Remote Sensing

Non-government organization (NGO) activity in developing countries is difficult to track due to limited infrastructure. URISA’s GISCorps, which coordinates short-term, volunteer-based GIS services to underprivileged communities, was asked to assist the

What should the satellite companies DigitalGlobe and GeoEye do now that ongoing talks of mergers and acquisitions are a well-publicized fact? It’s a pretty fair bet that something has to happen soon since it looks increasingly like the government will cut spending for commercial remote sensing satellites. Editor in Chief Joe Francica writes an open letter to the CEOs of both companies with some "free" advice.

In a flurry of news that occured late last week and over the weekend, GeoEye

Do you need imagery of an area taken on a common sensor and platform at a uniform resolution with standard specifications? Then DigitalGlobe’s Precision Aerial product might be just what you need. Product Manager Kevin Bullock explains.

A company called TerraGo and a product called GeoPDF became well-known back in 2008. In March 2012, the company released version 6 of its software, prompting Directions Magazine to interview Chief Technical Officer George Demmy to learn what’s new in both the software and the use of GeoPDF.

For the past 10 years, the geospatial sector has experienced what many believe was bubble-like growth. Some would attribute the growth to the U.S. federal government’s support of our military engagements and intelligence gathering initiatives to thwart terrorism. Recently, this growth trend has been abating. Is this good or bad for the geospatial technology sector? Intergraph Vice President Mladen Stojic’s take on this situation may surprise you.

Are you ready to see UAVs swooping in around your neighborhood? The FAA is in the process of selecting test cities to develop the policy of integrating UAVs into the National Airspace System. That droning noise you may hear soon could be your friendly policeman doing his duty.

Last week, Bentley Systems released Descartes V8i (SELECTseries 3), which the company described as an “information modeling product for advanced point-cloud processing.” According to Bentley, some of the new product features support “hybrid point cloud modeling” and scalable terrain models (STMs), which will be used to address 3D image processing. Editor in Chief Joe Francica discussed some of the innovations with product managers, Faraz Razi and Benoit Fredericque.

Floods are considered the number one natural hazard, causing more deaths and damage year after year.  The National Science Foundation (NSF) provided funding to a college in North Dakota for GIS and remote sensing technology and training.  That college, in turn, created a study to assess risks to local communities and facilities in the path of potential flooding. Jacqueline Stenehjem, former assistant professor at Williston State College, Williston, North Dakota and Dr. Peter G. Oduor, associate professor of geology and geography at North Dakota State University, describe how the grant from NSF benefited that population on many levels.