The unveiling of the National Map Policy by Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India in May 2005 is a historic decision, a major step forward. However, the policy raises both expectations and questions. The section contains National Map Policy and views of following experts
Engineering structures undergo deformation due to various kinds of static and dynamic loads. Thus, monitoring of structure, specifically large structures such as high-rise building, bridges, dams etc., is essential to ensure its safe deformation behavior. With multifold rise of traffic, to provide safety and to prevent disaster, it has become necessary to detect uncharacteristic deflections and vibrations of bridges. The instruments which are often used for measurement of defl ection such as
strain gauge, accelerometer, tiltmeter, vision system, optometer, laser gauge meter etc are often cumbersome as well as costly in implementation. Moreover, they suffer from one defi ciency or the other. Hence, there is a need for a method which is simple, economic yet provides accurate and reliable measurement.
In Today’s world, with GPS, we can survey ellipsoidal heights (h) with 5-10 cm accuracy for geodetic control points on land and differential heights (?h) between well defi ned topographic features with relative accuracy of 1: 1Million or better. In few specific cases, this type of accuracy may require specially designed GPS surveys. In navigational mode, an instantaneous positional accuracy of about ± 5 m is easily possible. As these heights are the direct product of the GPS survey(s) and thus defi ned with respect to the ellipsoid, which is a time-invariant zero reference surface, they can be used without any reference to the geoid or Mean Sea Level (MSL). If we recall, in the classical surveys, e.g., triangulations and/or traverses, the vertical angles used to provide the “?h” and thus there will not be any need to convert them to orthometric heights.
The environment of a Municipal Information system has undergone a sea change over last few years. Couple of years back the requirements of information system was designed and projected primarily from the planners community. They were satisfi ed if the physical information was supplied on a scale of 1:5000/ 1:10,000.
Galileo – the European Programme for Global Navigation Services for civil purposes is an initiative led by European Union. We provide regular updates to our readers on the Galileo programme.
China gets three Galileo application projects
A Chinese general contractor for the European Galileo Project recently obtained three application projects. The Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) endorsed China Galileo Industries (CGI) to develop the fishery application system, the location-based services and special ionospheric studies for the Galileo regional augmentation services.
The EU and the European Space Agency had kicked off the 3.5 billion- billioneuro Galileo Project in March 2002 euro to develop a satellite-navigation system independent of the U.S. The first Galileo navigation satellite is expected to be launched later this year. China was the first country outside Europe to join the Galileo Project, agreeing to invest a total of 200 million euros into the global consortium. About 70 million euros of the Chinese investment have been put into technologies development and the remaining 130 million euros into deployment of space and ground infrastructure. The EU estimated that by 2020, the Galileo Project will bring Europe tens of billions of euros in revenues and tens of thousands of job opportunities. Chinese experts expected revenues worth 260 billion yuan (23.6 billion euros) in Galileo systems applications by 2020.
http://news.xinhuanet.com
Microsoft releases a beta of Virtual Earth
Microsoft released a beta of Virtual Earth, its web-based mapping service that combines local search with maps and aerial photography according to a recent report. The move comes some three weeks after Google released a beta of its Google Earth, and nearly a month after MSN unveiled a service combining satellite imagery with maps with its local search results. However, MSN’s Virtual Earth, like Google Earth, is focused primarily around maps and aerial views, allowing users to zoom in and out of maps or images and drag them around within the display area. MSN Virtual Earth for now covers only the U.S. and major Canadian cities, and offers fewer local-search options. http://www.marketingvox.com
China’s first digital long distance pipeline
Ji-Ning line is China’s first pipeline featuring digital technologies. World advanced technologies are applied in it, including remote sensing technology, GIS, large database, virtual reality technology, web application technology, project management, enterprise resource planning, exploring a new idea and method of in the design and operation management of long-distance pipeline. Welding has been completed for over 700 kilometers along the Ji- Ning line (from Hengshui in north China’s Hebei Province to Nanjing in east China’s Jiangsu province) for West-East Gas Transmission project. The line extends across north and east China and connects the area around Bohai Sea with Yangtze River Delta. It is expected the main pipeline will be put into operation at year-end. The pipeline will put an end to the coal-dominated energy structure in the areas alongside.
http://english.people.com.cn
USS Cape St. George is first ship using digital mapping system
Sailors on the USS Cape St. George is the first in the U.S. Navy fleet to switch from paper maps to a new digital charting system, linked to GPS and instant updates on ocean obstructions. The Navy, which has been working on the new technology since 1998, plans to install and use the new digital maps on the entire flee by 2009.
http://www.estripes.com
MapInfo Delivers OGC Compliance
MapInfo Corporation the announced that its MapXtreme® family of products has been certified as fully compliant with the Open Geospatial Consortium’s (OGC) OpenGIS® WMS Specifi cations.
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