GIS

Bell and Esri Canada deliver Integrated Smart City Ecosystem

Bell and Esri will create the Bell Integrated Smart City Ecosystem. This integrated solution will combine Bell’s award-winning 5G network and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions with Esri’s realtime analytics and location intelligence capabilities to help cities of all sizes across Canada become connected communities.

The Bell Integrated Smart City Ecosystem enables Canadian communities to accelerate their digital transformations, enhancing decision-making and streamlining collaboration across municipal or regional departments. The platform collects, integrates and displays data in one seamless end-to-end experience, enabling multiple stakeholders to make decisions from a shared view that provides broader and clearer context for all involved. Cities can customize the solution, building on top of their existing location intelligence investments, or access multiple pre-integrated IoT solutions with customized reporting and automation of processes. www.bell.ca

IRIS wins Global Infrastructure Hub competition

IRIS R&D Group Inc. becomes the first Canadian start-up that provides privacy-centric smart cities data using best in class Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to win the Global Infrastructure Hub (GI Hub) ‘InfraChallenge’ supported by the Italian G20 Presidency. This challenge was focused on technological solutions for building and maintaining better and more resilient infrastructure and asset management. The Company was declared successful following a live pitch at the InfraChallenge final in September 2021 against nine other finalists from different parts of the world.

Maintenance is critical to the safety and resilience of IRIS infrastructure, yet most technology that gathers asset condition data is expensive or impractical at scale. IRIS’ winning solution enables cities to monitor road infrastructure at a substantially lower cost by using dash cameras with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect road hazards and defects in real-time. www.irisradgroup.com

ESA and NASA launch revolutionary open-source platform

ESA and NASA have publicly released the first globally-harmonized assessment of above ground biomass – information that is vital for managing global climate change. The Multi-Mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP) provides seamless access to above ground biomass information from both NASA and ESA Earth observation data.

MAAP is the culmination of a twoyear NASA and ESA effort and reflects the cooperation between the two agencies under the NASA and ESA JPPG (Joint Program and Planning Group) Joint Working Group (WG) on Ground Segment and Operations.

The MAAP platform enables international scientists and researchers to collaboratively develop algorithms and code as well as analyse and visualise large datasets acquired from sources including satellite instruments, the International Space Station, and airborne and ground campaigns. The large data and high-performance computing required for MAAP, along with a shared code repository and catalog, are stored and managed in the cloud. MAAP capabilities are supported and shared between NASA and ESA

The initial application of MAAP focuses on above-ground biomass to help determine the size and carbon content of Earth’s forests. These data are vital for informing our understanding and forecasting of climate change, including regular updates to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

While biomass is the first application of MAAP, it easily can be adapted for collaborative exploration across the breadth of science data and scientific disciplines available through NASA, ESA, and similar research agencies. MAAP currently includes data from missions such as NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) and the joint NASA/ESA AfriSAR campaign, and will eventually support data from upcoming NASA and ESA missions such as the joint NASA/Indian Space Research Organization SAR (NISAR) and ESA’s Biomass mission. www.esa.int

Esri India’s ArcGIS Platform to give thrust to ‘Make in India’

Esri India have launched ArcGIS Platform as-a-service (PaaS) that includes maps and location services. With a full range of SDKs, APIs, and low-code options, the platform will reduce time to market and promote creative design, enabling an open location-focused PaaS for software developers, businesses, and organizations that need to bring maps and location services into their products, solutions, and systems. With this launch, developers in India will now be able to get seamless access to Esri India’s leading geospatial technology and capabilities. www.esri.in

UKHO becomes Strategic Member of Open Geospatial Consortium

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has strengthened its long-standing relationship with Open Geospatial Consortium(OGC) by enhancing its membership level from Technical to Strategic to provide greater leadership, boost innovation, and advance geospatial data for the marine industry. As a Strategic Member, UKHO will augment its expertise and leadership offering to OGC, while providing greater access to and usage of its marine geospatial data. www.ogc.org

Collaboration of NHTSA and Mission Critical Partners

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Mission Critical Partners (MCP) will collaborate to assess the current status of GIS within the 911 community. The goal of the initiative is to define what is required to achieve interoperable GIS data sharing nationwide. The National 911 Program, housed within NHTSA, will lead this important effort.

