
stream, many organizations are looking for
a way to harness the power and potential
of point clouds. To address this growing
need, FME 2011 introduces support for
point cloud data, enabling organizations to
efciently:
Integrate point clouds with conventional
GIS data,
Restructure point cloud datasets by clip-
ping, thinning, reprojecting, combining,
splitting, and creating surface models,
Read and write point cloud data in a
range of industry standard formats,
including LAS (multiple versions),
Pointools POD, and XYZ.
By tapping into these powerful spatial data
transformation capabilities, organizations
can now fully maximize their investment in
3D point data, while creating new ways for
end users to visualize and analyze informa-
tion.
New Features and
Improvements
Recognizing the ever-growing pressure
organizations face to do more with less,
FME 2011 introduces many usability
improvements and innovative features that
not only make creating and maintaining spa-
tial data transformation workows
(workspaces) faster and easier than ever
before, but also help new users quickly learn
how to use FME to solve a wide range of
data interoperability challenges. Highlights
include:
Inline inspection: A key innovation in FME
2011, Inline Inspection lets users pause
the transformation process to instantly
examine the current state (geometry and
attributes) of their data. Users can now
benet from this X-ray vision to quickly
create workspaces with this new superne
feature-level debugging power.
Templates: Designed to illustrate common
spatial data transformation tasks, quick-
start templates enables users to author
new workspaces at lightning speeds.
Users can also publish their own
workspaces as templates for efcient re-
use and sharing with others.
Scheduling: With the new time-saving
scheduling tool in FME Server 2011,
users can now automatically run
workspaces whenever they want no
human intervention required.
XML Innovations: Thanks to the XML -
Templater, validation, styling, metadata,
and cataloguing capabilities, FME 2011
decimates the time it takes to work with
XML data.
Performance Improvements: FME 2011
delivers on Safe Softwares commitment to
ensure that every release of FME is faster
than the last. Performing data transforma-
tions in FME 2011 is now an average of
11% faster than the previous version.
Support for Cloud Data
Whether its keeping up with new formats
and platforms or being ready for the next big
innovation in GIS, organizations can contin-
ue to count on Safe Software to keep up with
the latest industry requirements. This year
FME 2011 introduces support for cloud data,
expanding its format support to 265. Now
organizations can use the power of FMEs
spatial data transformation capabilities to
read and write Windows Azure, SQL Azure,
OGDI and Google Spreadsheet data. FME
2011 has also been updated to let users with
work the latest applications and environ-
ments; support for Esri ArcGIS 10 and
Autodesk FDO 2011 already included.
Internet: www.safe.com/FME2011.
48
March 2011
Ar t i c l e
By the editors
With FME 2011, organizations can now fully maximize their investment in 3D point data, while creating new ways
for end users to visualize and analyze information.
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Rate
Available
Until March 31
Visit www.optech.ca/ilsc2011 to register online today!
Hear expert presentations on lidar standards and initiatives.
Get to grips with the new world of sensor fusion and extracting useful, timely information from
complex lidar and photogrammetric datasets.
Discover how mobile mapping is opening eyes in civil engineering.
Learn about the latest software applications for airborne, mobile and terrestrial lidarfrom
airborne image processing to lidar calibration and rectification.
Attend highly specific methodology, data analysis and operations training sessions.
Register now to give your
organization the competitive edge.
Connect with industry professionals
from around the surveying and mapping
world.
Hilton Garden Inn Toronto/Vaughan
3201 Highway 7
Vaughan, ON, Canada L4K 5Z7
www.optech.ca/ilsc2011
March
15-18 March GEOFORM+ 2011 - Geodesy,
Cartography, Navigation
EcoCenter Sokolniki, Moscow, Russia
Tel: +7 (495) 925-34-97
Fax: +7 (495) 925-34-97
E-mail: dnJ@mvk.ru
Internet: www.geoexpo.ru
21-23 March Data ow from Space to Earth:
applications and interoperability
Venice, Italy
E-mail: dezorzi@corila.it
Internet: www.space.corila.it
21-24 March SPAR US 2011 Conference
Houston, TX, U.S.A
Tel: +1 (207) 842 5671
E-mail: tgreaves@divcom.com
Internet: www.sparllc.com
23-25 March Free SIG Seminar
Gerona, Spain
Internet: www.sigte.udg.edu
23-25 March 1st Conference on Spatial Statistics
2011 Mapping Global Change
University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Internet: www.spatialstatisticsconference.com
28-31 March CalGIS 2011 - 17th Annual
California GIS Conference
Fresno, CA, U.S.A.
Internet: www.calgis.org
29-30 March 10th International 3D Forum Lindau
Lindau, Germany
E-mail: a.lindenmueller@sw-lindau.de
Internet: www.3d-forum.li
30 March GeoDATA 2011
London, U.K.
Internet: www.geoinformationgroup.co.uk/events/geodata
30-31 March Enterprise Strategies for Location
Intelligence
The Wyndham, Chicago, U.S.A.
Tel.: +44 (0) 2027 375 7513
E-mail: naomi@thewherebusiness.com
Internet: www.thewherebusiness.com/locationintelli-
genceusa
April
04-06 April CAPIGI
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Internet: www.capigi.eu
05 April GeoDATA 2011
Birmingham, U.K.
Internet: www.geoinformationgroup.co.uk/events/geodata
05-07 April Ocean Business 2011 - The ocean
technology training and procurement forum
Southampton, U.K.
