GIS

Google’s Project Tango whips up new mapping tech

Project Tango is an ambitious attempt by ATAP, a skunkworks division with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) roots that’s been peeled away from Motorola Mobility, to give smartphones the ability to do realistic 3D mapping and create virtual experiences as the phone’s owner moves through the real world. It exists as a 5-inch Android phone prototype, running customized hardware and software which can track the “full 3D motion of the device, while simultaneously creating a map of the environment,” says Google. Suggested applications range from the mundane, such as capturing the dimensions of a home before furniture shopping simply by waving the phone around a room, to the helpful, such as aiding the visually impaired inside unfamiliar buildings, to the frivolous, such as turning a hallway into a virtualreality game space. http://news.cnet.com

Singapore government launches GIS-based property app

Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has launched a new mapbased app using GIS technology to ease information search on general planning decisions. Information on properties and the Authority’s plans are highly sought after by the public and professionals. Last year, URA reported more than 20,000 searches on its online database.

Urban planning with the help of GIS in Hong Kong

“As part of the Planning Department’s commitment to ensure the quality of living and working environments in Hong Kong, we recently developed a GIS-based site search tool which greatly improved the current practice of identifying and assessing potential commercial and residential sites,” said Stanley Tsoi, Senior Systems Manager, Hong Kong Planning Department.

The tool, which contains 13 types of criteria and 45 data layers, operates on a raster-GIS environment. It was developed based on customised algorithm designed to meet various local situations as well as the business operational needs of the Planning Department. In addition, the tool leverages ArcGIS Spatial Analyst, which is an extension of ArcGIS for Desktop, to perform overlaying, buffering, focal and zonal statistics operations.

Google Earth to bolster new digital land catalogue

The public will now have access land surveys, titles, valuations and aerial photography after the government unveiled NSW Globe – a new way to view government data.

NSW Globe uses Google Earth technology to present complex and detailed spatial information in a more accessible and user-friendly way. It combines spatial data with detailed satellite and aerial imagery and is able to display display property, local government and electoral boundaries, as well as road and rail networks. www.arnnet.com.au

No GIS road info in Nagaland, India

Remote sensing and GIS techniques can be effectively utilized for the mapping of all road networks and generation of these databases for information system in Nagaland, India. As of now, there is no proper inventory or mapping of road network or database for management of road for the entire state of Nagaland in GIS environment. This was stated in the publication of ‘Science and Technology Intervention in Nagaland’ published by The Nagaland Science & Technology Council (NASTEC). www.morungexpress.com

Work processes for project execution and plant operations made easy

Intergraph® has released SmartPlant® P&ID 2014. It features new ducting and instrumentation diagram functionality and the solution scope has been extended with enhancements to more efficiently support work processes for project execution and plant operations, and lower the cost of ownership. The new ducting and instrumentation diagram (D&ID) capability in SmartPlant P&ID 2014 lets users “Experience the Power of Smart Engineering” by creating a schematic representation for air handling or process systems. It configures the ducting system with the connectivity, components and instruments that can next be used in downstream tasks like SmartPlant Electrical and SmartPlant Instrumentation and ultimately, the physical design in Intergraph Smart™ 3D, the world’s most advanced and productive 3D design solution. www.intergraph.com

Bentley Partners with S-Cube Futuretech

Bentley Systems, has its partnership with S-Cube Futuretech Pvt. Ltd., the leading developer of software products for concrete structural engineering in India. Working smarter, together, the two companies are delivering STAAD. building, a software integration facilitating B/IM for concrete building design workflows that will enable users to meet the demanding standards of the Indian market. www.bentley.com/STAAD

Manage Parcel Data with Ease

SuperGIS Desktop 3.2, by Supergeo Technologies, the newest desktop GIS software, supports Land Parcel Editor to assisting users in managing parcel data with ease.

In addition to performing Multiple Map Frames, Advanced Editor, Land Parcel Editor and Feature Guided Pages, Georeferencing Tool and OGC Add-on in it are also enhanced to support various kinds of GIS tasks. www.supergeotek.com

Express Server 9 LizardTech

LizardTech has launched Express Server® 9 software. It is the leading imagedelivery software for compressed raster imagery, including multispectral imagery. It uses patented technology to reduce storage costs, decrease image loading times and handle thousands of image requests, all without sacrificing visual quality. The latest version comes equipped with the ExpressZip web application for exporting imagery straight from the web browser. The entire ExpressZip application is open source and completely customizable. www.lizardtech.com

Laos to produce its largest digital topographic map

Laos will produce its biggest ever digital topographical map with $3.5 million of support from the Republic of Korea (ROK). The map will cover some 4,600 hectares of the nation’s capital Vientiane, encompassing the city’s four inner districts. The three-year project aims to provide geographic data that could be used for the construction of new towns in the capital while strengthening the capacity of the Lao Survey and Mapping Center to conduct large scale mapping initiatives. http://www.globaltimes.cn

Violence mapping project in South Africa

With national elections approaching, concerns about the levels of public violence – and their implications for a peaceful poll – are mounting. ISS has launched the country’s first open access project to map all forms of public violence. Building on existing academic research and efforts to monitor protest action, the ISS will track levels of public violence over time, as well as responses to incidents. Each incident is uploaded onto a map to produce a picture of where hotspots exist and where they may be emerging.

With more than 10 year’s experience in analysing violence data and working with criminal justice officials on strategy and policy, the ISS is well placed to lead a project of this nature. www.issafrica.org

3D model of Noida, India

Noida Authority is getting set to create a 3D model of the city. Digital mapping of surface and underground objects will be used to create the model. Once in place, the 3D model will prove to be a very powerful tool not only for city planning but for security as well. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com