In 2019, the “National NG911 Roadmap,” a report published by the National 911 Program, and supported by MCP, highlighted GIS as a significant barrier to achieving a nationwide “system of systems.” The report emphasized the need to develop standards, requirements, and best practices for sharing GIS data. www.911.gov

Haryana, India launches GIS Labs in 11 districts

The Chief Minister of the Indian state of Haryana announced that GIS Labs are in the process of being established in all districts of the state to facilitate data collection pertaining to various departments through satellites.

The monitoring of the projects run by various departments can be done through satellite and the data related to all the departments will be available in these labs, the Chief Minister said after inaugurating GIS Labs set up by Haryana Space Application Centre (HARSAC) in 11 districts of the state through a virtual meeting. www.dailypioneer.com

IHO and Singapore launch Hydrographic Innovation Laboratory

Singapore and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) launched the Joint IHO-Singapore Innovation and Technology Laboratory on 26 October 2021. The laboratory seeks to optimize the resources of IHO Member States to harness and develop emerging technologies in the hydrographic domain that support safe maritime navigation and the protection of the marine environment.

In accelerating innovation in the field of hydrography, the laboratory aims to (i) conduct research and testing of projects proposed by IHO Member States, IHO organs and other stakeholders; (ii) grow knowledge and foster collaboration on global standard-setting for the development and application of technologies enhancing safety at sea; and (iii) promote a multidisciplinary and collaborative environment to drive innovative solutions and develop pioneering technologies through active partnerships. https://iho.int

Seabed mapping survey in Cayman islands

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) will support maritime trade and economic growth in the Cayman Islands as it embarks on a new programme of seabed mapping.

The surveys will unlock vital new information about the waters around the Cayman Islands and will enable safe navigation and the continued development of the islands’ sustainable blue economy.

Under the UK government’s Overseas Territories Seabed Mapping Programme (OTSMP), UKHO will collect a range of geospatial data in waters around the islands to a depth of 40 metres. The survey will also have its estimated carbon impact offset by Fugro, who have been awarded the contract to conduct the data gathering.

The survey will be conducted by a small aircraft using Lidar data gathering techniques. The aircraft will fly twice daily for periods of up to four hours at a time over the islands, operating at a height of around 300m. While it is airborne, the aircraft’s onboard survey equipment will gather information on water depth and land heights, as well as highresolution images of both land and sea.

Seabed 2030 project announces partnership with TCarta

As the effort in pursuit of the complete map of the ocean floor accelerates, The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TCarta Marine – a US-based company dedicated to marine remote sensing and hydrospatial data services.

Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and GEBCO to inspire the complete mapping of the world’s ocean by 2030, and to compile all bathymetric data into the freely available GEBCO Ocean Map. GEBCO is a joint project of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and is the only organization with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor. Seabed 2030 is formally endorsed as a Decade Action of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. https://seabed2030.org

Bentley Systems to Acquire Power Line Systems

Bentley Systems, Incorporated has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Power Line Systems—a leader in software for the design of overhead electric power transmission lines and their structures—from private equity firm TA Associates for approximately $700 million. www.bentley.com

Fugro wins two Energinet site investigation contracts

Fugro has secured two geotechnical site investigation contracts with Energinet for Denmark’s proposed Energy Island project. This purpose-built artificial island will be situated 80 km offshore in the North Sea and act as a hub connecting hundreds of surrounding wind turbines. Fugro will perform the preliminary geotechnical site investigation for the Energy Island and the adjacent offshore wind farm zone. The resulting Geo-data will be used to prepare an integrated geological and geotechnical soil model on which wind farm developers will base future tenders. www.fugro.com

Pix4D launches the viDoc RTK in the USA and Canada

Pix4D has just made the viDoc RTK rover available for purchase in the USA and Canada. The rover attaches to the latest iOS devices to bring RTK accuracy to terrestrial scanning on iPhones and iPads. pix4d.com