Internet: www.oceanbusiness.comor www.lidarmap.or
06-07 April Offshore Survey 2011 - Technical
Conference
Southampton, U.K.
Internet: www.offshoresurvey.co.uk
06-07 April GEO-11 A World of Geomatics With
GIS Innovations
Holiday Inn, London Elstree, U.K.
E-mail: sharon@pvpubs.demon.co.uk
07 April GeoDATA 2011
Leeds, U.K.
Internet: www.geoinformationgroup.co.uk/events/geodata
10-14 April GITAs 2011 Geospatial Solutions
Conference
Grapevine (Dallas), TX, U.S.A.
Internet:
www.gitaservices.org/websites/gita2011/index.php?p=1
10-15 April 34th International Symposium on
Remote Sensing of Environment
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney,
Australia
Internet: www.isrse34.org
11-13 April JURSE 2011 - Joint Urban Remote
Sensing Event
Munich, Germany
E-mail: jurse2011@bv.tum.de
Internet: www.jurse2011.tum.de
11-13 April EARSeL 7th Workshop of EARSeL
Special Interest Group Imaging Spectroscopy
University of Edinburgh, U.K.
Internet: www.earsel2011.com/Welcome
12-16 April Association of America Geographers
2011 Annual Meeting
Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
E-mail: meeting@aag.org
Internet: www.aag.org/cs/annualmeeting
12-16 April Symposium on Space-Time Integration
in GIS and GIScience
Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
E-mail: meeting@aag.org
Internet: www.aag.org
13-15 April V Anniversary International
Conference Remote Sensing the Synergy of
High Technologies
ATLAS PARK-HOTEL, Moscow, Russia
Internet: http://sovzondconference.ru/2011/eng
18-21 April 14th AGILE International Conference
on Geographic Information Science
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Internet: www.uu.nl/faculty/geosciences/EN/agile2011/
agile2011welcome/Pages/default.aspx
19-21 April 4th Italian gvSIG Conference
Udine, Italy
E-mail: giornate.italiane@gvsig.org
Internet: www.gvsig.org/web/community/events/giornate-
italia/2011
25-29 April SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing 2011
Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention
Center, Orlando, FL, U.S.A.
E-mail: alr@spie.org or hermann@spieeurope.org
Internet: www.spie.org
27-29 April GEO-Siberia 2011
Novosibirsk, ITE Siberian Fair, Russia
E-mail: Nenasheva@sibfair.ru or
argina.novitskaya@gmail.com
Internet: www.geosiberia.sibfair.ru/eng
May
01-05 May ASPRS 2011 Annual Conference
Midwest Airlines Center/Hyatt Hotel, Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A.
Internet: www.asprs.org
03-08 May Gi4DM-GeoInformation for Disaster
Management
Antalya, Turkey
E-mail: gi4dm@gur.net
Internet: www.gi4dm2011.org
09-11 May Global Space and Satellite Forum
Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
E-mail: holly@smg-online.com
Internet: www.smg-online.com
10-11 May IF&GIS 2011 5th International Workshop
on Information Fusion and Geographical
Information Systems: Towards the Digital Ocean
Brest, France
E-mail: thomas.devogele@ecole-navale.fr
Internet: http://if-gis.com
10-12 May 2011 Smallworld EMEAI Conference
Salzburg Congress, Salzburg, Austria
Internet: http://registrationassistant.com/emeai11/
default.asp
10-13 May 1st International Geomatics
Symposium Geomatics Technologies in the City
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
E-mail: gtc@geomaticsksa.com
Internet: www.geomaticsksa.com
18-22 May FIG Working Week Bridging the Gap
between Cultures
Marrakech, Morocco
Internet: www.g.net/g2011
23-26 May Be Together: The Bentley User
Conference Pennsylvania Convention Center,
Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Internet: www.bentley.com/en-US/Community/
BE+Conference
24-25 May The Location Business Summit
NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Internet: www.thewherebusiness.com/locationsummit/
index.shtml
31 May-01 June 3rd EARSeL Workshop on Remote
Sensing in Education and Training
Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic
Internet: www.earsel.org/SIG/ET/3rd-workshop/
index.php
30 May-02 June 31st EARSeL Symposium
Remote Sensing and Geoinformation not only
for Scientic Cooperation
Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
Internet: www.earsel.org/symposia/2011-symposium-
Prague
31 May-02 June AfricaGEO 2011
Capetown International Convention Center, Capetown,
South Africa
E-mail: info@africageo.org
Internet: http://africageo.org
31 May-03 June Optechs Innovative Lidar
Solutions Conference 2011
Hilton Garden Inn, Toronto, Canada
Internet: www.optech.ca/ilsc2011
Please feel free to e-mail your calendar notices to:calendar@geoinformatics.com
C a l e n d a r 2011 / Ad v e r t i s e r s I n d e x
Ashtech www.ashtech.com 27
Bentley www.bentley.com 30
CAPIGI www.capigi.eu 20
Cyclomedia www.cyclomedia.com 21
ERDAS www.erdas.com 52
Esri www.esri.com 9
FOIF www.foif.com.cn 45
Leica Geosystems www.leica-geosystems.com 39
NovAtel www.novatel.com 35
Optech www.optech.ca 49
Racurs www.racurs.ru 37
RIEGL www.riegl.com 31
Sokkia www.sokkia.eu 51
Spectra Precision www.spectraprecision.com 17
Stonex www.stonexeurope.com 2
SuperMap www.supermap.com 43
Topcon Europe www.topcon.eu 13
Advertisers Index
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March 2011
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