GIS

Global Mapper LiDAR Module V17 Released

Blue Marble Geographics has released an update to the Global Mapper LiDAR Module. The latest edition of the module includes numerous functional enhancements and performance improvements that have been designed to improve the quality and utility of LiDAR and other point cloud data. New and updated functionality includes a tool for automatically detecting and classifying power lines and other aboveground utility cables; a new set of analysis tools for identifying and filtering noise or erroneous points in LiDAR data; and an enhancement to the feature extraction tool that allows vector line features to be created a linear array of points such as a utility cable. www.bluemarblegeo.com

OGC adopts updated KML Earth Browser Standard – KML 2.3

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) has approved the OGC KML 2.3 Standard.

KML is an XML grammar used to encode and transport representations of geographic data for display in an earth browser, such as a 3D virtual globe, 2D web browser application, or 2D mobile application. KML, an open, non-proprietary standard, is supported in numerous Earth browser applications and geospatial software products. In early 2007, Google submitted KML to the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) to be maintained and evolved within the OGC consensus process. 84 KML 2.2 implementations are currently registered in the OGC implementations database.

The main KML enhancements provided in version 2.3 are:

1. Addition of a new feature, KML Tour, which enables a user to specify aspects of a controlled virtual fl ight through a series of geographic locations, including speed, mode of fl ight (smooth or bounce), sound tracks and how KML features are updated throughout the tour.

2. Addition of new geometries: Track and MultiTrack. A KML Track can capture and display the path and other aspects of a moving object over a specified period of time.

3. Enhancements to KML’s Extension Mechanism, allowing for the direct use of XML content from third-party schemas. KML 2.3 is now based on XML Schema 1.1 enabling authors of KML Application Profile extensions to experimentally add foreign element and attribute content interleaved among existing KML elements. www.opengeospatial.org

Japan to provide grant of $3 mln to help create national infrastructure for geospatial data of Ukraine

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide $3 million to realize a pilot project as part of the creation of the national infrastructure for geospatial data in Ukraine, Deputy Head of Diplomatic Mission and Advisor to Embassy of Japan to Ukraine Hiromi Nakano has said. “This is a grant, we do not demand the return of it,” she said.

Wide-area high-accuracy positioning data on the way

Australia is placing orders for sophisticated satellite reception equipment designed to provide almost the whole of the Australian land mass with extremely accurate positioning data, fulfilling a longheld ambition of Australia’s geodesy, surveying and satellite specialists. The equipment enables capture and processing of data from all the in-orbit satellite positioning data systems in operation now, or coming into service progressively over the next few years. It applies ground-based corrections from terrestrial stations whose position is calibrated exactly, and allows rebroadcast of ground-originated positioning signals to achieve the extreme accuracy specified.

The corrections are needed because tiny orbital shifts, random gravity effects in space such as lunar tidal effects, variations in the earth’s atmosphere, and various other perturbations complicate the calculation of position from satellitederived signals by themselves