NEWSBRIEFS – GIS

Sep 2008 | Comments Off

INDUSTRY | LBS | GPS | GIS | REMOTE SENSING | GALILEO UPDATE

EMRI joins hands with GEOMED for enhancing emergency response service

Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) and GEOMED Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH signed an MoU to work together on shared goals regarding the improvement of GIS based emergency health systems data utilization and related research and emergency response services internationally.

GEOMED’s focus is on the development and application of geography-based methods and technologies in public health and health care. Research and development projects deal with planning and allocation of resources in emergency or secondary care, innovative health monitoring and surveillance applications or decision support in the context of urban health. Continuous cooperations exist with research institutions, health services and authorities across Europe, Northern America as well as in India and China.

PHR to map health medical centres with GIS in Yemen

Yemen Partners for Health Reforms (PHR) project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is training a group of decision makers in the Health Ministry Bureau, launched a course to target provinces that are instructed in the use the GIS in order to map the health medical centers in all Yemen’s provinces. www.yobserver.com

AU Professors to evaluate GIS project

To ensure quality and take guidance in the implementation of the GIS project, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is contemplating hiring the services of faculty of the civil engineering department of Andhra University. The VMC had asked the civil engineering department to evaluate the job of Hyderabad-based Speck Systems, which was entrusted the task of satellite imaging of the city. The VMC would enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the civil engineering department of the university shortly. the latter would play the role of a ‘third party’ in implementing the project. www.thehindu.com

Indian Ministry of Rural Development to implement NLRMP

The Government of India has decided to use technologies such as GIS and GPS for updating records and conclusive titles in the rural areas of the country. The scheme envisaged by the department of land resources (DLR), under the ministry of rural development, would provide land titles to more than 950 million rural population, relying on highresolution satellite imagery. The ministry plans to work with state governments to replace the present system of registration of land deeds and documents as provided for in the Registration Act.

CIST, China wins contract for Aerophotogrammetrical Surveys

China Information Security Technology, Inc. has announced that the Company has been awarded two contracts to construct aerophotogrammetrical surveys and digital maps for China’s Bureau of Land and Resources. One contract, for the city of Nanning, in Guangxi Province, is valued at $1.3 million and the other contract for the city of Jiaxing, in Zhejiang Province, has a contract value of $3.3 million. CIST expects the contracts to be completed by October 2008. The contracts will require production of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles (DOQs),
which are often used in Geographic Information Systems. www.chinacpby.com

Intermap Technologies introduces New Malaysia Mapping Program

Intermap Technologies has announced that the Company has entered into a new distribution program with the Sabah Lands and Surveys Department in East Malaysia. The program, called Digital Sabah, will make available high-resolution 3D digital elevation data and imagery covering the entire State of Sabah. Sabah, located on the Island of Borneo and the Malaysia Borneon state, encompassesone of the worlds few remaining rain forests, boasting wild elephants, orangutans, and other endangered species. Available now, the high-resolution data will be used to enable the State of Sabah to manage environmentally sensitive areas using Intermap’s
highly accurate imagery and elevation data. Expected uses are geospatial applications within the environment, hydrology, forestry, plantation, and mining sectors. www.Intermap.com

Laser Survey in Kalimantan

Jakarta-based company, PT Suprabari Mapanindo Mineral, recently carried out an aerial survey as part of the construction of a new mine site in Central Kalimantan. Suprabari holds permits for coal mining exploration covering 23,940 hectares of the island. It is a privately ownedcompany focusing on the natural resources business in Indonesia. An aerial survey of Central Kalimantan was recently
undertaken as part of the construction of a new mine site. The mining concession, which covers about 15,500 hectares, was surveyed using a Harrier-56/3G airborne laser scanning system built by TopoSys in Germany. The operation was contracted out to PT Credent Teknologi, a subsidiary of Credent Technology in Singapore.

Garmin gets Netherlands bicycling maps

Waypoint, a Netherlands-based retailer specialized in recreational navigation has launched this month OnRoute, the first GPS bicycle map for the Netherlands dedicated to Garmin devices. Costing €89,the map data comes as a CD for use in combination with outdoor devices and PCbased Garmin software Mapsource and as pre-installed SD card for use in the Garmin Nuvi. In the Netherlands the SD-version of the map will be distributed by Garmin and target the mass market via retail chains like Halfords, Mediamarkt and ANWB.

GLONASS-K Birds go into production

Information Satellite Systems – Reshetnev Co. has begun the production of the K-series of GLONASS satellites for Russia.The first launch of a GLONASSK satellite is scheduled for launch in 2010, according to Russia’s Federal Space Agency. GLONASSK is the third generation of Russia’s GLONASS positioning satellites. In contrast to GLONASS and GLONASS- M satellites, which have relatively short service lives of only a few years, GLONASS-K has a planned service life of 12 years, a depressurized platform, and a decreased weight, according to Reshetnev.

Illegal to use GPS from Smartphone in Germany

According to Pocket GPS World, the courts in Germany have deemed that it is unlawful to operate a GPS navigation system on a smartphone while driving because of the phone ban in the country. Currently, there are some incar navigation systems that lock you out of operating the unit while the unit detects that you are in motion. It seems unclear as to whether the law would mean that by operating a GPS system attached to the phone means using the system and programming in destinations while at a stop or if it means having the GPS on the phone running at all. This move will prevent GPS through cellular connections like those offered through TeleNav. www.pocketnow.com

KSRTC goes hi-tech: GPS to track movement of buses

R Ashok, Karnataka Transport Minister has announced that GPS would be introduced in the state to keep track on movement of KSRTC buses. He said GPS would not only help in monitoring movement of buses but also send messages on accidents, if any, to the control room automatically. He also announced that nearly 100 bus stops would be opened with digital display of timings of bus arrival and departure. http://mangalorean.com